The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-02-26
FOOD PRICES STIR
WHOLE COUNTRY
Federal Probe Is Aimed at Cold
Storage Operators.
To PLACE RESPONSIBILITY.

Housewives League Urges a General
Boycott Until Eggs Are Cheaper-A
Proposed Investigation by Congress
of an Alleged Egg Trust.
Retail prices of the principal articles
of food used i'm the workingman's home
were higher Aug. 10, 1913. than at any
time in the twenty three years and
seven months preceding. according TO
figures made public 10y the bureau of
labor statistics. Washington is among
the forty principal cities used as Il ba-
sis for the statistics The increase in
prices over the same date of last year
is s per cent, tie bulletin states.
OF the eighteen articles included in
the statistics fifteen showed an in
crease and threc-sugar. -four and corn
northumberland Il decline in price
Now Il federal investigation OF the
alleged cold storage combine has been
formally ordered by Attorney General
McReynolds. He has instructed en-
ployees of the bureau of Investigation
and district attorneys throughout the
country TO get complete figures on the
allegations that cold storage men are
Withholding eggs and other products
from the market in an effort to boost
prices.
The inquiry will cover every large
city In the United States. and If evil
dence proves the statements already
made TO the attorney general he will
bring prosecutions both under the
criminal provisions of the pure food
law and the interstate commerce law
Particular attention will be paid to
the situation i'm Philadelphia, New
York and certain other large cities
The department will try to ascertain
whether there has been any conspiracy
among cold storage plants to raise
prices OF eggs and similar food articles
or so to regulate the flow of products
from cold storage plants us to force
prices to n higher level 10y creating ar
tificial shortages. Attorney General
AcReynods is understood TO have been
seriously impressed with statements
that have come into his possession
showing n remarkable increased price
OF eggs and other food products.
HS DOJNOhN on GS9B'
At present the high price of eggs IL
ngitating the public mind to such an
extent that the national executive com
mittee Of the Housewives league. of
which Mrs. Julian Heath of New York
city is national president, has called a
nation wide boycott on eggs This nc
ton was decided upon at recent
meeting of the executive committee mt
Mrs. Hcath'S home
kilograms were sent to several hun
dred heads Of local organizations
throughout the country asking coop
Grafton i'm the boycott This is the tele-
gram to the local leagues:
The situation in the egg market is acute
and chaotic. The consumer is being ex-
plotted. After careful elaboration the ma
tional executive committee of the House
wives league calls upon its members and
the consumers In the United States to
protest against the present manipulation
by ceasing to use eggs until conditions
change. Notify all members. Report to
national executive committee. Give wide
publicity Watch daily papers.
The national organization of the
Housewives league claims some T0O,-
600 members
Of Tennessee declares that there Is an
egg trust and that carloads of eggs are
smashed TO raise the prices, and he has
announced his intention Of asking an
immediate investigation by congress Of
the cold storage interests. He claims
to have information to show that man
ipulation Of markets by cold storage
interests has caused the present high
prices for food products
FOOD Gamblers"
A part Of the information which the
Tennessee representative has obtained
is now in possession of the department
of justice.
Mr. Mcclellan says that he has been
Informed that one concern had actually
destroyed eggs by the carload after its
warehouses had become taxed TO their
capacity, rather than allow the eggs to
90 on sale at retail and thereby curtail
the plan of "cornering" the egg mar
ket
81 believe the federal government
can, by simple law" said Represent
ntive Mcclellan in a recent interview,
largely do away with this unjust use
Of cold storage. The scheme is simply
to prohibit interstate shipments Of all
kinds of fresh meats, fish, butter, eggs
and the like that have been kept i'm
cold storage for longer period than
three months. with fine or imprlson-
ment or both for violation Food gam
bling cannot be excused on any
ground
~ find that there are now stored i'm
cold storage warehouses in one state
100000 dozens Of eggs ana that 90
per cent Of these have been i'm storage
since April I. This is probably rcla.
lively the case in every state I'm the
Union, and the cold storage men seem
TO be simply manipulating the market
by creating an artificial scarcity What
Is true Of the egg situation IS also true
OF FISH meat ana butter"
Women Cops Make Flowers.
Los Angeles pYlicewomcn having
nothing else 10 Go. are now maxim
paper flowers To- decorate the JAIL