Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-02-14
LOW PRICE PROMISES MAKE
CONGRESS- LAUGH.
While Palmer DccI;E2s He Will Save
tho Other Administration
Produces.

Washington, Jan Attorney Gcncr-
Al n. Mitchell Palmcr's BID for popu-
larlty conveyed in his promise to re
ducc the high cost Of living is meet
ing with considerable mcrrimcnt i'll
Congress, especially us the Depart
mont OF Labor persists Ill refuting
his statements with facts to show
that prices are still soaring
Representative Phil Campbell, OF
Kansas, in the House reminded the
democratic leaders that they were OK
pericnccu in buncOmbc. having made
the same promise in 1910 and 1912 i'll
order to assist in securing power.
ana after eight years Of that power,
having done SO little to accomplish
the rest promised that prices have
more than doubled
Palmer has declared that he will fol
low the profitccrs to their lair ana
destroy them. The United States Food
Controller, another Democratic OIL
GAL recently said: ''If it were pos
sible to abolish profitccring altogeth
or, you would not materially affect the
present level Of II 9Th priccs.' This
Inst statement agrees entirely With
the expressed opinion Of the Repub
lean leaders all along that high pric
es arc caused by chcapcning of the
circulating medium and initiation. and
that they can. come down only thru
restoration Of normal condition, dc
flation, and the promotion Of indus
trial prosperity. These leaders have
said for eight years that promises
otherwise arc purely for political pur
poses are now that they are akin to
"thank God for Wilson--hc kept us
oui Of war.
Bradstrccts has pointed out that
prices arc still going up The Depart
mcnt Of Labor says they are still 60
ing up. Everybody who buys any
thing agrees that they are going up.
But Attorney Gen. Palmer agrees that
they VII come down and that he will
bring them down. Cincinnati and 9th
or cities have hcep told Of the ar
rival Of experts from the Department
who would assist in the work OF re
ducing the high cost OF iVkng. After
the experts have left and the popu-
lace Is in n fine state Of expectation
the priccs 60 on up.
Thc man who has spilled tho Palm
er beans and shown up the hdministra
ton team work. though, is Royal G.
Ncckcr, United States Commissioner
OF abor Statistics. This is what he
says
| Gee no prospect OF any consider
able fall in prices for several years
to come. 1t will I've impossible for the
governments Of the world to pay on
Their debts very rapidly. On the con
trary. there is every reason to M
prcncnd that credits must he issued
to foreign governments, foreign man
ularturrrS and foreign business men
in order to rehabilitate the broken
and shattered industries OF Europe
This being the case, we may expect
that larger volumes OF checks and
credit instruments will be thrown 4
to c:rtuia,,on, boosting prices high
err"
As long as the people have twice
as. many dollars with which to buy
Il smaller number Of commodities
prices arc bound to remain high. I,
will take Il long tine to deflate tht
flate the worlds Debated supply Of
goods. The profitcer is being
blamed on all hands for tht
increase in prices Undoubtedly
profiteering Of most reprehen
sible sort has existed and doe:
exist today, but the proCteer is a RI
suit Of ever increasing prices rathe,
than cause thereof His influence
in boosting prices in ncg'iblc. If al
the profitecrs i'll the world could b.
apprehended and thrown into Jail OF
lined up and shot, it would have al
appreciable influence upon prices.