The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-03-10

wanted jobs was much greater than
he number of places available. The
returning soldier seeking tob waf
offered a much smaller wage than he
knew was paid for the same work
while he had been fighting. It 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
positive discrimination against him.
Comparison Breeds Discomfort.
Everywhere have heard these msr
say; I've are Nout,. of luck TAe
bands played and we were 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 discontented. "ths
high cost OF living" "the proftser."
Workingmen with whom / talked,
freely admitted that some Of the high
cost OF living was the legitimate r.
suit Of the great demand for every
thing and the natural shortage, but IN
the same breath they insisted that
ghoulish proiteer.
The prof1teer took blood money dur
ing the worlds greatest tragedy. Ho
exacted usury from the toiler at home
and the fighting man at the front.
He drew dividends out OF the teaED
and walls OF broken-hearted WOmgn
and fright-stricken children. -
minted his gold out OF agony, starva-
ton. heartaehes. He stands today
the Judas of the war, the most 0s-
spised man of earth.
The proflteer is not an EngifshmAA,
a Frenchman. Italian or Americas.
He IS found in every country Of the
world, a man without nationality.
without conscience, without humanity.
He is the pimp OF civilization. he Il
still on the job.
The profteer has given the Unitod
States a terrible black eye. A CON-
mon comment OF Europe is, The
United States made money out OF the
war" These people do not refer %
the money we made Iegtimately.
They point to the fact, q fact that
has been given great publicity IN Eu-
rope. that In August, 1914, there were
about 1000 millionaires In the United
States. while at the time OF the sign-
ing Of the armistiee it was estimated
the millionaire colony had increased
by $1,000. making a total Of $1,000
milllonaires in the United States. Ths
prof1teer is still On the job. He Il
holding up the world. starving. cole
world.
Proffteerino Case In Point.
Under date of November II. 1919. J.
S. Bache & Co, members OF the New
York stock exchange. in their financial
letter say: "1n mercantile circles
there is proceeding at the present time
vast amount OF speculation on .
very large scale I'm commodities. An
incident is cited to us OF one con-
cern that is carrying $4,000. 900 worth
of vegetable oils. which are in great
demand. and the concern is holding
them for higher prices. This II .
distinct damage to the consumers. and
keeps living prices in these things,
used daily. at top and increasing lev
els. Speculation OF this kind IL n
real detrimenf TO the community"
The pair of shoes the workingman
once bought for $3.50 are now 50 and
SO 1t is true that the cost OF labor
and material have gone MP. but not
enough TO warrant any such exorI1i-
fant prices. Business men have tax
en- advantage of the situation. and jus
fify their larcenies on the ground Of
the law Of supply and demand. A
shoe man with a prominent Chicago
firm. a 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 price for
shoes from the baTefooted people OF
| Europe.
Governments are blamed for not
dealing with this species OF hoIdup.
The discontented ask 4why isn't
| nrofteering treason-why shouldn'f
these Fagans be sent 10 the wall with
a firing squad as an escort7"
| Copyright 1920. western Newspaper unisn,
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