The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-08
COAL SCARCITY TO Be
StARCH|AGly PR0BtO
Undue Speculation by Certain Agen-
s.ies Believed to BE One Cause
of Exorbttant Prices.
FEDERAL. GRAND JURY
BUSY IN CHICAGO
As Center of Food Accommodations,
Great Central Point VIII Be Scene
OF Most Vigorous Effort to Fix Re
spon~ibilit, as to FoodstufYs.

Washington. Dec. Tt was indi-
Gated today that widespread search
hv the Department OF Justice for Grim
inal combinations as S1e cause OF
high prices will fall generally into
two divisions.
One, in which the investigations
probably will center in or about Chi
cago as the chief assembling point
Of the nations food supply will be
concerned with the price of foodstufff
and the activities of packers. commis-
sion men. producers. merchants
brokers and miscellaneous Specula-
tors.
The other, To have it's seat in the
East, will consider principally the
causes underlying the high prices and
apparent shortage of coal.
1t IL understood that. in the opinion
of George II. Anderson. special as
sistant attorney general In charge OF
the inve stigation, the coal situation
and the effect of insufficient and ex-
pensive fuel upon manufacturing, il
one of the principal causes OF pre-
vailtng high prices II is also believed
that Mr. Anderson's Investigations al
ready have developed strong indtca-
tons OF undue coal speculation by GER
tain agencies.
Probe Coal SITUATION.
The special prosecutor visited mem
hers of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission today, and received from them
the promise OF information on the
production and disposition of coal and
on car shortage and its apparent re-
tatton- high prices
Activities of the Federal grand jury
at Chicago, which. working under gen
eral instructions from the Department
of Justice, has summoned packers
brokers and dealers In foodstuffs fo'
an exhaustive inquiry. were regarded
here today as one of the most signi-
ficant features of the general investi'
cation. and evidence of the principa
analysis of food prices will be made
in the Middle West.
Charles ]. Brant, chief OF the Of
fee OF markets, Department OF Agri'
culture. is to furnish Gs Carroll Todd
assistant attorney-general. with infor'
nation on food prices asked by the
producer and the distributor and or
the milk situation.
Rely Only on Sherman Law.
The sherman antitrust law is prac
tically the only weapon at the dispose
of the Department of Justice in IT.
fight against high prices. ana IL is ad
mitted by officials of the department
that unless evidence OF unlawful com
binations to boost food prices is fount
they are powerlesS.
For this reason ii Is expected tina
the department will lend its aid e
the development of legislation making
available other means to fight. exorbi'
tant prices.
Nationwide Milk Trust.
/ The Department OF Agriculture II
making a special inquiry into the cost
Of producing milk. and has evidence
to the effect that a nationwide trus,
designed to monopolize the distribu-
ton OF milk is in process of forma-
ton.
Mr.. Anderson today was placed In
possession OF figures compiled by the
bureau Of labor statistics showing that
the retail price OF food as whole
advanced 3 per cent from September
Is to October 15. The same tables
showed that the average increase In
the price Of all foodstuffs from Oc-
tober Is, 1915. to October Is. 1916
was rs per cent.
Bread. butter, sugar. eggs and po-
tatuss showed the largest increases