Evening star., 1939-09-19
La Guardia Suggests
National Control
AGAINST Profiteerinq
Conference Of Mayors
Urged to Form Clearing
House Of information

"unwarrented and unJustifiable COM
modify prices or unconscionable
profits" on the Nations food sup
plies was urged today by Mayor F.
H. La Guardia of New York City
at the special one-day session of
the United States Conference of
Mayors at the Mayfower Hotel.
Our immediate problem is the
matter of prof1teering in food, in
which there has already been a short
fare" Mayor La Guardia SAID. 1--WE
are concerned that the world stu
alton will not be used as a pretext
of unWarranted and unjustifiable
commodity prices or unconscionable
profits This may require national
legislation and personally I think it
does"
In this connection Mr.. La Guardia
also suggested establishment of a
clearing office Of information" at
the national headquarters of the
conference, where information on
the prices of staple commodities
could be exchanged.
Urges Careful Statements.
Mr.. La Guardia also urged care
ful statements or actions to avoid
embarrassment to the National Gov
ernment. Some of us have been
strong in our statements. I know
that I have not been guiltless, u
Mayor La Guardia said. But the
situation has changed. Every state
ment now made is carefully ana
lyzed, and conclusions are drawn.
1T was unfortunate that one
member of legislative body should
have made statements in Europe as
to the attitude of the country" the
Mayor continued. He also urged
that the Mayors lend their support
to the administration in it's policy
Of neutrality.
The Mayor of New York advocated
municipal cooperation with Federal
laW-enforcement agencies. He also
SAID there was no justification for
increased rates on solvent city Sc
curltleSe or dislocation in munich
pal finance which often follows any
world crisis.
Kelly Offers Suggestions.
Declaring that in view of the
present crisis, democracy is on a
day y-to-day" basis, Mayor Edward
J. Kelly of Chicago made the fol-
lowing suggestions:
ID. Unite the confidence of the
people behind the administration.
(2). Initiation of business conf
dence.
90. Unity within the ranks OF
labor.
a.. Unity of thought of American
youth susceptible to propaganda
OF the glamour of war"
(5). Enlistment of civic and sery-
Ice organizations as structural
part of the national unity.
(6). Continued attention to the
problem of relief and health. and
better housing and recreation facili-
ties.
Cd. A more liberal Federal work
relief program, in which "overbur-
dened" cities can participate.
Mayor Kelly also urged the group
TO wage peace with the same in
tensity that others wage war"
Other Speakers at Session.
Other speakers at the morning
session were Mayors Harold H. Bur-
ton of Cleveland and Cornelius D
Scully of Pittsburgh and Controller
Joseph D. McGoldrick of New York
City.
Urging that local authorities CO.
operate with federal law enforce
ment agencies, Mayor Burton pointed
out, however, the necessity of safe
guarding the constitutional civil
liberties of the people which, he
said, are the essence of free self
government.
without the slightest hesitation
argument or wavering. all officials
should observe the constitutional
liberties applicable to them, includ-
ing particularly those relating to
freedom of speech, assembly and
worship, ne said. This applies
with equal fairness to those who
may speak or assemble in support
OF cause with which officials dis
agree, as we'll as with a cause with
which they may agree.
The well-tried system of permit
ting people to let off steam, rather
than attempting to COMPRESS their
steam, tends to peace and stability
of government in America he said.
I'm case of doubt, it is better to ex-
tend the protection of Constitutional
liberties and responsibility to the
case in hand than it is to give a
basis for an attack upon our govern
ments for violation Of the very prin-
ciples which are declared to be the
foundation of free government"
NJ IA IL Demands TioIIo