The Delta independent., 1924-10-10

| consumers while in the United States
there is an average of l,2O0 miles be-
tween farmer and consumer
I. He said: I'VE mean the sugar
monopoly" etc.
The wholesale price of sugar at New
York since the 1922 tarllT was passed
has averaged a little over 9 cents
Il pound; the average, for three years
before the war was a little over Az
cents; an increase of 80 to 80 per
cent. The average Increase in the
price of all commodities has been 10
per cent. Seventy per cent of Cuban
sugar (our chief supply is controlled
by four or five groups which operate
cn foreign soil beyond reach of our
Sherman antitrust law. But for the
competition Of American beet sugar.
these four or five groups would CON
troll absolutely the price Of sugar in
the United States. The Republican
tariff has preserved and fostered the
beet sugar Industry. The Cuban groups
want to destroy the tariff on sugar;
so does hr. LaFollette.
s. He said: I'VE mean the trims
portatiUn monopoly" etc.
The railways of the United States
during the last four years have never
earned more than 5a per cent on
physical valuation, and on an average
have earned less than per cent.
! There cannot be much extortlOn In
these earnings. Remember, labor com
prises 10 per cent of railway Operat-
Ing costs. The average railroad wage
Is now 80 per cent above pre-war,
yet the railways, by great economies
Of operation, have held rates on agri-
cultural products to "a point only 45
per cent above prc-war level Agri-
culture needs a reduction In freight
rates, but that does not Justify a mis-
statement of the facts. The only way
for Mr.. LaFollette to bring about the
gigantic rate reduction he talks about
Is to reduce the wages OF railway EN-
ployees, and II he does that he Will
decrease consumption of the farmers
produce.
8. He said: I'VE mean the oil mo-
nopoly which dictates prices on gaso-
line throughout the land"
The average pre-war price OF gaso-
line was 16 cents; 1t is now 10 cents,
an Increase of about 10 per cent. Re
member the average advance in all
commodity prices was 40 per cent.
10 Mr.. LaFollette charges that the
Republican administration failed to
enforce the laws against combinations
and mOnopolles.
The fact is congress during this ad-
| lot ..
evils attending meat packing and
stockyards, and the dealing in grain
futures. Under. this same admins
tratlon 40 suits were brought to check
violations of the antitrust laws. and
| A of them have been cleaned up
this Is greater record than was
made In the previous ten years The
Federal Trade Commission has han
died 30 per cent more cases Of un-
ent Republican administration than In
any previous four years.
Senator LaFollette said:
8. I'VE mean to conserve those nat
urnl resources and to make available
to the people at cost the light, heat
and water which can be developed
from the water power sites now
owned by the government"
What Mr.. LaFollette really wants
is government development and oper-
alton of public utilities. The govern
ment has never been able to operate
public utilities us cheaply as can pri-
yate enterprise. what Mr.. LaFollette
means, but Is afraid to say, Is social
Ism.
The federal water power act. In
force since 1920. lnsures permanent
public ownership and control Of power
sites on public lands and power priv
Ileges In nnvIgable and international
streams, which contain S5 per cent of
the water power resources of the coun-
try.
Mr.. LaFollette did not on this oc-
cnsIon mention his proposal OF two
| months ngo about government own
ership OF railways. nor his proposal
that congress should override the Su.
preme court. Under government own.
ership OF railways would he give EN-
ployees the right to strike and disrupt
all transportation whenever they want
ed an Increase in wages, or would he
suppress strikes among government
employees and thus thrust nll OF the
railway employees in the country into
entire subjectlon to congress for their
fundamental living standnrdsf
In the case Of the plan to let con
press override the Supreme court. II
would be interesting to know whether
the various mlnoritles In the United
States are prepared to sacrifice their
right to freedom of speech under the
present Constitution and subordinate
such right TO the will OF congress
slonnl majority.