Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-05-10
ALBANIAN RAPS
u. S. ACTIVITIES
TO DIXIE CROCERS
Dangerous Tendency
Scored By Watkins
DR.. Wiley Speaks

CINCINNATI, May TO- Legal
problems are becoming constantly
more numerous and more important
because of the tendency of legisla-
tive tribunals towards an extension
of the regulation of business, a ten
dency stimulated by loose con,
struction of constitutional guaran,
antees, Edgar Watkins, of Atlanta,
told the Southern Wholesale Gro.
GERS in convention here today. He
said in part:
This tendency is dangerous
one you should combat. The govern.
ments, state and national, readily lis
ten to any considerable number OF
people who seek by statutes to rem
edy supposed ills. All kinds of
quacks are demanding that then
claimed-to to-be penaceas shall be tried
For every economic i'll they propose
a statute, and they unhesitatingly
ofer to repeal economic and physical
laws. Except in restraining others,
men should be left in the language
of jefferson, Free to regulate their
own pursuits of industry and inn
provement.'
"The hallucination that economic
laws can be repealed by statutes
caused the congress in the Food
Control Act to try to fix prices of
necessaries. That Section of the
Jaw was unconstitutional. Had the
government quit meddling in busi-
ness when the war ended the public
and business would have suffered
less. For fear that some one may
say that I am talking politics, let me
say that Republican committee rec
commended and a Republican con-
gress passed the Food Control act
and a Democratic president APP
proved and a Democratic department
of justice sporadically tried to en-
force it; so in copdemning the law
and it's enforceemnt / am free from
partisanship.
Must Be Vigilant.
"a subsequent decision of the su-
preme court holding constitutional
regulation of rents shows that q
valid law could be passed. That g
law can~be framed that viii meet the
approval of the majority of the su-
preme court as now constituted
makes it necessary for all who be-
lieve in a free government such as
our fathers contemplated, to be Wig
liant to protect the liberties sought
to be guaranteed in our fundament-
al law.
Substantial relief in FREIGHT rate
can come only from radical CHANGES
in the TRANSPORTATION Act, 1920. The
hampering provisions for a disguis-
ed guarantee of income must be re
nealed and the enormous increase
in operating expenses, caused chief
ly hv and resulting from fedora
control must be greatly reduced
Tho }ntnrstata commerce commission
is told by law to make rates per
rnntape of the value of prouertv
This it attempted to do with the re
suit that operating revenue, are les
sened because some rates are highe
than the traffic will bear. Create
and possible economies of operation
will do some good, fairer wage ad
justment is necessary but fundamen
tally there must be a return to tn,
principle of rate making, which
considers the value as well as th
cost of the service.
All Must Bear Share.
Every branch of business mus
bear its just portion Of the burdel
of world industrial reparation, DR.
Harvey w. Wiley, of Washington
u. c., told the Southern Wholesal
Grocers' Association.
Hardest hit of all has been tn
agricultural industries of the coun
try" DR.. Wiley continued. ''Upol
these industries the whole burden o
price reduction has fallen with over
whelming violence. The farmer
the only industrialist who has NJ
voice in fixing the price of his owl
product. This comes from the fac
that his is the only business that j
universally scattered and where eac
participant in the business is indie
pendent in his selling and buying 0
every other narticinant. There are
few places where there are farmers
unions, but they embrace so fey
people and the bonds of union are s
loose that there can be no agree
ment among them in regard TO sell
ing prices or buying prices. Like tn
rush of flood waters the flow is il
the direction of least resistance.
Farmers who grew wheat whic
was planted at top prices for fertil
izer and labor in 1920 will sell tn
crop in 1921 at bottom prices. Al
ready July wheat is selling in Chi
cago at $1.00 a bushel The pric
of corn and beef cattle have alread
reached the level of pre-war prices
1t is not fair, nor is it desirable tha
the whole burden of price readjust
ment should fall upon the agricul
tural interests. The transportation
companies still get the maximum
rates and the distributing companie
still get the maximum rates. Read
iustment of this kind is likely t.
kill the goose that lays the. colder
egg.
Agriculture i nCollapse.
The whole agricultural industry i