The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-12-08
MAN|PULAT|ONIS
REVEALEDBY THE
INITIATION PROBE
Government investigators Discoy.
er Coal Prices Are Being :
Forced Steadily Up
ADMINISTRATION PUSHING
INVESTIGATION EVERYWHERE
,.r --
More Than Fifty Special Agencies
In the Field Hunting Down
Facts and Figures
CAssOcia.sd Pres, BY Federal wirsl.s.)

ASSOCIATED Press By Federal Wireless)
WASHINGTON, December 8-The
administration is determined to let no
loop hole 60 unstopped for the man or
men who are responsible for the un-
reasonable increase in the cost Of food
and neeessaries of life throughout the
United States. Every agency of the
government is being brought to bear
upon this question, and II Is known
that at least fifty agencies of the de-
partment Of justice beside a number of
agents Of other departments Of the
government are at work now upon the
problems.
District Attorney Anderson Of Bos
ton, who has been appointed head Of
the governmental committee in charge
Of the investigation yesterday confer.
red with L. II. Meyer, chairman of the
interstate commerce. commission re-
garding number 6f phases Of the stu
alton, particularly the probable short
age Of wheat cfopsf Of the world, and
the probable effect Ahat this will have
upon the Ameficen situation in rela-
tion to theAsdshnhd for. an embargo
upon food stpffA
Much Data Gained
IL is known that the investigations
of the government have already been
productive Of mnck information IL of
nothing else, and II was admitted, yes
teY1ay that the investigators are al
present engaged In checking up the
| recent transactions Of q humber d sus.
| pected frms and indiyiduals, In an
effort to trace the cause Of the Increase
in certain commodities. e.,
The information gathered by the
government all goes to. show that the
increase in prices has been due be-
yond reasonable doubt to manipula.
tion. This is believed to be especially
true of coal, which is now selling at
| twelve dollars long ton in New York
and Boston, at the door almost of the
biggest coal fields in the world.
Wheat Crop Short .-tm
The wheat situation Is also troubling
the investigators, although as yet the
government has been able to make nc
official report upon it. There appears tC
be legitimate reasons for the Increased
cost of the grain, rs the recent report
of the department Of agriculture show
ed that the combined wheat crop Of
fourteen great wheat producing coun
tries of the world is less than seventy
Ave per cent Of last years production
The aggregate production is placed
at 2,222, ,914, 900 bushels, or 92.B per cent
of the fve.year average! The countriei
are Spain, England, Wales, ireland
Norway, Netherlands, Rdmania, the
forty.eight governments OF European
Russia, Switzerland, Canada; the Uni
ted States, India, Japan, Egypt anc
| Tunis. 1.s'."t -
England Suffering
The wheat crop of England ant
Wales combined together ID put a
eightytwo per cent Of last years anC
ninety nine and six.tenths per cent O.
the average, and Italy . at one hun
dTed and three and fye,tenths per cen
and ninety.six and two-tenths. Th,
barley crop in England and Wales i
one hundred and fifteen and two-tenth
and sixty.two and six'tenths per cen
l'of the average; ItalySs, ninety,one anC
fve.tenths and one hundred. The oat
production of England and Wales i
I one hundred and seven.tenths per cen
and one hundred and FIVE and two
tenths per cent; Italy's, eighty-two ant
| huc'NehNuo uHu ScNChty anu blA-tcuIn
per cent. Italy's rye crop Is one hun
dred and twenty-five and Ave tenth
per cent and one hundred and three
tenths per cent, "A
Corn production is given as follows
Italy, sixty.four and six,tenths per cen
of last years crop and seventy -eigh
and Gve.tenths of the average; forty
eight governments of European Rpssis
ninety-one and seven.tenths per cen
and one hundred and Ave and two
tenths per cent; Switzerland, one hun
dred and fourteen and three .tenths pc
cent and one hundred and thirty min
and One-tenth per cent? Canada, forty
three and six.tenths per cent and thin
ty.seven and three.tenths, per cent
Japan, one hundred and nine and -four
tenths per cent and one hundred an
nineteen and eight.tenths per cent.
The corn crop in the United States i
estimated at sixty.eight and five.tenth
per cent of last year 3 and ninety .seve
and sIxtenths per cent Of the Ave yea