Milford chronicle., 1924-10-10

antitrust law. f}ut Tor the cOmpe
titiOn of American beet sugar, thes,
four or five groups would cOntro
. absolutely the price of sugar in the
United States. The Republican
tariff has preserved and fOstereC
the beet sugar industry. The Gu
ban groups want to destroy the
tariff on sugar; so does Mr.. LaFOl
lette.
s. He said: I'VE mean the trans
pOrtatiOn monopoly" etc.
The railways Of the United States
during the last four years have
never earned more than 51A per
cent on physical valuation. and on
an average have earned less than
/ per cent. There cannot be much
eXtOrtiOn In these earnings. Re
member, labor comprises 20 per
cent of railway operating costs. The
average railroad wage Is now 90
per cent above pre-war, yet the rail
ways, by great economies of opera
tiOn, have held rates on agricul-
tural products to a point only 10
per cent above pre-war level. Ag-
riculture needs a reduction in
freight rates. but that does not
Justify a misstatement of the facts.
The only way for Mr.. LaFOllette to
bring about the gigantic rate reduc-
ton he talks about is to reduce the
wages of railway employees, and If
he does that he will decrease con
sumption of the farmers produce.
9. He said: 1--WE mean the oil
monopoly, which dictates prices on
gasoline throughout the land"
The average pre-war price of
gasoline was 16 cents; it is now 10
cents, an increase of about 10 per
cent. Remember the average ad-
vance in all commodity prices was
45 per cent.
10. Mr. LaFOllette charges that
the Republican administration failed
to enforce the laws against cOmbi-
nations and mOnOpOlies.
The fact is congress during this
administration passed bills to cor
'ect evils attending meat packing
md stOckyards. and the dealing in
,rain futures. Under this same adj
40 suits were brought
o check violations of the antitrust
avs, and Al of them have been
leaned up; this is a greater record
han was made in the previous ten
ears. The Federal Trade commits
ion has handled 80 per cent more
ases of unfair trade practices dur
lg the present Republican admin I
'tratiOn than in any previous four I
ears. {
Senator LaFOllette said: I
9. "We mean to conserve those 2
atural resources and to make
to the people at cost the 4
ght, heat and water which can be t
evelOped from the water power Y
tes now owned by the govern d
ent" b
What Mr.. LaFOllette really wants a
government development and ope- q
tiOn of public utilities. The gov "
nment has never been able to
crate public utilities as cheaply q
can private enterprise. What Il
r. LaFollette means, but is afraid cl
say, Is socialism. "a
The federal water power act. in W
rec since 1920, insures permanent pI
blic ownership and control of st
wer sites, on public lands and di
wer privileges in navigable and hf
ernatiOnal streams, which con- ar
n IS per cent of the water power NJ
iOurceS of the country.
dr. LaFOllette did not on this Oc-
lion mention his proposal of two
nths ago about government own nc
hip of railways, nor his proposal Vo
t congress should override the WI
)reme court. Under government rel
nership of railways would he IN, %
e employees the right to strike tbo
disrupt all transportation when tbo
r they wanted an increase in -
5es, or would he suppress strikes iob
)ng government employees and Sb,
S thrust all Of the railway en- ~ ~
7ees in the country into entire u%i To+
lection to congress for their fun ~, ~.
rental living standards? ~ ~,
the case Of the plan to let con Sn' H--'
IS override the Supreme court # nIo' io,
Id be interesting to know
ther the various minOrities In 4ba a
United States are prepared to ne -ne
tfice their right to freedom Of ~
ch under the present COnstitu- 80
and subordinate such right to w
Will of congressional majority. S