New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-02
SWAMI SUMMONS
BIG POULTRY MEN
Begins Inquiry Into AL
legged Boosting of Prices
Pending Rail Strike.
PLANS INDICTMENTS
IF CHARGE is PROVED
Federal Attorney Will
Help Stop Extortion
by Food Dealers.

Indictments Of several wholesale
dealers in poultry and some retailers
Of all sorts of food. who took advan-
tage of the possibility OF a railroad
tie-up to boost prices, were promised
by District Attorney Swami yesterday.
II. Snowden Marshall, United States
District Attorney. also stood ready to
prosecute any complaints that might
be lodged with his office.
District Attorney Swami has sum-
moned dozen big poultry dealers to
appear before him Tuesday. Some of
them, according to Mr.. Swami, arbl-
trarily boosted prices from 10 cents a
pound TO 26 cents pound overnight.
He declared reputable dealers in poul-
try had increased the price only one
eighth of cent a pound since the
strike talk started
Meat dealers and grocers OF the un-
scrupulous variety also raised prices
arbitrarily. Prosecution of these men
would depend largely on complaints
from customers, which the District At
torneys Office stands ready to investi-
gate.
Conspiracy Is Alleged.
Investigators working under the DIS
/ n.
Commissioner Of Weights and Meas
ures. have found many wholesalers oil
foodstuffs have stored shipments that
arrived during the last week in lott
buildings, freight yards and cold stor-
age plants. The investigators are now
trying TO show this was done as part
of conspiracy to boost prices.
Should these facts develop prosecu-
tons under the Donnelly Antitrust
Law and the Sherman Antitrust law
would be started by Mr. Swami and Mr.
Marshall.
Commissioner Hartigan telegraphed
the Board Of Railway Managers IN
Washington last night asking the HIT
ing of the embargo on perishable food
products simultaneously with the or
der from the railroad brotherhoods
cancelling the strike, as the embargo
is creating abnormal prices in many
foodstuffs.
Mr.. Hartigan said there was no
justification for the bulk Of the in
crease in prices He pointed out that
sugar. coffee. tea. canned goods and
similar products have not increased in
price in Wholesale quantities and that
the retailer boosting prices on these
articles is violating the law.
Rig Increase in Prices.
eIn the last two days" said Mr..
Hartigan, "prices on perishable foods
have increased in many instances 81
per cent. Potatoes that brought $3
70 1926 n barrel last week fetched
$3.50 to So to-day. This should not
be. vet the same is true OF cabbages'
beets and other farm products
Police Commissioner Woods made
public Yesterday statement showing
that. in the even. of a strike. New
York would have neat enough TO last
it eleven days; fish. thirty-one days;
butter, fourteen days; -four, NIFTY
three days; eggs, forty days; gaso-
lene, sixty days.
Freight embargoes and other re-
strictive traffic measures in operation
on nine of the eleven railroads enter
ing New York were responsible for
only slight decrease in the quantity
of produce and other freight received
at the various city terminals yesterday
according to officials of the roads.
Most OF the arriving freight, 1t was
explained, had been shipped before the
orders were issued, but that the effect
of the embargoes would be clearly vlsi-
bic to-day in decreased receipts was the
opinion Of most railroad men.
Y. Y. c. Embargo Modified.
4 J. Hardin, vice-president Of the
New York Central, announced a mod
fcation Of the embargo on that road,
permitting the shipment of fresh ana
cured meat, fresh fish, all dairy freight
and news print paper subject to de-
lay"
Enbargoes on the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna e. Western, Erie, West Shore.
Pennsylvania. Baltimore g. Ohio and
Long Island were not lifted, but Off
Gals Of the roads said that modfica-
tons were being considered.
1--WE have not abandoned our strike
plans" said A. J. Stone. vice-president
of the Erie. "If the eight-hour bill Is
passed by Congress | presume the
brotherhoods will be satisfied and will
continue work The Erie Railroad
COMPANY will obey the law, but il is
nv opinion th/t the railroads will do
everything possible TO demonstrate the
OF the law"
That the eight-hour bill now being
by the Senate was uncon sti-
tutional was the opinion OF practically
all railroad executives here. The gen
eral view was that Congress had the
mower TO limit the hours Of service Of
train employees on the ground of safety
70 employes and the travelling public,
but that any attempt on the part OF
the legislators 10 FIX the amount OF
for such service would
be Illegal.
Would BE Firmly Established.
But no matter how unconstitutional
the measure may be, the law would