New-York tribune., 1912-02-01
BUTTER INQUIRY BROADENS
May RANGE from Soup to Nuts,
District Attorney IntimateS.
MANY COMPLAINTS RECEIVED
Milk Will Come Next After But
ter Prices Have Fad a
Magistrates Attention.

So many ultimate consumers" have writ
ten to District Attorney Whitman 10 utter
complaints against the price Of living these
days that the District Attorney has been
moved to remark that the Investigation he
ordered last week into the price Of butter
VIII undoubtedly broaden out into the realm
Of food. ranging from soup TO nuts. Further
more, the hearings will he placed in tn"
hands Of a magistrate. and the public VIII
get a chance to listen and learn
The milk situation will be looked into
after the butter and eggs inquiry is nm
! ished. Il think It would not be right 10
! take no too much time Of the grand jury
on such matters when crime and violence
should he considered therefore We have de
Cided to have public hearings before mag
istrate at the termination Of the present
grand jury investigation, probably next
week" said Mr.. Whitman.
| He said that his assistant William y
De Ford. who prosecuted the East Side
poultry trust" a short time ago. was tax
| ing up the various corporations dealing IN
butter and eggs and endeavoring to de-
terlnne how the business WIS conducted
who the officers were and if any agreement
| exists between them To control the supply
| or prices Of these commodities
Among the witnesses with whom Mr.. De
| Ford talked in his office yesterday was
! William c. Taylor. an expert in butter ana
| eggs, representing a trade paper. He vol
unteered to testify. and told Mr.. De Fora
| that he would be pleased 10 be Of aid 10
| him in any way r. II. Kieffer. Of the pro-
! dUCe firm Of Guide Brothers, Kieffer & Co,
!, and John Scholl and John DesCher, dealers
! in butter and eggs were also present They
! furnished useful information to Mr.. De
Ford
| 1t was pointed out Yesterday that the fut-
ure course Of a sweeping inquiry into the
| foodstuff market would depend greatly on
the character of the evidence laid before
the grand jury II hasn't been decided what
MAGISTRATE will hear the evidence after this
week. but it will probably he one from the
night court, as that magistrate could sit
during the day at extra sessions. II Is not
| an easy matter 10 get magistrate with
time hanging heavily on his hands.
| The District Attorney alluded smillngly
to the bulk of mail he had been receiving
lately. The letters. ne explained, were riSAt
! from the hearts Of the writer's, but OBJ
vicusly they contained little or nothing that
was of any value as evidence against lA'
| retailers. the commission men or the pro-
duCerS However. Mr.. Whitman commented
rather more seriously, they indicated IN"
state of the public mind on the question OF
| the cost of living and opened his eyes al
| once 10 the Justice Of q thorough inquiry
| into the New York markets handling ncces-
! sgrieS of life. which wcr" soaring beyond
the reach of the thousands Of ordinary
wage earners.
The butter inquiry SO far has shown
| that butter, hgurativcly speaking passes
through the hands of the farmer, shipper
| iohber and retailer before IL Is spread on
| the daily bread of the consumer. II also
appears that the somewhat helpless end
| man, who is the consumer. must go down
! into his pocket for the whole bill OF proiits
| for each Of the fellows who have handled
| the butter.
The Mercantile Exchange. which handles
! nearly all the butter and egg business In
| New York city, has trail leading M 20
| Its door. and at present Assistant District
! Attorney De Ford Is on 'hc tran.