River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1920-02-05
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
BY James A. Frear, M. G.

American forces in France, the most
unusual whether for offense or de-
tense, were 1000 nail files paid for
by the War Department, according
to Chairman Graham of the Ordnance
Investigation Committee. Manicure
sets and powder puffs were not on the
list but a small supply of ribbons,
and pins bought by the ton and few
that forms" were also paid for by
Uncle Sam. Possibly the most re-
markable item was 5000 Franc
payment for ten map holders, to be
used by the peace commission. The
bill was dated Sept. 8, 1918, or over
two months before the fighting stop
ed.
Senator Capper's proposal to jail
profiteers finds responsive chord
but the penalty is hard to apply. He
showed net profits of the American
Wooden Company jumped over 500
per cent from 1914 to 1917 and they
continue enormously high. Common
stock of the Central Leather Com
pany, he claimed in the Senate, had
jumped from So per cent one year ago
to 105 today. A year ago the excuse
was war demand for leather, now it
is profits. The writer has bought
the same make and kind of moderate
Nv priced shoes for the past three
years at exactly the same figure but
jump in price of 33 1-3 per cent has
occurred since last summer. Sugar
profits have advanced over 200 per
cent during the last twelve months.
Our committee was investigating the
shortage and price of print paper the
other day when Mr.. Colver of the
Federal Trade Board said the con-
sumption of paper has increased dur
ing the last quarter Of 1919 approx
mately "a per cent. The present
cost of contract paper he said was
Az cents pound but the price OF the
same paper on the market is nine
cents, or exactly double. The tariff
does not apply because contract print
paper has never reached the price OF
5 cents at which the tariff takes eff
feet. Replying to question by the
writer as to the remedy Colver stat
ed it must come from a concerted
effort on the part of large publish
ers to limit the size of newspaper IS
sues and he did not believe it could
be reached by legislation when the
demand exceeds the supply. The
committee is ready to act if any prae-
ticable remedy can be found.
Those who study the signs of the
times find many problems confront
ing our people through a combination
of human selfishness and disregard
of the rights of others. Big interes-
is are reaping big profits while the
reaping is good which provokes 9TH
er organizations to respond with
strikes that bring about suffering
among those caught between the
grind stones. English papers claim
American financial interests have
profited abnormally at their expense
during the war and threaten repris-
als,- while papers here threaten back.
Business interests with investments
in Mexico demand intervention and
a large army or military program is
desired by them. Starvation and cha
os promise to overtake some OF the
smaller European countries as a re-
suit of war brought about by junk
erism. The great mass of our own
people are peaceful and law abiding
and they want to preserve this
country but the war has left feel
ing of unrest that can only be met
and overcome by the people them
selves.
Bearing in mind that SO out of ev-
cry 100 men and boys in Wisconsin
can read and write, according to the
last census report, statement by
Senator Kenyon is of interest to
show how far our state ranks above
the average. He said that of 1852
ESQ young men of draft age examin-
ed by the draft boards of the count
ry 386,196 or about 25 per cent could
not read an American newspaper OF
write a letter. Kenyon's plea was
for a more enlightened Americanism
Coming from one of the strong pro
gressive senators his words have
weight when he says we must stand
together and develop unity of spir-
it with which to deal with great
problems that threaten the life OF
any government that does not seek
intelligent solution.
4
Referring to the recent controverss
in Congress- over Army and Nava