The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-08-19
PROBE ORDERED
TO INVESTIGATE
The Recent Raise In the
Cost of Foods.
ATTORNEY GENERAL DIRECTED
To Immediately Look Into
the Rapid and Unwar.
ranted Increase"
THE PRESIDENT TAKES ACTION

Washington. Aug. 14.-President
Wilson to-day directed Attorney
General McReynods II investigate
recent increases in prices of food
stuffs and to take up the question
whether any persons responsible can
I've prosecuted.
he President sen, he fallowiny
letter to the Attorney General:
Tile rapid and :nwarran;ed IN
crease in the prices of foodstuTs in
this country upon ,'ie preteXt of the
conditions existing in Europe is so
serious and vital matter that |
take the liberty of calling you at
tention to it.
II would be very much obliged If
you would advise me whether t!ere
is under existing law any action
which the Department If Justice
could take, either by way Of investi-
cation or legal process. and what
Federal legislation. if any. would in
your judgment be justifiable ami
warrantable in the circumstance
81 feel that this is a matter which
we cannot let pass by without try
ing to serve the country. Certainly
the country ought to be defended. If
possible, against men who would
take advantage of such circum-
stances to increase the price of food
and the difficulties of living.
Faithfully yours.
WOODROW WILSON"
The President took up the ques-
ton of increasing prices the first
thing to-day and was impressed by
the pressure of the situation. He at
once decided that legal action should
be taken if possible. and that if there
were no law covering the question
new legislation should be passed.
officials said the President con-
sidered that in many cases the in
creases We're wholly unjustifiable.
When he returned from Mrs. Will
sons burial at Rome, Ga, resolu-
tons already had been introduced in
the House calling on the Department
of Commerce and the Department of
Justice to report what action they
were taking. President Wilson's in
terest in the situation, however. was
wholly apart from that. and he prob
ably would have taken action before
had it not been for the death in the
White House.
special agents of the Department
of Justice throughout the country
and investigators of the Department
Of Commerce are available to collect
evidence for any action the Attorney
General may think warranted. The
department of Labor also has a
corps which has become very expert
in gathering evidence of the in
creased cost of living.
Attorney General McReynoIds at
once replied to the President as fol-
lows:
Il have your letter of August Is
In reference to the unwarranted in
crease in the price of foodstuffs.
THE head of our special agents
has been instructed to give direc-
tons to his men throughout the
country to begin Investigations in
order to ascertain the real facts, and
! am sending the various District
Attorneys similar instructions. This
should enable us to secure some def
mite information in respect to true
conditions.
May ] take the liberty of sug-
gesting that perhaps the agents of
the Department of Commerce could
render valuable assistance along the
lines indicated?
when we have become some
what more familiar with the exact
situation ! hope to be able to make
you some suggestions in respect Of
legal proceedings or appropriate leg
islation.
The department has for some
time been making investigations in
various directions concerning the
price of foodstuffs.
Faithfully yours,
JAMES C. McREYNOLDS.
Attorney General"
The President at once instructed