The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-09-22
ROCKS AHEAD FOR
GREEDY RETAILERS

A dispatch from Washington says:
Retailers who may have schemed 70
buy cheap and sell dear under the
provisions of the food control law
may find themselves brought up with
a sharp turn and obliged to take out
licenses themselves before they can
sell bread, milk, eggs or any other
commodity that is for human con-
sumption.
1t was stated at the office of the
food administration today that unless
the retailers throughout the country
fell into line with the purpose of the
administration to keep the cost of
living within reasonable bounds, the
ample powers of the president would
be invoked to the end that every man
engaged in the retail food trade would
have to take out license, and viola
ton of the regulations governing his
! particular case would result in a re-
vocation of his license.
| The retailer has seen the govern
ment fix the prices of the wheat crops
of 1917 and 1918, and has observed
restrictions imposed upon the profits
to be made by the millers. He has
read of the requirements under which
operations of mills and elevators Ct
/ specified capacity must take out Ii
censes in order to continue in bust
ness. He has been informed through
the press that importers and refners
of sugar also must obtain licenses
and conform to government regula-
tons. The entire program of the food
administration has appeared to him
/ to have been devised and conducted
for his particular benefit and protec-
ton. The people from whom he
bought were tied hand and foot in the
matter of prices they could charge
him, but he was left absolutely free
to continue to mulct the public to his
hearts content.
Perusing the food control law with
a careful eye, he assured himself of
the fact that the authority of the
president to fix retail prices was re-
stricted to the subject of cost.
I His attention is called today thru
the Office of the food administration
to section of that law, the provis-
ions of which are as follows:
"That, from time to time, whenever
the president shall find it essential to
license the distribution of any neces-
saries, in order to carry into effect
any of the purposes of this act, and
shall publicly so announce, no person
shall, after date fixed in the an
nouncement engage in or carry on
any such business specified in the an
nouncement of importation, manufac-
ture, storage, mining, or distribution
of any neeessaries as set forth in
such announcement unless he shall
secure and hold a license issued pur-
suant to this section"
The same section provides further
that the president shall have the au-
thority to prescribe regulations gov
erning the persons to whom such Il
censes shall be issued and the re-
quirements for systems of account
ing, and the filing of reports.
In the face of these provisions re-
tailers will hesitate before refusing
to cooperate with the food admins
traitor in his efforts to accomplish a
reduction in the retail prices of neces-
saries commensurate with hte prices
fixed for the wholesaler.
Active Investigations by local
boards of trade and chambers OF
commerce will have a wholesome and
lettering effect upon the gentle
mems agreements" of local merch-
ants under which prices have been
maintained at every increasing Level
for which the greed of the retailer
has been the sole excuse, and his
power to force payment has consti-
tuted its only justification.
The policy of the food administers
ton heretofore has been one of anna
bility. 1t has sought by every means
in its power to obtain cooperation On
the part of the producers and mer-
chants of the country in the enforce
ment of the spirit of the law, and a
large majority of those who have
come within its influence have fallen
into line. It's dealings, however, have
been largely with the producers and
wholesalers, who are directly affected
by the letter, as well as by the spirit,
of the law