The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1921-04-29

sAo6OOSSNt
is true of every program
ever written. The important thing
is that the women in the first
year OF their enfranchisment have
made splendid start in the right
INSTRUMENTATION.
PUBLICITY FOR COST PRICES.
Little enthusiasm need be expect
ed for the Federal Trade Commits
sion's plan to rduce prices to the
consumer by means of CIV gorous
prosecutions under the antitrust
laws" This method has been tried
without visible result for so many
years that even the most gullibla
will doubt the efficacy of another
campaign along the old lines.
But the commissions analysis OF
present market conditions is SUBJ
stantially accurate, and the five other
expedients proposed for bringing re-
tail prices down to a level COM
UdIlUlo WIIu Lu6 ldllClI PRICES vi dS"
ricultural products and raw ma
terials are the fruits OF straight and
courageous thinking. The encour
agement of cooperative associations
for selling and buying; the elimina-
ton, so far as possible, of unneces-
sary reconsignment and brokerage; a
trade conference looking toward the
clearing of international channels,
and specific protection of the farmer
against ''the more closely organized
elements with which he has to deal"
make up distinctly hopeful. pro-
gramme.
More hopeful, however. than all
the rest put together is the demand
for bill which would eliminate judi
cial objections to obtaining and
publishing information concerning
the Ownership, productions. distribu-
ton, cost. sales and profits in the
more basic industries" Tne buyers
strike has proved, eminent eccnom-
lists to the contrary notwithstanding
that the public will not knowingly
allow itself to be robbed II the
abled to investigate cost prices and
all that determines them and were
to publish it's findings frankly, the
consumer would know how TO take
care of himself The ignorlnce OF
the buying public is the main pro-
lection of the profiteer-N. York
World.
The above editorial from the New
York World imparts store Of in
formation in very few words. TIL:
statement that the American people
. are being robbed as the result o.
their ignorance of conditions which
make this possible, is nothing more
than the recital Of we'll established
fact, but one, Notwithstanding, upor
which is placed, quite frequently
the wrong construction. The ides
that publicity will eliminate thu
profiteering evil is, we believe, vel
taken and could be put into practi
cal operation in such manner as e
have telling effect. For instance, q
each and every article that is pro
duced for public consumption was
! labeled in such manner as to show
Enthusiastically the cost of production
\ and handling all the way through
until it reached the consumer, the
public would then be in position Il
judge and reckon costs understand
ingly and intelligently. In othe!
words the profiteer would be easil,
located. This is the conclusion, a
least. OF prominent men Throughout
the country who have made stud,
OF these conditions, and we can Sc;
no reason why it would not prov,
to be Of greatest value.
In speaking of the prices paid .,
the consumer for food commoditie
Mr.. w. H. Bremner, a railroad man
said the other day that onion grow
ers in Texas, selling onions (. o.
Texas at IS a ton, complained tina
the freight rate Of SIG a ton !,
Washington. d. c., was SO prohibit
i've as to choke consumption. A!
Investigation disclosed. Mr.. Brem
ner said, that onions were being sole
at retail in Washington at 500
ton or nearly eight times the cos
| of shipping. He also said that Call
| fornia orange growers are protesting
along the same lines when, as
matter Of fact, the freight rate
only one-tenth of the retail price
Il A dozen oranges shipped from Cali
| fornia to Minneapolis at cost at
cents sell on the Minneapolis retail
market for eighty cents, he ex
planned. Now We all know that tn
n railroads are not playing a loosin