THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING. MAY 15. 1921.
2
Hughes, as Secretary of State, Wins Praise
Of Newspapermen, Diplomats and Old Foes
Politicians Find Him a Sympa
thetic Listener to Their Pleas
and No "Icicle": Sticks at
the JoBrRegardless of Gossip
v n.t. c k. ri nt m4m nt irtielea written
for lb World by Louj SeiboJd dewmbin and
. th (m nenhrn of Uis csbuwt ot Freaufc-nt
Wtarra O. iUrdint.
'" - By IxoJs Selbold :
.'-Copyright. 1921. fcy th Prew Pablbhinc Co.
(The XorK worm. )
' Washington, May r 14. An apoo
. '-ryphal story that used to entertain
New York politicians- Is that Charles
t Evans Hughes once expressed the
wish that some one would slap him
on the back and call him "Charley."
There Is no record of any of the Re
publican politicians (who were in
?the habit of calling 34r. Hughes by
. 5 less affectionate names) ever having
gratified his desire to be slapped; on
3 the back,. - After he became grover-
nor a good many of the stalwart and
straight goods Republican leaders
imore than once manifested a desire
h to slam Mr. Hughes over the head
with? a sandbag But times have
Changed since those good old days.
- So unctuously has the erstwhile foe
-of.the New Tork political bosses slid Into
. his new Job es secretary of state that it
i5 will not occasion a great deal of surprise
' if the veterans of his famous war with
V the Empire state machine put their arms
'.around his shoulders, cuddle him affec
f tionately and fall into the habit of ad
. dressing him as "Charley" Just as some
" - of .them now address the president as
"Warren."
Already the newspaper writers who
- come In daily. contact with the secretary
J of state think of Mr. Hughes in terms
closely approximating the familiarity ot
direct and agreeable form of salutation.
By the exercise of a degree of tact that
- the old-time New Tork bosses would find
most surprising', the new secretary of
state has established the most amicable
-.'relations with the Journalistic hecklers
t. who call on hira twice a day.
The baffling austerity of manner
l which Mr. Hushes' Intimates labeled
S 'dignity seems to have been entirely
- Ironed out of his system during his un
' '- fortunate campaign for the presidency
" four years ago. Having enjoyed an even
more nerve-racking experience than Mr.
- Bnjan in trying for the office, It would
not be unnatural If Mr. Hughes should
t flaunt his scars as did the Great Com-
. moner when he became secretary of state
after three decisive defeats.
But Mr. Hughes bas displayed neither
T asperity, chagrin nor resentment toward
the country since he assumed the dlrec
i tlon of the foreign department of the
government six wetki Ago. On the con-
trary. he has entered upon the adminis
. tration of the meet perplexing duties
jj confronting any member of Mr. Hard
'l Ings cabinet with the seal of a new
"cop" on probation or the enthusiasm
: of a college freshman trying for the ball
, team. yy'y-y; i- y. yy: - ':
4
HIS DESK EAKLT
Iways a tremendous worker, he Is ap
plying himself to the specific task of un-
ravelling the snarls In the fabric of our
International relations by a conscientious,
; analytical study of the problems and
'bringing td the solution of them the full
force of his admittedly logical mental
1, processes. In doing so he has created a
mechanism that makes for comprehen
J'llve method and systematic orderliness
5:' of procedure. ,
He Is on his Job at 9:15 o'clock in the
morning. He arranges his program, tn-
sofar as is possible, a day ahead, so that
t when he slides Into the high-backed chair
;ln front of his large mahogany desk he
. knows precisely how he is going to begin
and barring unexpected developments
how the day Is going to end.
. There Is- no. rush or confusion about it.
His subordinates, having prepared the
Stools and the material from, which Mr.
-i' Hughes Is going to formulate a policy or
, .''proclaim a decision, already know Just
how long it is going to take him to turn
" out the finished product. His day is so
divided that, a certain portion of It
ia set aside for conferences with the
T heads of bureaus In his department or
5; with the representatives of foreign gov-
renraenU.
