The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-02
Collapse of Lever Law
 Cheers the Profiteers


 A N extraordinary situation has AN been brought about by the de- cision of the United States supreme court declaring the Lever act uncon- stitutional. The governments cam paign against profiteers is nullified by this action of the court. It is un- fortunate for the Wilson administra- tion and for the American people that the machinery which was set up for their protection is thus swept away with little likelihood that conserv- ative republican Congress will pass any legislation to take it's place.
 It may be true that the Lever act, whether constitutional or not, has served it's purpose and profiteering is dying out, but the moral effect of such decree is very great. It will give comfort to the interruptions firms and individuals who grew rich as result of war conditions which enabled them to plunder the Ameri- can people and amass huge fortunes in an incredibly short time. It will strengthen the conviction of the profi- teers' victims, who constitute con- siderable part of the nations popu- lation, that their government cannot prevent them from being exploited. The difficulty of enacting such measures as the Lever law and put ting them into successful operation lies in fair definition of what profi- teering is, and what prices may be charged for commodities. In the na- ture of things, such laws are apt to be vague and indefinite.
 Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that the Lever act, with it's threat
 
 of federal prosecution and heavy fines and prison sentences to follow convictions, did much to check profi- teering. When the government began it's fight against profiteers conditions in this country were intolerable. No one would admit that he was profi- teering, but for some reason prices reached outrageous figures.
 Senator Capper of Kansas was quoted as saying yesterday:
 Yes. am disappointed. and be- lieve the people of the country will be disappointed. do not wish to criticise the supreme court, but it is
 unfortunate that a technicality should be permitted to thwart the purpose of a law and give the peo- pie the worst of it.
 It comes at poor time, too, for the morale of our people is still disturbed by the fact that lots of persons made large profits out of
 the war and will probably go scot
 free.
 Of course there is not sol much z profiteering nowadays as there
 was. but there can be no doubt
 that the presence of the Lever act
 on the statute books acted as a restraining influence. The
 psychology of the present decision
 is bound to be discouraging, and
 am going to consult the lawyers
 in the Senate and sec whether we
 cannot draft a law that will reach
 the profiteer
 The views of Senator Capper are shared by majority of the American people, The law of supply and de- mand has to large extent done away with profiteering, but the realization that the whole campaign against the practice has proved abortive and some of the worst offenders will never be punished is distinctly disappointing. Fraudulent Feedstuffs
 Tabooed in Alabama
 DIfsHE saving in dollars and cents to 0 the Alabama farmer arising from the seizure during the year of 5000 tons of misbranded or adulter- ated feedstuffs by the bureau of