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The Commoner
lY, 1918
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From the'Ncbraska State Journal, Lincoln, May 16.
HE PRESDENT , NEEDS HELP
unicipai and State Governments Should
Co-operate With Federal Government
rmer Mayor Bryan Says That Legislative Action
Should.be Taken to Protect the Producers and
the Consumers Against Profiteering
Jormer Mayor Charles W. Bryan gave to the
is today a statement in which he outlines his
rs on what he terms the duty of municipal and
te governments to take the lead and initiate
(illation to supplement federal legislation and
co-operate with federal Officials in protecting
producers and consumers of the country
inst profiteering.
r. Bryan says that it Is not only the people's
to support every plan, principle and sug-
tiou of the federal government to win the
r, hut that it is also their duty to make a
Jtical application, of these plans, principles
suggestions through municipal and state
ilation that will protect the producers and
consumers and thus allay the growing unrest
long Che farmers and laboring classes 'and the
je-earners and unite them in one great pat-
tic plan of co-operating to the fullest extent
Ringing the war to a successful and perma-
t victory. Said legislation he claims to be
tssary in order that the producers, the labor
classes and the masses in general will fed
their own patriotism is not to be taken ad-
tage of by those persons who deal with what
tors produce and who, in a, number of in-
lces, have seemed to feel that it is their duty
make a profit out of the sacrifices oZ the rest
jtlie people. Mr. Bryan's r statement follows:
to the People of Nebraska:
"As we are rapidly approaching a time when
:ampalgn will be under way for the nomina-.
pn and election of state officials members of
state legislature ana or representatives ana
lators to the national congress, and as it is
parent that some men and , certain interests
engaged in an effort to bring about the lnom-
ition of men for the various offices and posi-
ns who may or may not be interested in ques
ns and issues that are important to the wel-
re of the nation and of the people as a whole,
Keel that It is not out of place in fact, I think
advisable at? this time for the people to con-
ler publicly the questions that are agitating
ie minds of all classes of the people.
j4T lAlAm 4-Yl4 DlinYt YlvlVtl.rt nnnntjlAn4-livM
X UCllVVC kUUl QUlU JIUU11U UUUD1UC1UUUU
necessaryN to secure a consensus
Wt opinion as to what legislation muni
cipal, state and national ?s in the interest of
IBhe great majority of the people of the state and
rhat candidates best represent such public sen-
Jment and are best qualified to organize and
iad the people in their unswerving loyalty and
ipport of the plans of the federal government,
id to utilize the municipal and state govern
mental machinery to supplement the federal ma-
linery and promote the welfare of the people
t the state.
"Our country is engaged in war with a foreign
e. The President of the United States is com-
ieander-in-chief of the army, and as such, the
mduct of the war is placed in h's hands. There
lould not be, and must not be, any division
imong the people of the United States on the
luestion of loyalty and co-operation in giving
le President the united and unqualified support
if every citizen of the United States. The life
if the American republic is in jeopardy, and the
liirst duty of every American is to support the
fovernment in every effort, plan, or suggestion
until the war has been brought to a successful
close. - '
"President Wilson has also emphasized tho
importance of the duty that we owe to loyal
Americans by protecting them againsUraob rule,
unjust attacks or criticisms of erratic or irre
sponsible persons who lose their poise through
nervous excitement brought on by the terrible
struggle that the world is, engaged in. The
President and congress aro engaged in the her
culean task of raising a large army and navy, ,
of providing arms and ammunition, airplanes
aud ordnance, increasing the food production of
this .country to the highest possible point and
conserving certain parts of it that are needed to
supply the allied armies and tho world's peoples,
who would otherwise die of starvation.
"In organizing and directing the efforts of tho
producers and laborers of the country to the
highest state of efficiency, and at the same time
endeavoring to protect the consumers , of tho
country against the conscienceless and unpat
riotic profiteer, the President, through h's cab
inet and their commissions, has been doing
wonderful work by laying the heavy hand of
the government upon various lines of business
that were exploiting the public patriotism for
private gain. It is, in my judgment, time that
the state governments and municipal govern
ments were taking steps to co-operate with tho
federal government in preventing certain or
ganized business interests from taking advan
tage of the producer, the wage-earners and the
consumer In distributing and marketing tho
necessaries of 'life. The federal government
lias fixed the price of wheat at a reasonable fig
ure, but the state government has made no ef
fort to break up the combine that has raised
the price of farm machinery to almost prohib
itive prices. The federal government has taken
over the railroads to prevent discrimination in
the interest of other lines of business that the
railroads are also engaged In, but the state
government is making no effort to protect tho
grain-producers against the grain-buyers,- ele
vator men and millers, who control the grading,
the dockage, the drying, the storage, the grind
ing and the selling of the grain and grain prod
ucts. "The federal government Is fixing the price
of coal and endeavoring to distribute it to pro
tect the comfort and needs of the people. The
state government has been making no effort to
protect the people against the cornering of the
produce market thai has resulted in the selling
of potatoes as high as $4.00 a bushel that were
bought from the producer at $1.00 or less per
bushel.
