The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1924-10-09

He neglects to state that the farmer
in Denmark is within 125 miles OF all
consumers while In the United States
there is an average of LOO miles be-
tween farmer and consumer.
z. He said: 1--WE mean the sugar
monopoly" etc.
The Wholesale price OF sugar at New
York since the 1872 tarlff was passed
has averaged u little over q cents
pound the average, for three years
before the war was a little over 4l2
cents; an increase of 30 to 30 per
cent. The average increase In the
price of all commodities has been 45
sugar tour chief supply is controlled
by four or five groups which operate
on foreign soil beyond reach OF our
Sherman anti-trust 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 MIR. LaFollette.
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 5h per cent ON
physical valuation, and on an average
have earned less than per cent.
There cannot be much extortion In
these earnings Remember, labor com
prises 10 per cent of railway operat-
ing costs. The average railroad wage
is now 90 per cent above pre-war,
yet the railways, by great economies
of operation, have held rates ON agrl-
cultural products to point only 45
per cent above pre-war level. Agri-
culture needs 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; eve mean the oil mo-
nopoly, which dictates prices on gaso-
line throughout the land"
The average pre-war price of gaso-
| line was 10 cents; 1t Is now 10 cents,
an increase of about 10 per cent. Re-
member the average advance in all
commodity prices was As per cent.
hr I oil Oh Int th.
Republican administration failed to
enforce the laws against combinations
and monopolies.
The fact is congress during this adj
] ministration passed bills to correct
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
| AZ OF them have been cleaned up;
this liz greater record than was
made In the previous ten years. The
Federal Trade Commission has han
died 30 per cent more cases of I'M
fair trade practices during the pres.
eDt Republican administration than In
any previous TOUR years.
Senator LaFolette said:
o. I'VE mean to conserve those nat
ural 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 operare
public utilities MS cheaply as can pri-
vate enterprise. What Mr.. LaFolette
means, but Is afraid to say, is social
ism.
The federal water power act. in
force since 1920, Insures permanent
public ownership and control Of power
sites on public lands and power priv
ileges In navlgable and international
streams, which contain 85 per cent of
the water power resources Of the coun-
try.
Mr. Lalollette did not on this oc-
easion mention his proposal Of two
months age about government own
ership Of railways, nor his proposal
that congress should override the Su-
preme court. Und government own
ershlp of railways would he give en-
ployees the right TO strike and disrupt
all transportation whenever they want
cd an increase in WAGES. or would he
suppress strikes among government
employees and thus thrust all of the