The midland journal., 1914-08-21
INQUIRY into
FOOD PRICES
President Asks Department Of
Justice TO Act.
TO LOCATE CONSPIRACY
Those Responsible For Sudden Rise
In Cost OF Living VIII BE
Prosecuted--HIo Cities
Aroused.

L
son directed the Department Of JUS
tice Immediately to institute search
ing investigation into the causes of the
sudden rise In prices Of foodstufrs.
Attorney General McReynolds, few
hours later, set in motion the ma
chinery for the probe. He first asked
Secretary OF Commerce Redfield for
cooperation. and the experts of that
department will be put at the service
of the Department of Justice.
The determined way in which the
Resident took hold of the food situa-
tion upon his return from the South
shows that the whole force of the Ad-
ministration will be thrown into the
investigation for the purposeof punish
ing the food gougers."
viii Start In Baltimore.
The inquiry will first be prosecuted
in Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia.
Boston, Chicago, st. Louis, Cincinnati,
Buffalo. Detroit, Kansas City, Port
land, Seattle, Omaha, Louisville, CAL
weston, st. Paul, Denver. San Fran
cisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland Dallas.
Atlanta, Norfolk and New Orleans.
The following letter was sent to
United States District Attorneys in
those cities by Attorney General Nc
Reynolds:
1.-THE department, by it's special
agents in various parts of the country,
has instituted an investigation into
the marked increases in the price Of
foodstuffs since the outbreak Of the
European war, with a view of ascer-
tanning whether the increases are due
to any combination of combinations in
restraint of trade or other unlawful
factions. Please cooperate by COM
municating to the department any in
formation which you obtain on the SUBJ
ject, together with your opinion in re-
spect of the appropriate action to be
taken"
May Ask For Legislation.
If Attorney General McReynolds de-
termines that there is no law under
which the flood gougers" can be pun
ished, the President will ask legisla-
-sem IeIoeds III sseIsuoo moIJ uoIl
sage.
The Presidents Letter.
President Wilson's letter to Attor-
ney-General McReynolds was as fol-
lows:
"The rapid and unwarranted in.
crease in the prices of foodstuffs in
this country upon the pretext of the
conditions existing in Europe Is SO
serious and vital a matter that take
the liberty of calling your attention
to it.
Il would be very much obliged II you
would advise me whether there is, un-
der existing law, any action which the
Department of Justice could take,
either by way of investigation or legal
process, and what Federal legislation.
if any, would in your judgment be
justifable and warrantable in the cir
cumstanceS.
II feel that this is a matter which
we cannot let pass by without trying
to serve the country. Certainly the
country ought to be defended, if pos
sible, against men who would take ad-
vantage of such circumstances to in
crease the price of food and the din.
culties of living"
Department OF Justice Ready.
Attorney General McReynolds at
once replied to the President as fol-
lows:
'T have your letter of August 13, in
reference to the unwarranted increase
In the price of foodstuffs.
"The head of our special agents has
been instructed to give directions to
his men throughout the country to be-
gin investigations in order to ascer-
tain the real facts, and / am sending
the various district attorneys similar
instructions. This should enable US
to secure some definite information in
respect of true conditions.
MAY take the liberty of suggest
ting that perhaps the agents Of the
Department of Commerce could render
valuable assistance along the lines in
dicated.
when we have become somewhat
more familiar with the exact situation
hope to be able to make you some
suggestions in respect of legal pro-
ceedings or appropriate legislation.
1.-The department has for some time
been making Investigations in various
directions concerning the price of food
stuffs."