Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-03-20

wanted jobs was much greater than
the number of places available. The
returning soldier seeking a Job was
offered a much smaller wage than he
knew was paid for the same work
while he had been fighting. 1t In
censed him. He figured that he had
given four years out of his life, had
come home tired and broke He look
ed upon the decline in wages as a
positive discrimination against him.
Comparison Breeds Discomfort.
Everywhere ] have heard these men
say: ''We are out of luck. The
bands played and we We're applauded
when we left to fight. While we were
gone the wages went up. We don't
begrudge the men who stayed at
home the wages they got. but it's
damn funny that when we come back
down go wages. The cost of living
don't go down. guess we're out of
luck"
found two phrases inseparable In
the speech of the Disconnected the
high cost Of living;" 1.-THE profteer."
Worklngmen with whom talked
freely admitted that some OF the high
cost OF living was the legitimate re
suit of the great demand for every
thing and the natural shortage, hut In
the same breath they insisted that
much of 1t was due 10 the mercenary,
ghoulish profiteer.
The prOtiteer took blood money dur
ing the worlds greatest tragedy He
exacted uSury from the toiler al home
and the lighting man at the front.
He drew dividends out of tne tears
and walls of hroken-h hearted women
and frght-Stricken children. He
minted his gold out Of agony. starva-
ton, heartacheS He stands today
the Judas of the war. the most de
spised man Of earth.
The profiteer is not an Englishman.
a Frenchman, Italian or American.
He Is found in every country of the
world, man without nationality.
without conscience. without humanity.
He is the pimp of civilization. He is
still on the job.
The pr0fteer has given the United
States terrible black eye. com
mon comment OF Europe is. "The
United States made money out of the
war" These people do not refer TO
the money we made legitimateIy
They point to the fact. fact that
has been given great publicity In Eu-
rope, that in August. 1914, there were
about 1000 millionnires in the United
States. while AT the time of the sign
ing Of the armistice II was estimated
the millionaire colony had increased
by 23.0o0. making total Of 50 600
millionareS in the United States The
profiteer is still on the job. He Is
holding up the world. a starving, cold
world
Profteerinu Case in Point.
Under date Of November Il. 1919. ].
s. Bache & Co, members of the New
York stock exchange in their financial
letter say: In mercantile circles
there is proceeding at the present time
a vast amount OF speculation on
very large scale in commodities. An
incident Is cited TO rs of one con
Germ that Is carrying $15000O00 worth
Of vegetable oils which are in great
demand. and the concern is holding
them for higher prices This IS
distinct damage 10 the consumers. and
keeps living prices in these things.
used daily. al top and increasing lev
els. Speculation of this kind Is a
real detriment to the community"
The pair of shoes the workingnan
once bought for $3.50 are now IS and
$40. IT Is true that the cost Of labor
and material have gone up. hut not
enough TO warrant any such exorh-
tant prices. Business men have TAX
en- advantage of the situation and JUS
tify their larcenies on the ground of
The law of supply and demand A
shoe man with prominent Chicago
firm. man long in the business. told
me that the present unwarranted and
outrageous price Of shoes was due TO
the fact that American shoe manufac-
turers could get almost any prize for
shoes from the barefOoted people OF
Europe.
Governments are blamed for not
dealing with this species Of holdup.
The discontinued ask why isn't
profiteering treason--why shouldn't
these Fagans be sent to the wall with
firing squad as an escort5'
Copyright. 1920 Western Newspaper Uuionj
Greatest Of Hun Grimes.
Evidence that destruction wrought