The Washington times., 1920-05-18
'URCESGOVERNMENT
SELL NECESSITIES
Senator Walsh Would Have U.
s. Compete Directly With
Pr0flteers.
CONTINUED from First PsssJ

CONTINUED from First PaseD
willingness on their part to be salts
ned with fair profits"
Walsh also suggested as a panacea
for profiteering the concentration OF
the "revoiyins searchiight OF pubic.
ity" on income tax returns he ursea
a Senate committee undertake thor-
ough examination Of such returns so
the real extent OF proftsering may be
disclosed and the chief Offenders
pointed out"
PssIiesty o. Returns.
Such an inquiry. he said. would
"even IL it accomplishes nothing
more, give indisputsble proof that
our Government does not intend to
keep Q vsil Of secrecy over any facts
pertaining TO profiteerins," and con
centrats public denunciatiOn upon the
intrigues, political, financial or IN
dustrial. thst cannot bear the hght
OF day.
Walsh denied that discomfort and
unrest was confined to tho foreign
elements in this country.
sour daily experiences show clear.
iy the American people. native ana
foreign alike. are seething with ais
content and dissatisfaction with the
existing social order" Walsh declared.
This spirit OF unrest, discomfort ana
|dissatisfaction. this growing convic-
ton OF the alleged incompetency OF
our Institutions to eradicate the no
torious abuses that have grown up
under the cover Of tho doctrine OF
equality of opportunity. exists In the
ranks OF all classes
"He who has eyes sees and he who
has ears hears today the great mid
ll xrxlN
aud out OF the Government employ
the preachers in the pulpit, the teach
ers In the class room, are tnclininB
more and more to espouse the cause
OF ridiculed ideas"
Walsh declared the time had come
"for our Government to show the
people II has the power and the In
clination to right their wrongs. and
II possesses public servants courage
Gus, intelligent, and patriotic enough
to seek a remedy and find a solution
What is the doctrine the radicals
are preaching TO our peopleT IN
quired Walsh. "They point out. again
and again, tremendous and astonish-
ing profiteering on the part OF those
whose function in the industrial life
OF the community is providing the
necessaries Of life.
Aids Radical Propaganda.
"They assert no definite. positive.
successful steps have been taken by
the Government to stop it.
"The number Of their followers in
creases; their organizations multiply:
their sympathizers, not yet openly as
ISOLATED with them. are found In near
" every walk Of life: and while all
this is going on in the body polite
| throughout the country we sit here
either unconscious Of the seriousness
of 1t all or Indifferent to the neces-
sity of stopping its progress"
while profiteering is being recited
from pulpit and soap box. prices con-
tinue to rise unhindered and un-
checked. and the whole nation Is
seething with growing resentment
and alarm" Walsh continued. THE
inactivity of Congress presents a
spectacle Of Indifference that has sell
dom been surpassed since the cour-
tiers OF Louis XIV reveled while the
French peasants were eating grass"
A far-reaching Senatorial investiga-
tion of income tax returns and their
relation to profiteering was demanded
in the Senate this afternoon by the
Senator.
| Walsh offered a resolution provid-
| ing for the appointment OF commit
tee of Ave Senators, three Republicans
and two Democrats. to investigate
and report the relation between high
| prices for necessaries and the concen-
tration Of wealth"
| Calls for Probe.
The resolution also provided that
| "for this purpose the President Is
hereby requested to permit such COM
mittee to inspect the tax returns or
any CORPORATION. association or part
nership in accordance with section 257
of the revenue act of 1915"
Walsh said he believed IL the full
light Of publicity" were shed upon
the income tax returns of big busi-
ness" the responsibility for prevailing
high prices for necessaries OF life
would be exposed.
He condemned the Withholding OF
the names of corporations and other
business groups dealing in necessaries
] in the publication of income tax re-
turns. and declared the enormous
profits reaped by them from the traf-
hce in foodstuffs, clothing and other
essentials should be laid on the
table" SO that all may see them.