It will probably surprise some of the
.5 old-time critics of Mr. Hughes in New
XvTork that he even finds time to, hear
C recommendations and supplications of
political bosses seeking Jobs or some
" ether favor of a poHtical character. Also
t- It will provide them with a new slant on
- the Hughes evolution to be appraised, of
; 1 marked resilience In his manner of
t receiving such recommendations.
. CONCEALED THEIB OBJECT
i'; When Mr. Hughes was governor, the
Job hunters In his party learned to em
' ploy the most Indirect and insidious
means of concealing their purposes from
4 him. They soon learned to know that he
exacted much more convincing reasons
than poHtical arguments in selecting men
for office. There has - not been very
' much change in Mr. Hughes method of
; appraising qualifications for the diplo
matic and consular service, but he ln-
rites rather than rejects confidences of a
. -. political nature to supplement arguments
'relating solely to merits beneficial to the
ypoblle service.
' : Consequently, the politicians who
'hoped for the best but feared the worst
ar inclined to Ignore the experience of
" i Boss Bams and other New Tork Re
publicans with Mr. Hughes and to re
- viae their previous estimate of him. .
( ... This does not mean, of course, that
; they have fully probed the Hughes mind,
2 but It does mean that up to date they
"hare no complaint to make against it
.ton the ground that he is "an icicle,"
"selfish." "ungrateful" or "hard-boiled.
- Regarding him as a necessary evil, the
- ' professionals set out cordially to dis-
; like him. They figured that the man
. 4 who has smashed the bosses of the party
m New Tork would' probably flatten out
Sthe bosses of the nation,
i Some of them still think that Mr.
- Hughes "is going to cause trouble for
Harding. They made this prediction
last fall when the then president-elect
set aside Klihtt Root, who Was the pop
' -' ular choice of the party leaders for sec
cretary of state, and, decided that he
wanted Mr. Hughes for the position.
Omitting sentimental considerations,
1 . Mr. Harding's preference for .Mr
Hughes was. conceded to be admirable
;from the standpoint of established abll
. - ity. The leaders that 'placed more lm
;portance on patronage than policies as-
sented the claim that Mr. Hughes would
;fit snugly Into any collection of "best
minds. .. Furthermore thev admitted
that Mr. Harding was very fortunate in
conscripting Mr. Hughes for the task of
i -straightening out international tangiea
tits selection for secretary of state
. would. In their Judgment, relieve any
strain upon the Harding intellect, which
vpast performances Justified in nuttine
In the leisurely, comfortable line of least
resistance class. So on the score of abil
ity there was neither complaint nor crit
: Icism when Mr. Harding announced that
oe naa selected Mr. Hughes.
r , Party chieftains concede that the prsjs-
Secretary of State
ident and his secretary of state consti
tute distinct, and admirable foils for
each other. As to the ultimate effect
of these differences, there is a division
of opinion. One group is quite convinced
that Mr. Hughes will evolve an interna
tional programme that not only Mr.
Harding but the senatorial oligarchy
will accept as providing the, ultimate In
reason, logic and Justice.
There : is another group, however,
which harks back to, the record of Mr.
Hughes as Governor of. New Tork, and
is quite convinced" that, while iia poli
cies may reflect reason, logic and Jus
tice, his formulas will not prove accept
able to the senatorial assay era. Then
the second group ; looks for one or two
eventualities. i; j
The first is that Mr, Harding will be
compelled to side with the senate and
suggest modifications In the Hughes
plans that the secretary of state will
be compelled to reject. ' Up to date the
president has sedulously adhered to his
announced purpose of giving Mr. Hughes
full and complete control over his de
partment. And there Is not a single
circumstance arising from their relations
up to date that justifies any prediction
that he means to abridge his declaration
that Mr. Hughes is the boss of the for
eign department, f ' -
Senatorial casuists advise suspension
of judgment, however, until a real test
cornea, They ,are quite convinced that
there Will be a j "break" between the
president and the secretary . of state for
temperamental and other reasons' that
will result in Mr Hughes reaching for
bis hat and going back "to his law
office "unless he can be placated."
