Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-17
FIELDER ACTS TO
CHECK INCREASE
IN COST OF FOOD
Orders Prosecution of Dealers
Who Use War as Excuse
to Boost Prices.
SEES NO REASON FOR
ANY ADVANCE. AT ALL
Bumper Crops in Jersey This
Year That Cannot Be Sent
Abroad.
Special to the Evening Star.

Special to the Evening Star.
TRENTON. Aug. 17.-Governor
Fielder today took the initial steps
toward prosecuting dealers in New
Jersey who use the war as an excuse
to raise the prices of foodstuffs and
articles of daily consumption.
He has taken it up with Attorney
General John w. Wescott and has
written letter to the prosecutor of
every county in the State notifying
them that the State stands ready to
help wipe out this unjustiflable ex-
tortion.
With Increased crops in New Jersey
and other increases in foodstuffs on
this side of the Atlantic, Governor
Fielder says. there is no reason why
prices should go up here. especially
when the European markets are prac-
tically closed to our exports. His let
ter to the prosecutors follows:
Letter to Prosecutors.
During the past week we have
found our home expenses increasing
through a rise in the cost of standard
commodities, and news items warn us
that We may expect a further in
crease in price of all the necessities OF
life.
There has been no marked change
in business eonditions and with the
great abundance of our crops and the
closing of many European markets, it
does not seem that any general and
material upward movement in prices
of articles of daily consumption is at
all warranted. and it would appear
that constituencies dealers and speeu-
lators are using the war on the other
side of the Atlantic as a pretext ard
are preparing to reap large profit at
the expense of consumers There
seems to be concerted action in this
direction, and the charge of a COM
bination or agreement among dealers
may be justified
New Law Covers the Case
Our State is particularly fortunate.
in having enacted a law to meet this
situation, Chapter Is of the Laws of
1913, one OF the series of acts popular
ly known as the Seven Sisters Acts,
makes such a combination unlawful
and provides that the corporation or
persons responsible therefor may be
indicted for misdemeanor and pun
lsished accordingly
IF such a combination exists the
people of our State should not be
compelled to tameIy submit to its
illegal and greedy exactions, and I.
therefore, beg to direct your atten-
ton TO the law with the request that
you investigate the conditions in your
county. and if you find any attempt
by individuals or corporations to en-
rich themselves through unwarranted
imitation of prices that you present
the facts to your grand jury to the
end that indictments may be found
and the offenders brought before the
court for trial.
Asks Attorney Generals Aid.
The governors letter to the attor-
ney-general says:
There seems to be a concerted
movement on the part of spectators
and dealers to raise the prices of ar
ticles of daily consumption. without
any justification for the increase. This
is noticeable in many of our States,
and some action should be taken to
prevent extortion of this nature here
/ have written a letter, of which
enclose a copy to the prosecutors of
the pleas of each of our counties
Can you suggest anything further
that your office or that any public Of
fetal Qncluding myself can do to put
a stop to any unwarranted increase in
the cost of necessities of life?"