Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-13
WILL PROSECUTE
PRICE BOOSTERS
Attorney General McReynolds
Begins Action Against
Grain Spectators.
NO REASON FOR INCREASES
Congress Also Aroused to Action by
Combine TO Advance Cost
of Living.

1850 oNNP NOnaA the AOON
price combine in the United States.
He instructed District Attorney VIII
kerson at Chicago to proceed with the
action against the Chicago board OF
! trade instituted a year and a half ago
under the Sherman law. He also took
the first step toward prosecuting the
| Minneapolis board of trade because
of the apparent combination there TO
raise the prices of grain md flour dur
| ing the European crisis.
Mr.. Wilkerson also will be given in
structions to watch the Chicago pack
ers closely. If he discovers any evil
dence of a "gentlemen's agreement"
between them to reduce the supply of
meat for domestic consumption for the
purpose of boarding il until a record
breaking European market opens he is
TO start proceedings Immediately.
Congress Thoroughly Aroused.
Consi ess has been so thoroughly
aroused by the apparent combine to
! increase prices at home that some
/ sort of action is now almost certain.
Representative Howard of Georgia
yesterday introduced a resolution di-
recting the secretary of commerce to
investigate lllc plldSGo Va lAlI
situation and the attorney general to
prosecute those who have caused the
| increase.
Attorney General AIcReynolds is
called on to report what action he has
taken to ascertain the participants in
these corners" and what steps have
been taken for their trial and impris-
onment as yiolators of the antitrust
laws.
Mr.. Howard demands complete re-
port from the secretary of commerce,
showing the amount of foodstuffs now
held in cold storage, what per cent
has been stored recently, how long
the products have been in storage,
how long it may be kept in storage,
the total capacity of cold storage
plants and owners of the food products
in storage with interlocking relation
ship.
Asks Cells for Violators.
Mr. Howard and other representa-
tives are enraged over the advanced
prices of necessities of life. They are
demanding enforcement of every eX
listing law against combinations and
are urging the department of justice to
insist on the penitentiary sentence in
every case where violation CT the anti
trust laws are proved.
IT'S a lie to say that European con-
ditions have caused these advances in
every instance" declared Mr.. Howard
aotIy ut is greed and an attempt to
gouge the people. There is no excuse
for it,
Mr.. Howard will show the piling up
in storage centers of food products
through reports from the department
of commerce on the total exports of
foodsruffs during the month proceed
ing the European war and the two
weeks of the war.
Representative Kelly of Pennsyl-
vania, who was the first to introduce a
resolution Tuesday. yesterday began
the preparation of statistics for the
purpose of pushing his fight on the
food combine. Mr.. Kelly announced
last night that a comparison of mar
ket figures in the principal cities of
the country, including New York,
Philadelphia. Pittsburgh and Chicago,
shows that there has been an average
increase of % per cent on all house
hold necessities during, the last two
weeks.
"Cnder the baseless pretext that the
war ir Europe IS the cause of advanc-
ing prices" said Mr.. Kelly, "monopol- !
lists and gambling pricemakers are
seeking to get a hunger hold upon the |
people ana TO levy tribute upon every |
table in the land.
"P.Icrs began 10 rise with the first |
news OF war and have been increasing I
ever since. l have taken the prices or
the l. principal articles of food as
- l,t cot tffeI
and find that the average increase in
these supplies, based on the market |
quotations. is % percent. The list |
includes steak, rib roast, pork chops, |
bacon, ham, lard, -four. cornmeal, eggs,
butter, potatoes and sugar
Insults American Intelligence.
Mr.. Kelly said that the declaration |
that these prices are the result of war /
in Europe is an insult to American In
telligence.
"The war in Europe" he said, SHOULD !
result in lower prices here, since the
expectation of foodstuffs has almost /
entirely ceased. Not only that, but |
with the record breaking crops we /
have had this year we could export /
larger quantities of foodstuns than
ever without increasing prices here.
We could export 2O0.00O,O00 bushels
of wheat without natural increase
in the price of -four in America.
The truth is. that the beef barons
and the gamblers on the Chicago
board of trade and other grain eX-
changes are laying n tax upon every
man. woman and child in the country.
They are filling mammoth storage
houses with meat in order to hold top
prices. They are gambling with the
wheat fields OF the farmer. the flour
barrel of the miller. and the bread
loaves OF the housekeeper.'
Admit "Gentlemen's Agreements"
II developed that for the last week
of packers, millers.
and grain dealers have been in Wash