The most .logical process of mollify
ing Mr. Hughes that comes to their
minds .in mentally prospecting the fu
ture is that he be elevated to the chief
justiceship of the supreme court. A
great many of the leaders who are try
ing to solve the : Hughes puzzle give
currency to the surmise that he would
rather be chief Justice of the greatest
judicial tribune in the world than secre
tary of state. i; : 1 i - ;
They believe that Chief Justice "White.
who Is already eligible to retire, will
soon elect to avail himself of the privi
lege of seeking a rest after a wonder
fully Impressive career. Nobody really
knows that Mr. Hughes ' wants to be
chief justice,, but ! all of them do know
that It Is the one place to which every
lawyer aspires, t
So the political minds of Washington
figure it out that Mr.: Hughes not only
wants to be chief justice but that event
ually he . will 'be, unless, of course, the
urge for the presidency has not been en
tirely eradicated from bis souL Ther
are "crapehangers" among the profes
sionals who refuse to be satisfied by any
reasonable explanation that Mr. Hughes
is only intent on filling his Job as secre
tary of state to his own satisfaction and
that of : the f country. - They fabricate
phantoms ' of 1 contingencies to support
their claims that ha is certain to quarrel
with President Harding or the senate,
and that he will seize upon a breach to
resign and seek to succeed Mr. -Harding,
Just as James G. Blaine did when he
broke away from Harrison's- adminis
tration m 1892. . :
BETTER "MIXES." THA5 IS AIBAITT
The difference between Mr. Blaine and
Mr. Hughes, however, is that Mr. Blaine
was a professional politician and Mr.
Hughes has triumphed In politics be
cause he is not a professional politician.
As far as the country generally is con
cerned, the ghosts that the professionals
create out - of .? the Hughes record are
mere figments of prejudiced professional
minda Mr. Hughes is proceednig In ah
orderly, systematic ; way with the offi
cial business of his 'department, and If
he apprehends a row with either Mr.
Harding or the- Ban ate it is not apparent
to the trained observer. .
His experience as a , "mixer" during
the last presidential campaign: has un
mistakably broadened his vision and
somewhat relaxed his stiffness of man
nerism. He meets all comers- with an
easy and genial grace that suggests little
of the patronizing atmosphere In which
the-New York political bosses shivered
when they entered his .presence aVAl
bany. ? ; ... . -
For a man of 59, he la as alert and
vigorous as- a man of 40. His old-time
cautious smile h developed Into a po
sitive grin that discloses a set of large,
sound teeth so perfectly preserved and
delicately white as to provoke discussion
regarding his - inherent right to claim
them as his own. . t
When Mr. Hughes first -ventured ot
was dragged tutor-politics, the greater
', . - ' ' - .
Seen by Frueh
part of his long, intellectual face was
concealed behind square-cut, bushy whis
kers, more ln keeping with the makeup
of a Russian diplomat or a Serbian pol
itician. iWith the passing of time those
square-cut whiskers, which provided the
cartoonists of 15 years ago with models
for their conception of an "animated
feather duster" when hitched 1 onto a
human face, have been trimmed as care
fully as the hedge of an English country
estate. The whiskers which now orna
ment the lower part of the Hughes face
are close cropped and nearly conform to
the type of whiskers known j as the
Vandyke.'-- - . ' i
The searching Hughes blue eyes that
the New Tork bosses found disconcert
ingly inscrutable or repeliently cold now
actually, gleam with kindliness. Mr.
