The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-02-11
-ORONEY WOULD PROSECUTE
WOlATORS OF LAW.
Owosso, Michigan


washington, ID. c., Feb. 3.-Con.
gresham FOrdney of Saginaw is
mad at the prosecuting officers OF
the country, both state and federal
because they have not made an eff
tort to break up the combinations
in restraint of trade.
Here we are making investiga-
tions, half a dozen committees of
Congress and the department of
agriculture, all seeking to look into
thH High cost of living" he saiG
Thursday. "And yet the most cur
sorry glance at the situation shows
that there must be combinations in
ali directions. Otherwise prices
could not be held up as they are. I
say it is the duty Of the prosecuting
officers to get busy. It's all right to
Fave congressional Investigations.
They. can do no harm, and may do
some good. But the high prices are
here. They are felt by every family.
II is the business of the prosecuting
6ficers to investigate and prosecute
and send few of these people to
jail. That's my panacea for the in
creased cost of living, and l have
confidence in it's efficacy.
Some men who have not informed
themselves believe the high prices
are due to the tariff. I have just
Received letter from one of the
biggest merchants in Detroit sug-
costing that all articles of food be
placed upon the free list. But, good
gracious, that wouldn't do any good.
The tariff is not to blame. We did
not raise the tariff en- single neces-
sity found on any mans table. The
rates are the same as they were. or
lower, on all the necessities. The
only raises we made were on luXur-
ies. Good a Republican and stand
batter as / am | would not defend
tariff If did not feel sure that l am
Eight about it.
a Illegal Combinations to Blame.
Il tell you it Is the combinations,
4he illegal combinations, that are
putting the undeard-of prices on
TODD stuffs that we now have to pay.
L,ook here. The other day 1 called
Dip the Washington agent of the Ar
,mour Packing company and asked
sthe wholesale price on special grade
hf homeless, trimmed, cooked hams.
u as informed that there were three
Grades of this kind of ham, sold ex-
9lusively to the retail trads at 10, 81
and % cents a pound. / then WIS.,
.tted several of the meat markets OF
and while did not find
any of this particular grade of Ar
sinour ham, did find homeless,
trinmed, cooked hams for sale,
some prepared by Cincinnati house
and some elsewhere. The retailers
admitted that the grade was not
quite up to that for which I asked.
yeti in every instance, this ham was
Tetailed at 40 cents pound.
4 TNow, will you tell me how the re.
aailers of Washington can hold their
prfee on such an article up to such
an enormous rate of profit unless
they are in agreement to do so? / do
not consider 1t wise, or just to the
farmer who raises the hogs, to take
the duty off this kind of meat. But
II do believe 1t to be high time that
a combination of merchants that will
charge 100 per cent profit on a prac-
ticalIy indestructible article of food
is prosecuted. There is the remedy.
"a want it invoked.
4 oBut found other evidences of
illegal combines in trade in Wash
ington on the same occasion. l
found certain grades of tea sold at
retail for Is cents a pound when the
wholesale price of this tea was but
10 cents. / found tea retailed at a
dblIar a pound, although it cost the
Yetailer only 20 cents. And in the
government statistics I learn thar
coffee retailing at 80 cents a pound
comes in at an importers price of
but to is cents. Don't tell me
that these prices would prevail If We
had competition. 1t is not possible.
sCompetition would cut them down
Just as sure as hungry dog will eat.
Z Champ Clark's Experience.
4 "Champ Clark also took look
around the Washington meat mar!
kets and he found that meats here
hre much higher than they are out
in Kansas City and other meat pack
ing centers. Finally he said to one
..bf the market men that he was
.2em bSd t0s go into the meAtsbtsiness