Evening star., 1921-04-28
Editorial Digest
Pro and Con of Living Costs.
AS a preliminary maneuver in

administrations promised war on the
! old enemy. II. G. of L. the report
/ of the Federal Trade Commission to
| the President does not strike the
press as giving much promise of vic
! tory. Some papers support the COM
| mission and believe that its recon-
mendations would afford relief and
should. therefore. be acted upon by
Congress. The majority of writer's.
however feel that the legislation pro-
posed merely means more "interfer-
ence' and more government in bust
ness. thus aggravating what they
consider the fundamental difficulty
which the commission wishes to
remedy. a
The analysis of business conditions
given in the report is generally aC-
oepted by the newspapers as accurate.
but it contains little that is not al
ready pretty well known. 1t is not
news. the Buffalo Express Gnde-
pendent republican, says. ito hear
that recessions in prices of manv
necessities of life. particularly Of
toodstuffs. are prevented by retailers"
1t is more difficult. the Express points
out. ito find the remedy" than to state
fact which is already established by
everyday experience. When Il means
of correcting this condition has been
evolved the country will be in a fair
'"S " i''' 'NtiS VI pipSDtlitN III
the paper does not feel that the COM
mission has Yet made any substantial
contribution toward that end.
The Brooklyn Eagle Gndependent
dcmocratic) finds the bill against the
retailer" entirely justified. and warns
that he can interpose plea of not
guilty" to the indictment that he
blocks the return to normal all along
the line" only when his reductions
are proportionate to those Of the
wholesaler" The Evansville Courier
(dcmocratic). however, comes to the
defense of the retailer. and places the
burden on other shoulders. The re-
port. in it's opinion, is wrong" since
it localizes responsibility ION set of
men who are little to blame"
The Nebraska State Journal Uin-
ccln, independent republican, halls
tions. "one of the newer business de-
velopments. may come in for attack
as method Of combination to in
crease prices" ana be proceeded
against in the effort to bridge the
gap between production costs and the
prices paid by consumers.
But editors, like all other ultimate
consumers" are more Interested in
cures tnan in causes. and lpany oe
them agree with the Richmond Times
Dispatch (democratic) that as reme-
dies the recommendations of the COM
lliSslon are dlStlnctly disappointing.
Several southern democratic papers
discount. to begin with. any effort on
the part of the new administration to
decrease living costs on one hand,
while on the other, Congress- with
the recommendation of President
Harding is enacting the Fordney
tariff monstrosity," which. the Knox
vile Sentinel independent demo-
cratic maintains. can only operate
to kite the prices of all commodities
to further and higher attitudes. for
the further dclectation of the open
price associations against which the
Federal Trade Commission proposes
to train it's guns.
The Baltimore Sun independent
democratic) finds it difficult to see
how President Harding can "harmo-
niZe' any program for reduction in
the cost of living with a high pro-
tective tariff and consumption taxes"
This recommendation of the federal
body. together with its demand for
vigorous prosecution under the anti
trust laws makes it evident TO the
Chicago Tribune independent repub-
lican) that "the commission wants
more government in business. not
less. SO far its course has been in
the direction of persistent inquisi-
tlon and regulation of private enter
prise and "agencies of power feed
ON power and their appetite grows"
All that the commission has sug-
gested. the Louisville Courier-Jourral
(democraticI agrees. is IAN elaborate
system of governmental interference
with business" And however much
President Harding may deprecate
such a policy, 'ff the recommenda-
tons of the report were carried out
government in business would pro-
ceed to extremes wIich it did not
reach even during the war" and even
such undesirable interference prob
ably would not achieve its end
But in the opinion Of the Clevela nd
Plain Dealer indep"ndent demo-
crati) the Federal Trade Commits
Son is working toward the restora-
ton of competition in industry" and
in 50 far as its recommendations can
be reached by Legislation they are
entitled to the whole hearted support
Of the administration" Through its
insiste upon the Importance of
gathering and publishing facts con-
cerning costs OF production and busi-
ness methods, the New York Evening
Post independently believes that the
cornmis ission has pointed out about
the most effective remedy for extor-
tionate prices" because such public
ity would do more to prevent re-
straint of trade snan the fear of
law suits"
THE ignorance Of the buying pub
lic." says the New York World demo
cratc), rs the main pfOtecuon OF the
profiteer." and with full publicity
given to the findings of the commits
sion the consumer would know how
to take care of himself"
Congress could undertake no more
important domestic task" the New
York Globe independently holds, than
TO see that most of these fecom-
mendations are carried out. They are
honest remedies. the more honest by
comparison with such quack nos
trums as the emergency tariff