Hughes has also picked up a way of
reaching for your hand with a hearty
grasp instead of Investigating your own
palm with two fingers, as was his meth
od in- the old Albany days. The news
paper reporters that quia him twice a
day or are quizzed by him have placed
their brand of approval on him, which
in itself la of no small Importance. In
his dealings with them be has up to
date been surprisingly frank, not at all
resentful of searching questions and
even eager to assist in clarifying points
diplomatically vague.
He recently made a big bit with the
writers who seek him out in the morn
ing and 3:30 in the afternoon by con
fiding to them some information - of
tremendous importance relating to a
venture that had not developed to the
stage where it could be made public.
GIVES THE INSIDE DOPE '
"I am going to tell you boys some
thing, he said, leaning against the long,
red baize table in the reception room,
on the walls of which hang some fear
ful and wonderful portraits of past sec
cretaries. - "I am going to tell you this
because I want you to have the back
ground so that you may. be prepared
for the news to come. I don't want you
to publish it or even talk about it. But
when the proper time comes you will
be familiar with the origin and develop
ment of the case."
Now. the , importance of an Incident
of this sort is that it marks a decided
departure from precedents long existing
in the j state department. Balnbridge
Colby violated the motheaten tradition
that the . utmost secrecy must be ob
served regarding international , affairs,
which explains why Mr. Colby ' became
popular with diplomats and reporters
alike. Mr. Hughes has even elaborated
upon ' the Colby method and, for the
first time in a great many years, the
diplomats and Journalists have, up to
date, enjoyed -more convenient facilities
for understanding international matters,
and they hope It will continue. Certain
ly, the attitude of Mr. Hughes Is most
encouraging. -' ;
Washington finds ' the new secretary
of state a- figure of high interest, for,
while he served on the supreme court
bench nearly six years, the circle of
his acquaintance was naturally circum
I .
The National Capital
Johnson bothersome to convention, opponents Receiver and
, register of land offices may be consolidated
Meat dealers accused of profiteering. i
Mr. Johnson Is ,
Behind It All
WASHINGTON, May 14. (WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) First glance, there seems to be
no kinship of Interest between the ap
pointment of David H. Blair of North
Carolina to be collector of Internal rev
enue and the aspirations of Wallace Mc
Camant of Oregon to occupy a place on
the bench as a Judge of the United States
circuit court of appeals. -
Hiram W.- Johnson of California is the
answer. It so happens that Mr. Blair,
named for one of the most Important
Jobs in the government service, presum
ably after close inspection of his record,
political and otherwise, was one of the
men who failed to vote for Senator John
son for president at the Chicago conven
tion last year, after a party primary had
registered Johnson as the choice of his
state, i .- . , i - . ..
It also happens that Mrl McCamant.
a delegate from Oregon, pledged by the
law of the state to support the result of
the primary, declined to vote for Sen
scribed and he did not figure conspicu
ously in either state : or official : func
tions. The politicians of both parties
knew , him, of course, because of his
record as governor of New York. Yet,
few of them knew or are yet familiar
with the circumstances under which he
broke Into politics. j
SOS OF A M15I8TEE
Born In 1868 , at Glens Falls, where
his father was a Baptist, minister
which later inspired some of the son's
political critics" to dub him "The Bap
tist Pope." Mr. Hughes attended
Colgate university, the Columbia ; IaW
school, served an apprenticeship as law
lecturer and hid away; in a law office in
the canyons of lower" Broadway. He
first attracted attention because of his
rare analytical skill. He did not figure
in the public life of New York nor gain
any celebrity as an orator until he be
came governor. - ! '-'' I-
t The New York public first became
acquainted with Mr. Hughes through
the World, in 1906. ; Mr. Hughes had
established his great ability by-passing
upon legal matters in which the World
was interested in. So that when the
New York legislature created a com
mittee to investigate the gas compa
nies it recommended ' to the committee
the selection of Mr. Hughes as inves
tigating counsel. ' -; a
The ; late Frederick ! C Stevens, who
was then a senator ' - from Wyoming
county, was chairman of the committee.
