Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-05-21
UP TO GRAND JURY
MANY WITNESSES ARE CALLED
IN THE INVESTIGATION OF
PLUMBERS TRUST.
GENERAL BOYCOTT ALLEGED
One Hundred Subpoenas Are Issued
BY District Attorney Claude r. Por-
ter of Federal Court Who Has
Charge Of the Inquiry.

Charge Of the Inquiry.
Des NOTES.-THE government s
plan of nationwide investigation in
to the operations of the National
Plumbers Association of America, has
been outlined by Claude r. Porter,
United States district attorney. More
than 100 witnesses have been sum-
moned to appear before the grand
jury which will take up its investiga-
tion Of alleged violation of the Sher-
man antitrust law on the part of the
plumbers at once.
According to Mr.. Porter, the investi-
cation is broader than anything ever
before attempted by the government.
The present investigation has moth
Ing to do with a previous investiga-
tion conducted at Sioux City by for
mer District Attorney Van Wagenen.
That investigation concerned the op-
erations of the Iowa Master Plumbers
association while the present investi-
cation deals with the national organ
ization.
B. F. Welty, special assistant to the
attorney general of the United States,
and George N. Murdoch, special agent
of the bureau OF investigation of the
department Of justice, are In Des
Moines. They have been working on
the case and have taken up offices in
the federal building where trunk after
trunk filed with evidence against the
plumbers has been moved.
Belief that the grand jury investi-
cation of the affairs of the national as.
sociation was warranted came only
after months OF labor on the case by
Mr. Murdoch and Mr.. Welty. Since
January /, Mr. Murdock has had
charge of 100 investigators of the de-
partment Of justice and they have
been gathering evidence and making
reports to him. The investigations
have covered several states.
The government will investigate
the charge that the National Plumb
ers' association of America which
boasts membership of more than
10000, has violated the antitrust law
in several particulars. The chief
charge made against the association
Is that its members have boycotted
supply houses which have persisted
in selling goods to plumbers who are
not members of the association. An.
other charge is that they have elm
mated competition by establishing a
fixed set of prices adhered to by all
members of the association.
Length Of Ballot Causing Trouble.
Although the length of the ballot
will prevent the use OF voti ma
chimes in most of the counties at the
primary June 1, the state officials have
declined to permit county auditors to
evade the primary law by arranging
the names of the candidates so that
the machines can be used.
Permission was asked by several
auditors to allow the names of the
candidates on the nonpartisan judici-
airy ticket to be omitted from all but
one OF the tickets on the ballot. They
declared that unless this is done, it
will be impossible to use the voting
machines.
The secretary OF state replied that
the law requires that the nonpartisan
ticket shall appear on the ballot of
all of the political parties. therefore
1t can not be legally omitted from
any one OF them. In addition separ-
ate ballot for the prohibitionists and
others not, affiliated with a political
party, must be provided for the non
partisan judiciary. 1t will not be
complying with the law, the secretary
says, for auditors to supply separate
ballots for all voters to use In voting
for the judiciary.
Screening Of Foods.
"The screening of foods, or mater
ial from which foods are prepared. re-
auired by law to protect from contain,
nation. is held to mean that they must
be properly covered with some sort
of material which Is clean and which
will keep from such foods dirt, flies
and filth" said w. B. Barney, state
food and dairy commissioner. "The
erroneous impression has been con-
ceived that all goods to comply with
the sanitary law must be under glass.
While glass show cases are TO be
desired, yet any kind of a cover
which properly protects Is admissible
under the law. The sanitary law not
only applies to peddlers, vendors and
those conducting temporary refresh
ment or eating houses or STANDS, at
outdoor places, such as to regular
manufacturers and dealers. but fairs,
circuses. Chautauquas, etc. We urge
that soda fountain operators provide
that the soda water straws be kept
In a manner to protect them from
flies and dust"
State Capitol Extension.
"The people Of Iowa paid s2s.000,-
COO as their share of the cost OF con-
structing the Panama canal, yet they
have never said word aout IT, while
they make an awful roar aboutSspeld-
ing 100000 for the capitol extension"
said W. B. Barney. "The Panama
canal is a great thing, but as fa- as
Iowa is concerned we will probably
never realize or know in material
way that IT is in service. Bat the
capitol extension is development
right here in the state that every
Iovsn can be proud of.
Dragging the Highways.
Iowa roads must be dragged. This
Is the edict that has gone out from
the office of tie highway commission.
Complaints from all over the state
that the dragging feature Of the new
road law is being utterly ignored has
determined the members OF the com
mission to take decisive action. The
7ew law is absolutely mandatory on
ne question of dragging. The town
ship road officers must expend not
less than one mill tax levy for drag
ging township roads. There is no al
'ernatiye.