The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-28
Prominent CuIIman Man Says Charges Are True and Trust
 Causes High Prices
LETTERS FROM VAN HOOSE
 QUOTED IN CORRESPONDENcE
VanHoose in Reply To Charges Sub mits Letter To Department of Justice Outlining Work
 of Association.

The charges against the Southern Wholesale Grocers' association, alleging that the organization is a trust, fixing prices on all groceries being sold in Bir- ningham, as well as in other places, ere ated much comment yesterday There were expressions on both sides of the question and the agitation of. the high price evil is becoming sensational and q central attraction.
 Joseph R. Rosson of Cullman was in Birmingham yesterday. MT. Rosson was in the grocery business at Cullman up to short time ago, and he tells of his ex- perience with the Southern Wholesale Grocers' association, stating that he fully agrees with MT. Clabaugh in his charges, and believes firmly that the matter has not been made blacker than it really Is.
 Rosson Has Had Experience.
 MT. Rosson said last night to a repre- sentative of The Age-Herald: Some time ago. when l was engaged in the grocery business myself, I ordered a car load of cottolene from the Southern Cotton Oil company of Savannah. Their agent in- formed me that he could not fill the order as I was not member of the association. I told him that I had been mailed a list of questions to be answered, had an- swered them, and told him that I consid- cred myself a member of the association.
 "The agent then informed me that ne < had seen MT. VanHoose, who had told him that was not member of the asso- citation. He said that for that reason he could not fill my order as 1t was, but would be glad to sell to me through some- body else or under another name. then told him to cancel the order.
 He then explained matters to me. He said that the association had gotten out a little book with the names of the firms to which goods might be sold. He told me that several cases like mine had been compromised by the association. He said that he hated the very name of the South ern Wholesale Grocers' association, but was afraid of them.
 'In my opinion the Standard Oil compa- ny is snow white compared with this as- sociation. can vouch for MT Clabaugh' $ statements, and intend to collaborate with him and assist him in any way possible in the prosecution of his case" eas
 vanHoose Makes Reply.
 Yesterday MT. VanHoose, president of the Southern Wholesale Grocers' associa- tion, replied to MT. Clabaugfs letter which appeared in The Age-Herald yes- terday morning. MT. VanHoose said last night that the letter quoted, which was addressed to a Washington, D. C., gro- cer, was true statement of facts con- cerning the Southern Wholesale Grocers' association. The letter follows:
 Birmingham, Ala, Nov ', 1906.
 Dear Sir-I beg to thank you for paper enclosing copy of Secretary Root s speech
 The only basis that I know of for this assertion is that I was recently asked to submit to the Department of Justice. through the district federal attorney, an- swers to a number of written questions In addition I had several long confer ences with this attorney.
 In these conferences with Judge Roul- hac and in my written statement to him, l emphatically requested that the depart ment would indicate wherein we were do- ing anything contrary to any federal or even state statute, and gave Judge Roul- hac my assurance that it would not be- come necessary to institute any suit against our organization for the purpose of dissolving the same. On the contrary, we would cheerfully stop anything we were doing which, in the judgment of the Department of Justice, was contrary to the present construction of any federal statute.
 In these conferences as we'll as in my written statement I strongly pre- scented to Judge Roulhac that the basis