Alfred R. Page, now I a supreme court
justice In New York, .had been associ
ated with Mr. Hughes and first sug
gested him to Mr. Stevens, chairman j of
the gas committee. Mr, Stevens in seek
ing information about Mr. Hughes, went
to the World office, j and was so im
pressed with the high tribute paid the
then obscure lawyer that he announced
his selection as counsel the same night.
The record established by Mr. Hughes
as counsel for the committee made him
a celebrated and "popular figure within
three months. Then the New York legis
lature created the committee that com
pelled the radical reformation of insur
ance companies the following year. Mr.
Hughes was the only man considered
for counsel. . .
The : thorough probing that he gave
the insurance institutions caused the
greatest sensation that New York had
In many a day. The echo of the dis
closures, which showed him. the money
of policy holders had been wasted or put
to improper uses, bad not died away
when the Republican party conscripted
Mr. Hughes as its candidate for gov
ernor..;. :
Three months after he had been in
augurated, the same Republican party
realized that it had caught a tartar.
The new governor immediately set about
substituting public service for political
privileges. He brought about the crea
tion of the public service commission to
supervise utilities which, for half a cen
tury, had been exploited by the poli
ticians for their own benefit and profit.
He wrote Into the statute books the
direct primary law which aroused the
wrath of the bosses in both parties.
He put an end to professional gambling
at the race tracks and, for the time
being, eliminated graft of all' kinds in
the conduct of public service. His spec
tacular success In accomplishing these
undertakings encouraged the -presenta
tion of his name to the Republican con
vention at Chicago in 1908 for president,
though he received only a few votes. :
SPLIT THE PARTY OPE -
When the Republican state convention
met in that state to select his successor
as governor, . nine-tenths of the party
leaders were opposed to him, but they
were afraid to deny him a renomination.
During his second term he practically
split the party Wide open and. in the
view of his critics, opened the way for
the election of Dix and Sulzer in 1910
and 1912 respectively, j "
There has always been a theory among
New York Republicans that President
Taf t coaxed Mr. Hughes onto the su
preme court bench at the behest of the
frenzied leaders of the Btate, who claimed
that he was wrecking the party beyond
repair. However that may be, Mr.
Hughes seemed to be agreeable to the
change from the turmoil of New York
politics to the tranquillity of the nigh
bench.
But the impression made by him upon
the people throughout the country for
conscientious public service was too in
delible to be so speedily forgotten, and
he was nominated for president by the
Republicans in 1916. Moreover, he came
within a very few votes of beinelected.
No other man possibly enjoyed (or
experienced) so many thrills as he dur
ing the four days required to determine
the actual result of the contest between
Wood row Wilson and himself. At the
end of four days, California threw its
votes to Mr. Wilson, and Mr. ; Hughes
went back to the practice of law when
he had recovered his breath.
Historians have not yet fully agreed
as to what actually caused his defeat.
The professionals that did not like him
declared it was because he bad "con
ducted such a rotten campaign." His
admirers, while admitting bis lack of
tact in dealing with problems of a pro
fessional character, held Hiram Johnson
responsible for the loss of Calif or- a.
Johnson as candidate for the senate car
ried the Golden Gate ; state by 800,000,
Hughes .lost it by 2000-r-flome difference.
In view of the fact that both were can
didates on the same ticket. i
The consistent admirers of Mr. Hughes
assert that he could have won if he
"had played the game" by deferring to
the bosses and soliciting their favor.
Justification of this theory was provided
by. many of the bosses, who made little
effort to conceal their dislike of Mr.
