Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-09
What About the Hungry?

Omaha, Aug. 6.--To the Editor
Of The Bee: And now we must
feed Russia. Fine, why not? we
have more food than we need In this
country--everybod is well-fed and
our larders are full and overflowing.
Tell the world that We have more
cdibles than we know what to do
with. The poor children of our
cities are so overfed that many are
actually dying of fatty degeneration
of the heart The workers of the
country are impoverished trying to
store and protect their vast stocks
Of meat, vegetables, cereals, fruits.
ct cetra. Let's get rid OF the sur
plus-give in to anybody who will
take it. Charity should begin at
home, and we have obeyed the
command. Every hungry mouth
has been fed; every poor, emaciated
body has been nurtured, so why not
take the hungry of this mundane
sphere under our wing and see that
gaunt hungry stalks nowhere. We
had a splendid example of home
charity here in Omaha last summer
in The Bees milk and ice fund.
When the denizens Of the old town
were shown that just little poverty
existed and there was tust 4 little
need for free milk and ice that
babies might be more luxuriously
provided for, 1000 cold iron men
were marshalled to meet the de-
mand. Just think Of it, every man,
woman and child in the city con-
tributed an average OF u cent
nearly, as some outside contribu-
tions were received--and the only
effort put forth was about eight
inches Of newspaper space every
day during the summer. You bet,
we will feed them! Get busy, Mr..
Hoover, we are lust rarin' to CO."
J. II. J. BLACK,
304 Grace Street. Council Bluffs.
Why Hotel Rates Are High.
Omaha, Aug. 5.-To the Editor Of
The Bee We are enclosing here
with a copy OF the report read at
the annual convention Of the Amer
ican Hotel association in Chicago
on July 13, on the question Of re-
duction Of hotel rates.
II you could give this report. or a
part of 1t. publicity in your paper
we would appreciate 1t.
There have been a good many
newspaper articles on the other
side of this question and the hotel
men would appreciate something
said in their behalf.
OMAHA HOTEL MEMS ASSOCIA-
TON. Harley Conant,
President.
At the annual convention of the
American Hotel association held in
Chicago on July IS and IA, 1921,
the question of reduction of hotel
prices was given careful considera-
ton and the committee after a
thorough investigation and ascer-
tainment of actual facts, presented
the following report, which was
unanimously adopted.
Hotels did not increase their
rates for rooms and food during the
past few years in keeping with the
increase in their operating costs, as
comparison Of hoiel prices with
figures Of the report OF the United
States Department OF Labor will
show.
The reason they did not do so
was because they were the recip-
tents Of an unusual and abnormal
volume of business, due to the war.
This unusual and abnormal vol,
ume Of business made 1t unnecessary
that rates be increased proportion
ately with costs.
This unusual and abnormal vol
ume Of business has disappeared.
The profits from the sale Of wines
and liquors are gone.
The hotel man in 1921 is paying
practically as much as he paid dur
ing the peak prices of 1920 for such
items as labor, china, glassware.
freight. express and printing,
There has been very little de-