The Washington herald., 1914-08-18
TEXAN DECLARES
war ON DEALERS
Culberson Would Amend the
Antitrust Bill to Keep
Down High Prices.
JAIL FOR THE VIOLATORS
District Attorney Has Information Pur-
porting to Show Local Combine
to Advance Living Cost.
JAIL FOR THE VIOLATORS

Amendment Of the Clayton snti-trus
bill. so as to meet the exigencies created
by the arbitrary rise in food .prites wal
threatened yesterday by Senator culber
son, OF Texas.
Declaring he was keeping an eye on tn,
investigation by the Attorney General
Senator Culberson said:
'Tf the present law is not broad enough
to allow prosecution OF dealers who arr
European war conditions, while in reality
there is no occasion for such advances
an attempt will be made to amend ths
Clayton antitrust bfl now the unfin.
ished business OF the Senate, so as &c
give the requisite power. II looks like
some Of these dealers ought to go to
jail" =
Probe Being Pushed.
The District Attorneys investigation OF
prices in the District is still going for
ward vigorously, Clarence r. Wilson and
his assistant, Samuel McComas Hawkeh.
continuing their investigation before the
grand jury practically the whole Of yes
terday. Many witnesses are yet to be
examined. but the result may be reached
In a few days. 1t is known that the Dis
trict Attorneys ofiice Is in possession
Of important information tending. at
least to show unlawful concerted ac-
tion on the part of certain local dealers
to fix prices.
Charles ]. Brand, chief Of the office
Of markets in the Department OF Agri-
culture. declared the increased food
prices due to the European war are not
yet being keenIy felt because no great
quantities Of the affected commodities
are changing hands Buying has not
been general since the rise in prices, he
asserted, the people postponing pur-
chases in the hope that mediation or
some other influence in the European
situation will bring a lower scale. Mr..
Brand also declared producers are not
getting the benefit OF increased prices,
the rise being absorbed by middIemen.
Meat prices are still going up. There
was an increase yesterday OF 8 cents 4
pound for sirloin, Z cents a pound for
pork loin, 5 cents q pound for tender
ioin, and 2 cents a pound for ham. All
these were reported by the District at
torney, who said:
and restaurants, and It is my opinion
that small consumers are being charged
even higher prices"
Joseph Hoch, Of Janesville Wis. asked
the department to investigate prices In
that city, saying:
Refused Information.
There seems to be a combination
among grocery and meat dealers. in
quired at one big grocery house here for
prices and they refused to give me any
information at all"
Miss Annie NJ. Oliver OF Conyingham,
Pa, informed the department that she
ordered from a recent catalogue issued
by a large seed firm in New York City
three bushels OF winter vetch and thirty
pounds of crimson clover, inclosing her
check for so Miss Oliver sent to the
Attorney General the reply she received
from the firm, which stated:
owing to present conditions in Eu-
rope prices on the seeds ordered have
advanced to $3.50 Please remit $1262
more"
A correspondent of the department
writing from Kansas City, Mo-, said:
The worst lot of grafters on food
prices are in operation here, putting up
prices 100 percent or more without rea-
SON
The general manager of one of the
largest livestock commission companies
in the West, in a letter to the White
House. assured the President that the
people will support him in the investiga-
ton, saying:
Week before last hogs declined in
81 per hundred pounds and cat
tie s. to So cents a hundred pounds. At
the same time that this livestock was
being reduced in price from the produc-
ers dressed products to the consumer
advanced several cents per pound. Pack
ers claimed reductions were made on ac-
count Of financial conditions. but I do
not know what excuse they gave for the
Increase in the price OF the dressed ar
ticle.''