Hughes, and, even though they wanted
him to win for personal reasons, did not
find it hard to reconcile themselves to
his defeat. v i
But if Mr. Hughes keeps on making
friends as he has been since he became
secretary of state, the professionals who
once addressed him in terms less familiar
than "Charley may even come around
to slapping him on the back, j
(In his next article Mr. Seibold will
present a study of Andrew W. Mellon,
secretary of the treasury in the Harding
cabinet.)
ator Johnson, and refused so Joudly and
defiantly that he received a double black
mark In Hiram Johnson's book of fate.
If the act of either should be condoned,
Blair would have the best ' claim to
leniency, for the North Carolina primary
was a sort of half-hearted affair, but in
Oregon the primary Is carefully guarded
and regulated, with the most solemn dec
larations attached concerning the fealty
of those elected as delegates to the choice
of the majority of the voters. -
, Senator Johnson, rose up promptly in
his place when the nomination of Blah
came before the senate for confirmation.
The Caiiforniaa told his colleagues that
he objected to Blair, inasmuch as Blair
failed to respect the obligations of the
primary, and Instead of voting for John
son, voted for another candidate named
Warren G. Harding. Evidently Blair's
conduct in that respect recommended him
to Mr. Harding in about, the same pro
portion as it earned the displeasure of
Johnson. ..-."'!;.
Some other charges have been filed
against Blair, connected with the efforts
of some of his wealthy relatives to se
cure reductions of their profits taxes,
matters which are pending before the
bureau of which Mr. Blair is named as
chief. Probably this affair of the rela
tives would not have been given much
consideration except . for the affair at
Chicago.
; The interesting thing for Mr. McCam
ant and his friends to consider, of course,
is that Hiram remembered Mr. Blair,
which seems to insure a flood of recol
lections . if by any chance President
Harding should pick the Oregon ex-judge
for new : judicial honors. . No executive
session of the senate, it is certain, could
contain within itself the things that Hi
ram would have to say concerning Mr.
McCamant. - - -
It was outside the executive session
that Senator Johnson said this concern
ing Blair: - - - - -
"Blair, as a delegate to the national
convention, did not obey the mandate of
the primary. He violated the law and
betrayed his people. He is now nom
inated to the most important administra
tive office in the. United States. He ad
mhr latere , tax, prohibition and other
laws. A man who will violate his own
state's law Is unfit to administer the na
tion's laws." "
While In Washington the other, day
Wallace ; McCamant - chummed v around
with the vice president, insofar as any
body is able to chum with the Massachu
setts statesman. Presumably he hopes
that the vice president will go to the
front for him. for It was he, Wallace
McCamant, who nominated Mr. Coolidge
in that howling mob at Chicago when
the leading trumpeters of the conven
tion had slated Senator Lenroot for the
secondary nomination. If Coolidge does
not owe him something, who does?
If the. vice president takes this view
of the situation, an Interesting time wilt
be had by all. Hiram will be in at the
beginning, as well as the finish, and it
appears that the waters of Oregon may
also be mightily stirred. Will the two
Oregon senators care to Bhout the
lillllllillliilllllll
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P4
praises of Mr. McCamant at the White
House, or will they prefer the silence of
the non-committal bombproof? ; Senator
McNary indorsed Johnson, v Could be
reasonably support .McCamant. . whom
Johnson denounced as a betrayer of the
people? . These and other entertaining
question the future will develop.
Represent Oregon
at S. A. R, Meeting .
WASHINGTON. May 14(WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) Wallace McCamant of Portland
and Edward . Baldwin, secretary to
Congressman Sinnott, will represent Ore
gon at the national meeting of the Sons
of the American Revolution at Buffalo,
N. Y which will be held from May 15
to 1.
Consolidation Bill : )
Temporarily Stalled
WASHINGTON. May 14. WASH
- INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) The bill authorizing consolida
tion f the offices of register and re
ceiver of land offices in the discretion of
the president, which has been jrecom
mended by Secretary Fall of the interior
department, has been temporarily stalled
In the house committee on public lands.
