Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-04
Hudson Prosecutor Only Has
1000 Cases on His Hands,
but Is Not Overrushed.
Mr.. MOTT HAS NEW REASON
TO EXPLAIN HIS ATTITUDE
Now Says Investigation of Trust
Is Work for Federal Grand
Jury.


busy for any Essex county investiga-
tion of the causes of the high prices of
meat. He doesn't care who knows he
is ''too busy" for work of that trivial
character. 1t was learned today that
Prosecutor Garven, of Hudson county,
also is a very busy man. He has about
1000 cases on hand now, he said, and
averages sixty a week throughout the
year
But despite this rush of work
almost as much, perhaps, as the pros
ecutor of Essex county must contend
with-Prosecutor Garyen Is vigorously
conducting an investigation into al
legged old-storage abuses in Hudson,
which is attra citing the attention of the
entire country, and bids fair to start
rolling a. ball which will revolutionize
certain conditions which obtain in con-
nection with foodstuffs.
More Nothing Doing.
Asked once again today whether he
intended to probe the beef trust or take
any official action, Prosecutor Wilbur
A. Mott said, as he closed laW-pook
with a bang that startled his callers
in the ante-room:
"As far as l am concerned. my posi-
ton remains unchanged. In other
words, there's nothing doing as far
as this office is concerned.
my position in the beef trust mat
ter he added, has been, and is, that
that is a matter for the Federal grand
Jury. AS far as cold storage is con-
cerned, have not, as yet, been able
to discover that 1t is any crime to keep
things in cold storage or to be in that
sort of business.
II understand, of course, that the
newspapers need big headlines" he
went on, P'and here is their oppor-
tunity. AT the same time don't see
how these people in Jersey City, whom
the Hudson county grand jury is after,
can be held responsible. They are mere
ly agents and do what the big fellows
out West tell them to do. A. principal
may be held responsible for the acts
of his agents, but the converse of that
proposition, that is, that an agent may
be held responsible for the acts of his
principal, is not true
II see" concluded the prosecutor as
he once more opened his law book and
delved into it, that Justice Swayze
will charge the grand jury on the mat
ter. What in the world he can say /
surely don't know, but, as l have said
before, will await developments in
Hudson county"
HAS any grand juror approached
you ana suggested the advisability of
investigating these vital problems?"
asked the STAR man.
mot one" was the answer.
IL .sw-r
the next question.
Not one" repeated Mr. Mott as he
glanced at the clock and said Good
morning!"
Managers Face Grand Jury.
AS the result of the inquisition con-
Quoted by Prosecutor Garven, of Hud-
son county, into storage house condi-
tions, superintendents and managers of
local cold storage houses appeared be-
fore the grand fury in Jersey City to-
day. Each of the witnesses had been
subpoenaed TO bring specified records
of the amount of foodstuffs, when it
was received and how long it had been
kept. They were p. d. Manchee, of
Swift & Co.'S Jersey City plant; d. S.
Mccarthy, superintendent of the Union
Terminal Cold Storage Company; C. M.
Smith, manager of the Eastern States
States Refrigerating Company; John
M. Cosgrove, superintendent of the
Merchants Refrigerating Company; H.
B. Tappen, freight agent at pier of
the Lackawanna Railroad Company;
Thomas G.. Harring, city freight agent,
Hoboken, of the Lackawanna; e. ].
Bauer, Jersey City freight agent of the
Erie railroad, and e. Butler, Jersey
City freight agent of the Pennsylvania
railroad
Prosecutor Garven told a representa-
tive of the STAR .oday that he was
endeavoring to find out how much
meat, eggss poultry. fish and other
foodstuffs the cold' storage houses had
on hand how long they had been keep
ing it, and whether 1t had been stored
for the purpose of depicting the market
and enhancing prices.
He said he was making no effort to
find out the effects of cold-storagc
product foodstuffs ON the consumer as
he would await the result of the Fed
eral investigation along that line.
Mark Sullivan Democratic minority
leader in the Assembly, declared today
that the result of the Hudson county
Investigation would doubtless be reme-
dleit lc5 lSltltlOH III ILLS OLdl6. ne SdiQ
the investigation as it is being con-
Quoted should get at the very root of
the evil.
Assistant Prosecutor Vickers, of Hud-
son, conferred with Joseph Guisto, pres
ident of the County Tax Board, con-
corning a plan to place heavy tax on
produce held in cold storage Guisto
said the municipal authorities must
take the initiate in such a matter, and
that he would call 1t to their attention.
There is a nominal tax on such products
at the present time. With such tax
the ratables of Hudson county would be
increased s15,000,O0O, 1t is asserted
The investigation has already re-
vealed conditions which were sus-
pected. 1t has been the practise of the
cold-storage people. 1t Is said, to collect
eggs in April and May. when they were
plentiful and cheap and hold them in
storage until December and January,
when the top prices could be asked for
thapa