Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-14
EGG PROFYTEERS
COOKIES NEXT PREY
Food Administrator Plans
Campaign to Stabilize and
Lower Prices
TO AMEND STORAGE LAW
Aim to Hold Dealers to Fair Profit
and Conformance to
Regulations

Vigorous campaign against egg
profiteers will he inaugurated by Jay
Cooke. federal food administr ltor for
Philadelphia, following n lengthy con-
ference with G.. J. Hepburn. counsel for
the administration in PENNSYLVANIA. to-
day at the food offices in the Finance
building. Price and distribution will
he stabilized and hope is expressed that
the price may be reduced.
It is predicted that the opinion, ex-
pressed unofcially Yesterday by Francis
Skunk Brown. Attorney General Of
Pennsylvania. in which he said that the
Federal food laws should supersede the
state laws In all cases where 80 desired
by the food administration. will give
the administration this power statilizing
distribution and price. The text of the
formal opinion on this point will he re-
ceived IN this city during the first part
of next week.
It was pointed out by Mr.. Cooke to-
day that under the present State law
eggs put into cold storage in April must
be released during the first part of
December. The April eggs are known
as hard" They will keep in cold stor-
age much better than the eggs of any
other month in the year. Following the
release of these April eggs the market
advances TO prohibitive prices in Janu-
airy and February BY keeping them in
storage and releasing them evenly up to
March the price will be stabilized
The food administration pledges itself
to prevent the price of these eggs from
rising above the normal for past years.
No promises of lower prices than normal
are made. but IT is hinted that the price
will be equalized throughout the entire
| year
I'VE interd to keep egg dealers, whole
sale and reatil, to fair profit. BY the
release of eggs from storage we intend
to stabilize the price" Mr.. Cooke said
The dealers have got to conform to the
State and Federal laws or suffer uhe
penalty. We intend to- see that any
dealers breaking the laws do pay the
penalty. We will also prosecute any
one allowing food to spoil in storage and
will protect the public from having bad
food sold to them"
The state food officers were highly
praised to-day by Administrator Cooke
They have all co-operated with US
splendidly." he said. THE state laws
have tied their hands. II has been vir-
tually impossible to prevent the sale OF
cold-storage eggs as fresh.
! "The new Federal law requires all
storage eggs to he so marked on the
container. 1t will now be easy to pre-,
vent this form of fraud"
Some months ago Herbert c. Hoover
requested all Gamers of baked beans to
stop their output in order to save tin
This request was withdrawn today. The
following telegram Was received at the
office of Howard Heinz. food administra-
tor for Pennsylvania, today:
| Recent developments make It possible
for the United States Food Admnist~a- =
! tion to grant permission to Gamers of
/ baked beans to use up accumulated sup
| plies and 40 take care of immediate or
ders. Permits are being mailed out.
| Pending their receipt Gamers who have
! fled their applications may begin pack
! ing. HERBERT C. HOOVER
! The supply Of meat eggs and other
provisions now in cold storage in this
state were reported as normal for this
time of year by Mr.. Cooke.
An investigation is being made into
the sugar situation by the admnistra-
tion to determine the adequacy of the
! present supply. The official price is
! $S15 to $500 a hundred pounds whole
sale and $3.50 retail. IL is hoped that
/ the increase in the supply may reduce
the retail price. An investigation is also
being made of complaints of food dealers
/ in this city by agents sent here directly
from Washington.