There is a difference of opinion. Rep
resentative Baker of California in par
ticular insisting that the offices should
be maintained as they are. ' It is believed
the bill Is favored by a large majority
of the committee and will ultimately be
reported for action by the house.
. - ; ,
Olympic Forest
May Be Patrolled - i
WASHINGTON. May 14. (WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) Senator Jones of Washington has
asked Secretary of' War Weeks to ex
tend the air forest patrol this season to
cover the down section of the Olympic
national forest.: The situation there.
Up by Wadhams
Si,
y
M
, ' ;.
4 seM : ft -
m. k -- v 4Si a - . a
syz i - .:!-. sa
im 3 -iU..;.iU--
f ti cf
1
says Senator Jones, presents a need that
cannot be- equalled under normal condi
tions anywhere else in the country.
He has a letter from C B. Savage,
commissioner of public lands of .Wash
ington, stating that the down timber in
the Olympic forest, leveled by the great
storm this year, amounts . to between
6,000,000,000 and 6,000,000,000 feet.
. ."
Forest Exchange
Bill Is Considered
WASHINGTON, May 14. (WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) The senate committee on public
lands has been considering a bill by Sen
ator Smoot- to authorise exchanges of
national forest lands by general act, spe
cial legislation being at present required
for such action.
Desirability of such legislation is gen
erally conceded If it carries proper safe
guards. Senator Walsh of Montana
pointed out that tax problems might be
come aggravated In some counties of his
state if shifts were made of forest lands
.from one county to another, adding to
the taxable area of one county and pos
sibly depriving another of most of its
taxable property. No action has yet
been decided.
Butchers -Accused
of Profiteering
WASHINGTON, May 14 (WASH
INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR
NAL) The retailers of meat, and par
ticularly . the retail butchers associa
tions, combined . often with the grocers'
associations, were squarely saddled with
the charge of profiteering in peace as
well ' as in war by Everett C. Brown,
president of the National Livestock Ex
change of Chicago, In testimony before
the hoose committee on , agriculture on
the subject of packer legislation. ,
"Governmental figures will show you
gentlemen - conclusively that wholesale
meat prices have followed the downward
emu
& .Kerr Bros. , Portland
.A
...wA:i-: :" -' Jr'
OVER A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE
READ THE JOURNAL EVERY DAY
trend of livestock prices, Mr. Browa
told the committee, "so the retailer to
day can and does buy his meats at
wholesale at practically pre-war prices."
Mr. Brown asserted , that the retailers
are ' following the rule of charging all
the ' traffic will bear, have thrown reaT
son to. the winds, and are actually forc
ing people who would like to buy meat
to go withsut This limitation of con
sumption by high prices Is in turn caus
ing much' of '-the trouble for the pro
ducer, who can find no market, even ftt
ruinous prices, for his cattle, sheep and
hogs.
Prices ran riot during the war, and the
public took it In good humor ss one of
the things that went along with war.
Now the producer and the packer are
back to pre-war prices, be said, 'but the
retailer never has been 'willing to do his
share. Recently he made personal inves
tigation, he said, and found that meats
obtained from the same packer were be
ing sold at from 10 to IS cents a pound
higher In one shop than In another across
the street. In another shop he found
sausage retailed at war prices, when he
knew the maker of that brand has re
turned to pre-war prices 1n his wholesale
selling.
Mr. Brown . was oppoaed to federal
legislation as affecting livestock com
mtssionmen. except that there-will be no
opposition to registration or to examina
tion of accounts similar to bank exam
ination. He said the commtsslon men
have found "wonderful encouragement'
in the message of President I lard Ins
"discouraging governmental Interference
with legitimate business."
Secretary Wallace of the , department
of agriculture, who has advocated pack
er legislation along the line of the Ken
yon bill In the past, was guarded In hla
statement before the committee. He said
he was "less sure as to the necessity and
efficacy of government control the fur
ther he went Into the subject.
1? y ';