The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-25
FIXED
ON FOOD STUFFS
Wholesale and Retail Dealers
Grumble at Activities of 4
Committee on Fair "A
Prices.
LICENSES NOVEMBER 1ST
People Are Asked Not to Patronize
Stores Which Do Not Com
ply With Administrators
Requests.
LICENSES NOVEMBER 1sT

| L OIllItu IISSS ASdSSu WlIC oClS1SC'
CHICAGO, Oct. 25.-Harry A.
| Wheeler, state food administrator,
annousced today that a conference
! of the special price fixing committee
in Chicago would be held today to
decide on "fair" prices for butter.
eggs, cheese, poultry and other cold
storage products. These prices will
become effective Saturday.
Fixed prices on corn meal and rice
flour, effective tomorrow will be an.
nounced today. Sugar, flour and po-
tato prices already have been an
nounced.
wholesalers and retailers both are
grumbling at the activities OF the
committee and declare they cannot
sell goods at the scale fixed.
Wheeler admitted that I'VE cannot
force the retailers to hold to the
i fixed prices" but asked consumers
not to trade with dealers who charg-
ed more than the fixed prices. He
warned wholesalers, however. that
| liceusing food dealers becomes Ell
fective November 1, and declared all
who failed to conform with the rul.
ings OF the food administration would
not be licensed.
Fuel Committee.
CHICAGO, Oct. 25-John -. VIII
liams, state fuel administrator. to-
day announced appointment OF COM
mittee OF six men to meet daily with
him in an advisory capacity.
They are:
Charles p. Markham. president Of
the Illinois Central railway; John II.
Walker, president Illinois Fedora
Marshall Of
the university Of Chicago; Judge Or
rim H. Carter, John B. Bergman,
president of the Crane company, and
Allen B. Pond, architect.
A sub committee of which Profes-
sor Marshall will be the head, will
appoint a committee of five to be
called the Chicago coal committee.
1t will hear complaints on the opers-
ton of the federal fuel control.
Prices In England.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-The Eng
,lish consumer buys bread made from
American wheat at nearly half the
price Americans pay here, because
a British government subsidy keeps
bread prices down. Also the English
bread is only sixty-five per cent as
DllIG as Allltl lCdll NV <aliiSi ASehhi
food product is being sold in England
as cheaply as in the United States,
unless under government subidy.
This explanation was made today
by the food administration. It was
made after attention had been call
ed to United Press figures from Lon
don which showed the English house
wife actually paying lower prices for
many staples than the American
housewife is obliged to pay.
England fixes maximum wholesale
and retail prices in a manner impcs-
sible under Am erican law, the food !
pointed out. It's state {
ment. exclusive to the United Press, |
flayed certain American retail deal.
ers.
"The price asked for sugar Dy some
merchants is without Justification,
it said. MANY retailers are conduct
ing their business on proper lines
and the whole trade must not be con-
demned for few pirates"
The reasons for England's lower
food prices on many necessities OF
life were given thus:
"The prices of practically all es-
sential foods in England are now
under government control, with prof
It's for handling fixed very closely
upon preIwar basis.
while it is true that flour IS sell
ing ut retail in England cheaper than
in the United States, it is only be-
,aa,sa the government is making UP
he difference by subsidy. The gov
eminent makes good an absolute
oss on every loaf of bread that
oasses over the counter at the Eng
fsh regulated price. The bread,
with the American require
nents. is less than sixty-five per cent
,ure, The first appropriation to
meet the deficit caused by this pro-
ram amounted to $200000,000
"All meats in England are under d
strict governmental regulation with
maximum prices fixed and profits
Lllowed retailers very small
Some wholesale prices not so fav-
,rable from the English standpoint
po1i cl, oh l. l.