Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-27
S4O0.OO0 VOTED BY
HOUSE FOR A PROBE
Of HIGH FOOD COST
Is Given in Form of Amend
ment to Sundy Civil Bill,
Fitzgerald Offers Opposition
to the Appropriation

WASHINGTON. Feb. 24.-The house
| tonight adopted. as an amendment 90
the sundry civil appropriation bill. an
appropriation Of 100000 for an inves-
tigatIon by the federal trade commission
OF the high cost OF food. The vote was
So 10 81.
Addressing the house in opposition to
the amendment. Representative Fitzger-
aid declared that the food situation had
shown the incapacity OF congress To deal
with the most vital problem affecting
the American people today"
The riots that have taken place. he
said. are not tho riots OF the thriftless
and the worthless. IL is the outraged
ana indignant protest of the thrifty. the
industrious and the frugal who cannot
meet the demands for prices Of food
that now exist.
What is our remedy? What is pro-
posed where people are rioting and
struggling for food? When I suggested
last November that we put an embargo
on foodstufTs. the president directed the
attorney general TO conduct an investi-
cation through the department of jus
tice into tie situation. The United
States district attorney at Boston was
put I'm control Of the invgstica, ion.
Within few weeks that Investigation
was concluded. y report was made that
there was no evidence that the laws had
Leen violated.
TAXI. EIGHT MONTHS.
'.And u-~ ,,-t~u ,"v t,-Ol..~ ale COM
PEELED - struggle anu usn, "nu peLOns
J,SvrucrIy Tor IuOd. Il - suggested tnat
we spenu s4UV,UUU amt IAN, c.snL
.aUntas iinie 10 nnd OuA what inc UOu-
sic L. au1 Iney are hungry. csn there
ue any srest Indictment oI the ucapacI-
l.. I.sH nA
reople are dying Ter IoCd We should
give them an InvestigstIOn:'
Representative Borland Of Missouri,
supporting the amendment, said mucn
attention should he pad u the packing
interests be"aJse they controlled not
only the meat supply, but. in large
measure, ali cold storage products.
Representative Sherley, OF Kentucky,
vigorously opposed any sort oil embargo,
and Representative LOnuon, socialist, OF
New York. insisted that his plan or APP
prOpriating $4,000 OU for opening puDnc
markets would offcr the best solution.
The investigation was ordered by
President Wilson, who directed that
particular attention be given to charges
Of combinations TO control food prices.
The department Of agriculture was ask
I'd to assist. Facts developed in an in
vestigat:pn started by the department
Of justice will be turned over to the
trade commission.
PACKERS TO COOPERATE.
The trade commission has outlined an
Investigation to last six months and go
into every detail Of food production and
distribution. II the appropriation is ap-
proved by the senate. the commission
will start Immediately on the inquiry.
taking up first the packing industry.
Most or the country's packers already
have wired TO she commission thut they
will cooperate fully I'm any investiga-
tion the commission makes.
The agriculture department has pur-
sued a food investigation for months
but lack of inIuisitorial powers has
handicapped it, The department of
Justices investigation has been confin-
eG solely to law violations. The trade
commission has power TO take up all
phases legal and economic.
The appropriation was not included in
the civil sundry bill as framed by the
appropriation committee. and its intro
duction as an amendment by Represent
tative Borland. of Missouri, precipitat-
cd a debate on the general food situa-
ton. Representative Fitzgerald, of
New York, chairman of the appropria-
lions committee, fought the amendment
on the floor.
Representative Bennett. OF New York,
told the house that there is less suf-
fering in New York City this year than
at any time i'm the winter during the
had been what were called food riots
but that they were largely the result
of agitation.
Representative Ferris. of Oklahoma,
invited the people in crowded tenement
districts to go west and earn a living
on vacant lands.