Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-11
Hoover Charges Dishonest
Dealers With Specializing
In FOOdstuffs.
SHORTAGE CHARGED
TO PROFITEERING
Food Administration Charges Result in
Inquiry by Federal Trade Commits.
sion Being Ordered = Victor Muir.
dock. in Charge Of Investisa alton,
Promises to Punish Dishonest Whole.
saIo and Retail Dealers.

Food Administrator Hoover that some
dishonest wholesale and retail food dis
tributors have been responsible for food
shortage and rising prices were taken
under investigation today by the fed
eral trade commission.
Victor Murdoch will be in charge Of
the inquiry, which will be prosecuted
with vigor and with sall the trade COM
missions broad investigative power boz
hind It,"
Speculations in foods was declared
today in statement by Commissioner
Murdoch to have far reaching effect
in scausing unrest Some dealers are
said to have ordered beyond their re-
quirements on rising nlarket, believ-
ing they can make money as the prices
increase.
Il am going to prosecute this investi-
cation to the limit" said commissioner
Murdoch 1T is hard to find words to
describe profteers who are operating
at a time when 50 many men are CIV.
ing their lives for their country. I am
going to give my entire time to tins
put some OF these unpatriotic camp
followers and war leeches behind bars
where they rightly belong. So far as
am concerned do not think. profi-
teering Of this character can be bet
tered by a feather duster. 1t requires
q club. - +5-isf-f
= ri would Ike every citisens to yconsidsr
himself delegated by me to aid In run
ming down the profiteers we are after"
Letters to advertising clubs, sent to-
day by Commissioner Roper asks their
cooperation.
Wage Increases General.
Numerous wage increases made the
October pay rolls in principal indus
tries in the United States among the
most bountlful ever paid. In the iron
and steel trade 81 out Of III estab-
lishments reported wage increases and
the total pay rolls amounted to 49.2
per cent more than in October, 1915.
In the woolen industry che year's in
crease was 41.6 per cent; hosiery and
underwear, 21.2; papermaking, 21.1;
cotton finishing. 20.6: and in boots and
shoes, car building and repairing.
cigar manufacturing and leather man
ufacturing, lesser increases. Only silk
workers received a smaller total than
last year, the decrease being 1886 per
cent.
Foresess Government Control
At the opening of the hearing today
by the Joint congressional committee
investigating transportation problems,
Chairman Adamson, Of the house COM
merce committee declared that Presi-
dent Wilson probably would have to
take over the railways during the war
and hold them after the war until con-
gress could provide some plan for
peace and in war"
A general inquiry into the operation
Of the war department in arming and
equipping the American forces was de-
cided upon today by the senate mill
tary affairs committee.
Secretary Baker and other depart
ment heads will be called to explain
various features Of war activity.
Pay Taxes and Smile.
Grudging tax payers should be few
and very unpopular during the next
six months, according to plans formu-
lated by Commissioner of Revenue
Roper, for the collection Of about 49,
00,000,000 so-called liberty taxes from
more than 100000 persons before next
July I.
Smile when you pay your income
tax; 1t means a tear for the kaiser"
This Is one OF the representative slo-
gans to be used In the campaign to
promote patriotic spirit among tax
payers Here are two suggested slo-
gans:
Liberty tax or war indemnity?
Which would you rather pay? Think
OF this when making out your tax &c
turns. : i 4 n