"It is not pleasant to point out the unpatriotic
and unscrupulous profiteering that can be no
ticed in nearly all lines of business by the con
stant marking up of prices, but a comparison of
the effect on prices of articles and commodities
that the federal government has taken hold of
and those it has not taken hold of, as noticed
by the price of flour and price of meal and other
substitutes for wheat, will largely explain whtft
is causing the unrest among the producers and
consumers of the country.
"The federal government has fixed the price
of sugar but the state government has taken no m
action to protect cattle and hog-raisers against "
the packers' combine when they market their
livestock, and the state has made no effort -to
protect the stockfeeders against a cornered
market when they buy stock to ship hack to the
farm to feed their corn and alfalfa to. The
federal government has fixed the slzo of the
baker's loaf of bread-and the price at which it
sells, but tho municipal authorities do not pass
ordinances to help tho federal government en
force their law and protect tho people against
Bhort-wcight loaves.
"The municipal authorities have failed to es
tablish public markctB that will cnablo the pro
ducer to sell direct to the consumer and restore
competition and reduce the cost of living by
cutting out the monopoly of tho middle men.
Tho farmer-owned elevators and the farmers
co-operative buying have been a great benefit to
those who aro members of such organizations,
but tho benefits are not general enough and do
not reach to the great laboring and consuming
masses whose wages and incomes have not in
creased in proportion to tho advances marked
up on their products and wares by the factories,
mills, mines, stores and shops.
"The efforts being made to organize farmers
and the wage-earners to secure legislation by
state and municipal governments, to supplement
the work of the federal government, is an indi
cation of the study that is given to these ques
tions, and the need of aomo immediate action
being taken so that the state and municipal gov
ernments will function properly. State officials
of other states have taken up these questions
and are co-operating with the federal governs t
ment for the. relief and protection of the people '
against unnecessary, unjust and illegal efforts
to secure unreasonable profits.
"The fire insurance combine has recently ar
bitrarily raised its rates, und will collect from
tho people of Nebraska this year $748,000 more
than was collected on the same buildings and
property last year, and the state government has
made no effort to prevent this extortion. Other
states have taken action against the insuranco
combine to protect their poople. Why do our
state officials show no concern? -
"State and municipal governments in almost
every country throughout the civilized world
have established public markets, municipal
slaughter-houses, munic'pal coalyards, municipal
produce and grocery stores where necessary to
protect their-people and are now conducting all
these institutions as war measures to alleviate
the suffering among the masses of the people as
much as poss bio while the nations are bending
their energy to conduct the war efficiently and
economically. States In foreign countries have
bonded grain commissioners who protect the
farmers in selling their grain. They have bond
ed livestock commlss'oners to protect the farm
er and stock-raiser when they arc selling their
livestock and when they are buying feeders and
stockers on the livestock market.
"As a farmer and as a breeder and a feeder of
livestock, I have a personal knowledge of the
losses a farmer suffers through the unrestrained
activities of the packing house, elevator, milling
and farm machinery combines, and as the father
of an only son who is serving as a volunteer in
the infantry branch of the army in response to
President Wilson's first call for men, I can ap
preciate the feel'ng of farmers, laboring men
and the middle classes of people who have sons
and relatives in the army, and who have their
own patriotism questioned because they suggest
legislative remedies to supplement federal legis
lation to protect them against the avarice of
men who deal in what other men produce.
"When a business or industry becomes so
large and so thoroughly organized on a national
scale that it is impossible for individuals to cope
with it, it is time for the federal and state gov
ernments to step in and assume control in order
to protect the public. The federal government
has found this necessary in handling the rail
roads. The national governments of other coun
ties and the state governments of other coun
tries have found it necessary to establish state
fire and life insurance companies, state-owned
grain elevators, state and municipal warehouses,
docks, terminals, etc.
"These are some of the questions that are
agitating the minds of the producers and con
sumers in th's state who feel the need of such
state and municipal institutions to enable them
to restore competition and cope with the great
business organizations that have grown too
large and too powerful for individuals and small
business men to cope with or protect themselves
against. Our federal government has under
taken a splendid, humane and a necessary work
in insuring our soldiers lives and to protect
the families against want, of those who hav
gone forth to battle to preserve our democratic
institutions. Our laboring people are being;
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