New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Deputy Attorney General
Sees Speculator, Who
Agrees to Testify.
BREAD DEALERS SAID
TO BE INTIMIDATED
Prosecutor Finds Witnesses Re-
luctant Further 10 Accuse
Bakers of Conspiracy.


81. wheat market, will be witness at
n. INQUIRY OF the Attorney General TO
s...,mine whether the increased prices
=, bread. -four and wheat have been
IA. 70 sny criminal conspiracy. Deputy
Attorney General Alfred L. Becker re-
,r-r.d from Washington last night
,n.r a long conference with Mr.. Letter
and said thst he would testify Friday.
y. is the one man in the country
rho.. testimony the Attorney General
VA, most anxious TO get. 1t is under
,,ood that he may make sensational
d,elosures as 10 the recent bull move
n,pt in the wheat market and its real
causes.
a expect Mr.. Letter to make very
eliminating witness" said Mr.. Becker
last night. 81 talked with him for an
hour and a half and found him exceed
inrly we'll informed as 70 the whole
situation. He knows the game all the
Wsy from the farmer to the export
market and beyond. In his opinion the
present rise in the price of bread IS
due partly TO natural and partly TO arti-
fetal causes. The fact that he men
toned artificial causes is significant. |
gathered the impression that he be
heyed some one was getting more out
Of the market than his rightful share
perhaps several persons"
While in Washington Mr.. Becker con-
ferred with the statisticisns in the De
psrtment Of Agriculture and the ex-
perts in the bureau Of chemistry in
that department. Professor Wessling,
Of the chemistry bureau, will testify at
the hearings here next week. There
appeared TO be 10 great fund OF accu-
rate information or statistics in the Ag-
ricultursl Department.
Sysem Afraid TO Testify.
Wlelici A. De Ford, Assistant Dis
nict. ,prney, who was assigned yes
trday 10 cooperate with Deputy At
,orney General Becker in the investiga-
ton Of the rise in the price of bread,
is confronted with the difficulty Of get
ting witnesses 10 appear for examina-
ton. Information received by the Dis
trict Attorneys Office leads to the be-
lief that some Of the desired witnesses
have been intimdsted. Furthermore,
several retail bakers who made com
plants sgsins, the wholesalers showed
dissemination TO stand by their orig
insl statements.
! score of subpenas in cases Of al
legged violation Of the antitrust laws
By large baking firms were issued by
the District Attorney yesterday. In
only four or FIVE instances did the wit
nesses show Willingness to respond,
Il was said. while others denied they
could give information which the Dis
trlet Attorney had reason to believe
they possessed
Pending the resumption Of the hear
ings Tuesday before Referee Nuss-
baum in the Attorney Generals in
ouiry, Assistant District Attorney De
Ford is MAXIM careful study of the
evidence brought out at the last hear
ing relative 20 charges of alleged coer-
clon Of small dealers by the drivers OF
the Ward Baking Company. Mr.. De
Ford said yesterday that he had not
yet decided whether he would present
the evidence 10 the grand jury.
Fine Points of Law Raised.
Il do not mean to say that the evil
dehce submitted by the Attorney Gen
eral will not show plain case of vio-
laiion Of the Donnelly antitrust law,
IN eonspiring in restraint of trade"
said Mr. De Ford. but we shall deter
mine that fact between now and Tues
day and make our report to District
Attorney Perkins. The evidence
brought out by Mr.. Becker raises some
fine points Of law under the conspiracy
statute which demand careful consider
alton. We have several other COM
llsints in the Office which we are in
Vestigstng"
Despite tn, genera. advance TO six
cent bread, there arc large quantities
OF II for sale al five anC even four
cents loaf throughout the city, &C
eording 10 statistics collected by the
Bureau OF Weights and Measures. In
The last three days Commissioner Har-
tgsE's inspectors have found more
than seven hundred bakers in the
greater city who arc selling wheat
bread al five cents.
The aggregate output Of these shops
IS more tran 100000 loaves a day, he
said More than two hundred bakers,
With an aggregate output of $4,000
loayes a day. were found who were
selling losyes ranging from Z TO Is
ounces in weight at four cents. These
are all comparatively small retail bak-
ers. There are about 200 Of them all
told in the city.
Commissioner Hsrtigan said yester--
day that one case hal been discovered
OF baker who was using white sand.
or some sort OF crystal. 20 make ms
ioayes weigh more He will be prose-
'uted. The inspectors found five cases
yesterday where loayes were marked
~ ounces and weighed only l6.
The general welfare committee OF
tne Board Of Aldermen met yesterday
10 consider the ordinance introduced
ey Alderman Frank Bowling providing
ior a standard loaf OF bread IN New
York. II WAS decided 10 hold public
hearing on the subject in the alder
msuie chamber on Wednesday after
neon. Commissioner llartigan OF the
Bureau Of Weights and Measures DIS
eassed the matter with the committee.
Two Standard Losves.
II was decided 20 amend the original
Bowling resolution. calling for pound
loaf ss the standard, nd make both
Bounce loaf and iG-ouncc loaf the
standards. This was done because the
average 10-cent loaf sold throughout
the city weighs from u 20 % OF nces
and the average scent loaf from III TO
CenliEued ON pAke 3. column
4