The sun., 1916-12-02
ORDERS NATIONAL
FOOD PRICE INQUIRY
Acknowledgement Gregory An.
nOunced Designation Of Fed
eral Prober. -
EXISTING LAW Is FUTILE
Administration Expects Con.
2ress to Legislatc Against
ExtOrtiOners.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The Depart
ment Of Justice has finally decided 20
look into the food situation and hieh
prices. Evidently stirred by the azita.
ton going on in the large cities against
prevailing prices and the charges made
by returning members Of Congress Of a
food trust" tho Attorney-0cnerai an
nouncc to-day that he had designated
United states Attorney George w. An
derson OF Boston to undertake an ill.,
v"stigat!on OF the prices of foodstuffs
and also of coal
The inquiry IL to bc carried on In all
parts OF the country. This is the first
action taken by any department hero
with regard to q situation which many
members Of Congress regard as being OF
the utmost gravity.
Although this action Is with a view OF
determining whether or not there is
anything in the complaints that are be-
ms made regarding manipulated food
prices n In believed 10 b due 70 the
1!iticisin that has been heard In the last
lew weeks of the ADMINISTRATIONS In.
action in the matter. II IL known that
Administration officials nave already
practically come to the conclusion that
no basis for action is afforded I'm exist.
ms law.
Congress Expected 10 Act.
II the cost OF living is TO be reduced
they believe Il must be accomplished
either by the enactment OF legislation by
('nn0TpSa or nrAeAeakl1. ~. a. -
part OF tho municipal and State authors
ties. Federal Government officials who
generally regard embargo legislation as
imprscticabla are disposed to leave the
question TO States and municipalities.
The demand for action OF some sort.
as reflected In the correspondence OF re-
turning members OF Congress. Is con-
stant'y growing. Representatives and
senators are receiving a steady stream
of appeals from their constituents, espe-
cially In the cities.
A large proportion OF these communi-
cations advocate a Federal Investigation
II the entire problem. Others propose n
food embargo. Still others. without
formulating any remedy. Civ. utterance
70 a widespread demand for action OF
one kind or another. anything calculated
to halt the mounting prices Of the neces-
s3ries OF life.
Three Factors IN situation.
According 10 high Administration Of
fclals there are three factors entering
into the situation. One IL the economic
condition the second. agreements or
understandings among producers or dis
tributers and manipuiators: the third
the selhshness of food purvsyors who ex-
tort oil the proh. from the
the traffic will bear.
With the Administration apparently At
a loss TO suggest n method OF action TO-
meeting tho cost OF living problem and
tho enactment Of embargo legislation un-
likely II seems probable that Congress
will centre is efforts upon = measure
providing for an Investigation with a
view to finding some way out Of the
difficulty.
Uncle Joe Cannon declared his OPP
position 10 an embargo to-day.
"A general embargo" he said. would
lie as bad as was the advent of the
Democratic Administration four years
ago. with s%tagnation IN business. idle
men, idle railroad cars n soup houses,
Mr.. Fitzgerald wants an embargo on
al foodstufis. The speaker want an
embargo on veal TO let the calves grow
to maturity and become productive. ]
snpposn som, one else will demand an
embargo on lamb chops, spring chicken
and i~nfertile eggs to carry ou tho
principle advocated by Speaker Clark.
But all talk about embargo Is after cleo
ton thought. Any kind Of Nh embargo
six months ago would have caused our
war prosperity 20 collapse and led to
the population of the Administration"
All special agents Of the Department
throughout the country have been in
structel ny the Attorney-General to CO.
operate with Federal attorneys IN in
%vcstiRating food cos, increases. officials
r~ereatediy have pointed out. however.
that the Federal Government can take
coenizance only OF agreements and con-
spiracies to control prices when they ai-
feet Interstate traffic. and has no juri.-
diction over such matters as local con-
certed action by retail dealers.