Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-05
shsi5 LOhbtd BAiOh5 RE
COUG|NC ALL BUILDERS
One Million Homes Stopped by
Price Increases, Says
Senator Capper.
BY SENATOR ARTHUR CAPPER,
of Kansas.
(Written Expressly for Universal
Scryirp

ia SENATOR ARTHUR CAIpER'
of Kansas.
(Written Expressly for Universal
Scrvice.)
WASHINGTON, April 4.-Evidcnce
grows that profit hogging on the
part of lumber barons and other deal
ers in the building material continues,
aboundS and increases. The best in
formation obtainabc convinces me
that the building of at least 10000
homes has been stopped In the last
few months because of the Increasing
price OF lumber. Weekly advances
of SO thousand are not uncommon.
The Senate has recently passed a
resolution offered by me which 1 be-
lievc Will soon get at the facts. 1t
is UP TO the government to see that
the consumer gets square deal and
the inquiry / have started In the Sem
ate is move in that direction. l
think II will be shown that the own
crship of timber and other forest re-
sources is steadily being concentrated
into the hands of few big corpora
tions who are able to make great
fortunes by reason OF the monopoly
which they enjoy.
Every day brings the additional
evidence that there has been the
rankest kinds of prohtecring in the
lumber industry. Almost every one
in control of timber lands or lumber
mills in the last year has made "a
| fortune.
These lumber gentlemen advance a
variety of reasons why lumber at
about l cent an inch WIN 'nSale is
perfectly all right. But 40 not know
that / have ever heard OF anybody
failing in the lumber business.
There may have been one or two
who did: If so these cases have never
n NJ To, inn h.s
during the last half dozen years some
of the Vests hardest headed business
men sold out everything they had and
| plunged into that bust SIS. some buy
ing up timber lands All have made
fortunes. Several now are in the
millionaire class
During the last month ] have had
a good many letters, some OF them
from dealers who have spent a life
time in the lumber business and all
say the same thing which is tina, the
prices the public is being forced to
pay or do without lumber go way
beyond all reasonable and adequate
profit after figuring in every kind OF
emergency.
These mon. 1T mus, be conceded.
| ought TO know something OF "A bug!-
ness in which they have spent their
| lives.
The biggest thing we have 10 work
out in this country Is. In my opinion.
the control o. big business in such
a way as Will not injure its efficiency
or initiative. hut will enectuai stop
its orermastering greed for huge
prohtS. III Is not so much the indi-
vidual good or bad business man who
is responsible for this rank exploit
ing of the people. as it is the bad sys-
tenn which permits II and has permit
ted II for years. II has got 20 stop.
Protitcering has been made Grim
inal offensc on paper and gouging has
increased. Such is the gall of these
men who are scuttiing American
prosperity. Until the government
shows II intends TO put every profit
pirate in prison and proves that in
tention by putting considerable mum
bers OF them behind the bars. the
grab game VIII grow worse and
worse. The people finally viii he
compelled 10 cease buying SO far as
IL is humanity possible for them to
quit, failures will come. credit will
shirk. speculation will crack and then
the whole rotten system will cave In.
! That will break the vicious cir
| Gle. But the law can break 1t without
all these disastrous consequences.