South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-02


was engaged IN the war there was
governmental board in Washing
ton which, by agreement with in
dustry. had general supervision over
the selling prices OF the larger
producers. You are familiar with
these proceedings. You were a cart
OF them and you responded prompt
~ and nobly 10 all the acquisitions
made by the government. After
costs OF production were ascertained
by the Federal Trade commission.
patient investigation made by the
War Industries board full opDor-
tunity given Cor consultation and
discussion, prices were liked by the
board and you promptly furnished
the goods. Steel interests voluntar-
.ly reduced prices to a substantial
extent almost Immediately after the
armistice was sigNed, and three
months after. repeated this perform
ance. Some have never since in
creased these prices. and all sooner
or later have reduced them. They
are now, on the average, at least $50
per ton lower than the figures
agreed upon by the government
board at it's last session. Assuming
the steel industry has been fair and
reasonable in prices up TO the pres
ent time. which I need not discuss
now, for Il is the purchasing public
which decides these questions, yet
IL must be admitted, 1 think. that
there have been and still are
charged and collected for certain
b nHfffac rrrraa hTa
fair. II not extortionAte, prices. They
apply TO particular lines and per-
sons. They do not pertain to the
majority. The present offenders,
generally speaking, were not sub
Ject TO limitations by the govern
ment during the war and they have
continued and even increased the
high prices then obtained They
have done themselves especially a
great injury and in doing so have
injured others This applies in
varying degrees to sellers Of products
and also 10 members of different
trades. l am not inclined TO deal
in personalities II is necessary only
to refer 70 two or three subjects and
20 make some Illustrations. The
l
have been opened Different prod
ucts have been purchased from the
farmer. manufacturer or others at
low cost and then passed on in one
way or another and finally sold 70
the consumer at outrageous prices.
Retail prices, especially for many
commodities are much too high.
Without justification wOrkmen have
been classified and reclassihed so as
TO designate them as skilled men.
We have heard Of persons whose
daily wage was advanced from SO
to $40 or S12 at one time under
this practice. You know Of hundreds
of cases illustrating what has been
said and II would be useless TO fur
Their specify.
Workers Are Fair.
The vast majority OF business men
and workmen are sincere and fair,
but there is and perhaps always will
be a minority that ignore the prin-
ciples OF common honesty They
are sufficient In number to seriously
affect the whole situation. Until
these are aroused to the necessity
OF getting in line with sound and
decent standards of conduct, the full
return 20 satisfactory business condi- I
tons will be more or less impeded.
All that I have said during or
since the war concerning a return
TO great prosperity in this country
has been predicated on business
being managed in accordance with
the principles of reason. fairness and
hoaesty.
However. in considering the ques-
ton OF prices it is to be remembered
that many criticisms favorable or
unfavorabIe, are made which are not
justified. The reader or listener
should be sure OF the truth before
reaching a conclusion. The fair
minded man. if he has any facts
viii disclose them upon request. Oc-
casionally a writer, through mex
perience or lack Of knowledge or
otherwise will misrepresent or mis-
interpret. Every one OF US has been
subjected TO a convincing argument
against the validity or soundness Of |
attributed statements which we
never made. II is quite common 10 |
build a straw-man in order to give |
evidence of strength in destroying |
him. But this should never disturb |
our equanimity. We must admit |
we are sometimes wrong when we |
think we are right.
Now what, if anything, can be |
done 10 Improve the general situa- /
tion2 I answer the first thing for |
instance throughout the world, is |
the Observance and enforcement OF /
law.
Right Is Right.
There Is no standard for safe and /
certain progress In economic effort /
except an established rule Of law
which fixes and protects the rights
Of every one without discrimination.
There are degrees OF virtue and Of
Tense: but right Ia right. and wrong
is wrong. Wrong; cannot properly \
be compromised nor fostered; and |
so long as a law is in existence it
must furnish the rule for conduct.
Recently we have read OF convic-
tions for violations Of the criminal 4
law by certain busin ess men. They n
had controlled selling prices and II
limited production 20 the injury Of
I am not familiar with
the facts and do not know whether
or not moral turpitude was charged.
The men pleaded guilty. and, OF
course. deserved punishment.
And nearly every day for months
we have read of strikers violently
attacking men who had taken or
were offering 10 fiji the places made
vacant. Indeed, 1t seems 10 be COM
mon 10 attempt by force 20 prevent
operation OF producing plants or
transportation lines. The freedom
OF men 10 work. when and where
they pleased, has been interfered
with. Many have been seriously in
1ured and some killed.