Bisbee daily review., 1916-12-07
Whole Machinery of Govern ment Takes Part in Sweep ing Investigation to Cover Entire Nation.
WILSON WILL TAKE
 MATTER TO CONGRESS
Amount of Food in Cold Stor- age All Over Country to Be Inventoried, Also All Grain Stored-Embargo Talked.
(By Review Leased Wirej

WASHINGTON, Dec. G. The
 federal investigation of the high
 cost of living began today to take
 definite form with indications that it would extend to every sec
 tion of the United States. Not
 only is a sweeping inquiry into the soaring cost of foodstuffs con- templated, but the recent pinch in the coal supply and its resultant price advances also will be made, in all probability, the subject of a broad investigation.
 Officials began to cope in ear nest with the problems presented by the situation. The President took under consideration prelimi- nary reports which, with others, will form the basis for recommen- dations he may make to congress.
 Worked Up About lt
 A dozen speeches on the subject were made in the house and several resolutions proposing inquiries. were introduced They were referred to committees without discussion, most of them going to the interstate and foreign commerce committee of which Representative Adamson, who propos- es to embargo, is chairman.
 Big Officers Confer
 Department of Justice officials held conferences today with members of the federal trade commission and Dis trict Attorney Anderson of Boston, in charge of the departments investiga- tion and were to formulate definite plan of conducting the nationwide in- quiry. About fifty investigators of the departments bureau of investigation were reported to be gathering evi- dence which will determine the de partments course of action.
 Commission To Aid
 The interstate commerce commis- sion probably will be called upon to recommend action and Mir. Anderson will confer with the commission. Grand jury investigation at New York of the reasons for rising prices are still under consideration. With the program still in process of formation, there were increasing indications that officials were considering the situa- tion from three angles, namely:
 Three Angles Probed
 1-Determination of the actual cause of the rapid rise in foodstuffs and coal. whether it was due to nat ural economic laws; to the unwarrant- cd action of individual dealers and producers in advancing prices or whether there exist agreements among groups of dealers or produc- CTS to boost prices.
 Will Prosecute
 2 Vigorous prosecution of persons or firms if any. who. by violation of existing laws in making agreements to raise prices or otherwise. have con tributed to the upward trend of prices 3. Enactment of legislation to rem edy the present situation and to pre- vent its recurrence.
 The situation is in the first of these stages, so far as the department of justice is concerned. With it's inves- tigators already at work. department officials called on the federal trade commission to cooperate and were promised all data that the commiss- ion may have bearing on the subject and further aid in obtaining informa- ton which can be acquired without adding materially to the burdens all ready carried by the commission.
 All F,fodstUffs Listed
 An inquiry into the amount of food
 Continued on Page Sevenl