Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-03
HEINZ ANGERED BY
Big SISTERS PROTEST
Charge That Retailers Have
I Opportunity to Increase
! Prices Holly Denied
EXPLAINS SHOP METHOD
Declares Some Storekeepers Un-
dersell Fixed Rate to At
tract Attention

Howard Heinz, Federal food admins
6ator for Pennsylvania, indignant at the
charge Of more than 500 members of
the Big Sisters. an organization of Jew
fish women, that the prices fixed by his
ofiice offered produce and grocery deal
ers q chance to raise prices. and showed
no reason for decreasing prices, today
hotly declared the charge TO be without
foundation.
'There may be some dealers who sell
ot prices lower than those fixed by this
Office" he said. There IL no doubt,
however, that II is done merely to in
duce customers to come into their store,
made possible because they have made
q speciality In that one commodity. 1t
seems to mo that such a. proceeding
should cause no complaint on the part
Of the public; rather they should seize
1t as an opportunity
Still angry at what he said was a
sfoolish" charge, he issued an answering
statement offering to have representa-
tfves CT his office meet n committee OF
the women, to receive their suggestions
and complaints. The statement follows
1--WE would be very glad to meet a
committee OF these women at any time
to receive their suggestions and COM
plants. It is the policy of the food
ance Of the public In working out their
problems. At the headquarters of the
food administration in the Morris Build
ing there Is a complaint department
where complaints may be made In writ
fng, and where a filing system is Kept
listing persons making complaints and
those complained against. All COM
plants are rigidly Investigated. We are
Siad to be informed in regard to any
fair price list as determined by the
conference of wholesalers and retailers
with the market representatives OF the
United states Department of Agriculture
and the food administration"
The protest of the Big Sisters. which
was forwarded to the food administra
ton offices In the Finance Building, wa'
in part, as follows:
''You begged the people to stop buying
veal outlet and lamb: but no measure!
were taken to prevent the fish 'gougers
from increasing the price Of fish to tn,
extent that you can feed a. family
cheaper today on veal outlet than yo,
can on anything but the very cheapes
kinds of fish, and very often not ever
on that
q chance for produce and grocery mer
to raise prices. 1t showed no reason for
decreasing prices. The price. on that
list was IN ~ way cheaper tnan Wnat
was asked in the usual stores. and these
stores were already charging all the
tariff the goods would bear.
1.-THE fact that the people selling thu
food to the consumer are debating tn,
prices, possibly because no better wa,
IL now in your possession to get cleal
idea of the subject, is proved by the fac
at the publishing of Philadelphia prices
.umediateI raised the prices in Ian
Caster. a sn Her community. that hat
been selling DDS cheaper than Phlla
delphia, owing o poorer combination o
wholesalers and retailers, who imme
diatel'' took advantage of the Ph'ladel
pflia price list to get in on the chance &c
'gouge' the poor.