, 1922-10-09
The Old Bunko Game

livery FARMER, market gardener. fruit grower
and n.eStock man knows The unwarranted
ana eNturtlonate prices often charged consumers
for dairy, farm, garden and orchard products. They
know these prices are often several hundred per
cent more than they receive for the products. They
know they are not in any way responsible for this
profiteering. although il is represented to the con.
sumer that they are. They know because of this
misrepresentation the farming classes are unjust
~ regarded by many people TO he n class of rob.
bers' who are getting rich at the expense of the
buying public.
Exactly the same game is being worked in con.
nection with the tariff as has been worked th.-,
many years in connection with prices charged con.
sumers for farm products. These interests which
are the real profiteers. which thrive and fatten
by charging the consumer all the traffic will bear
and seek TO escape responsibility by shifting the
blame to someone else. are the ones who are now
claiming the tariff will necessitate n tremendous
increase in retail prices.
They are going TO charge the consumer all they
think he will stand and attribute the increased
charges TO the tariff rather than to their own inor.
dinate greed and their ability, in many cases, TO
get away with it," If "robber' prices are now
charged the American consumer they can no more
be attributed justly to the protective tariff than
the extortionate prices charged the consumer for
farm products and the blame attributed to the
farmer.
The consumer is aware that there are certain in.
terests which never let an opportunity go by to
BOOST prices. II there is a report of n late cold
snap. there is an immediate boost bi prices OF food
and fruit and canned goods upon the ground that
all the seasons prospective crop is Killed and there
is bound to be a scarcity II there is a threatened
railroad strike. prices are boosted upon the plea
that there may be such a suspension of transporta.
ton that it will be impossible to keep up the nor.
NAL supply of goods. If there is a coal strike
prices are boosted. Notwithstanding the fact thai
there may be an immense quantity of coal in stor.
age. Illustrations could be multiplied indefinitely.
The American consumer is perfectly aware of
these gross abuses. He is perfectly aware that h.
is the helpless victim of this indefensible practice.
In a great many cases these interests which have
always seized every opportunity and excuse to in.
crease prices in order to enrich themselves. are now
launching a price boosting campaign upon the plea
that the protective tariff makes it necessary for
them to do so. In this campaign to mulct the buy.
ing public they are being assisted at every Doint nv
the Democratic party in its literature and bv its
speakers. The purpose of the interests in promot.
ing TINS campaign is TO make political capital
when they hope will reap them reasonable returns
in the way of an increase in representation in con-
gress. The profiteering Interest," and the Demo.
cratic party are working hand and glove. the first
10 blk the public and the second TO claim that such.
biking is necessary under a protective tariff. and
the peoples hope of relief is through the election of
a Democratic congress that will repeal the protec.
tive tariff and reenact free trade.
The proof that the new tariff duties will NM
necessitatc an increase in retail prices is furnished
by the enemies of the tariff bill themselves. They
claim on one hand that the new duties will mt
amount TO more than 500. O00,0 900 a wear. a state.
ment which is approximately correct. Then they
claim that the new duties will add 5000 600 mn
'r more 10 the living costs of the country. This
makes the increase in living costs, which they nj.
tribute to the tariff. 700 per cent more than ALI
the tariff duties combined. Obviously, an increas Sc
in retail prices of Ss3,000.0 600 600 cannot he charoad
up against tariff duties witch amount to only s40O
100000. 1t is the same story with which the farm.
er and the consumer are already familiar an mr.
bitrary boosting of prices between the time goods
leSve the producer and the time they reach the con.
sumner, so that the consumer is charged sereral
hundred per cent more for the goods than tho y
Queer was paid for them.