The Washington herald., 1917-03-02
FIERCE RIOTING
MARKS BOYCOTT
i ON FOODSTUFFS
100 Arrests Made and Scores
of Stores Attacked in
New York.
PERKINS SELLS SMELLS
PIainIClothes Men Needed. However.
to Guard Motor Trucks Of Fish
Offered to Poor.

ny the International News serviee.)
New York, March To-day saw the
worst rioting throughout the city since
the food situation began. Nearly 100 ar
rests were made, scores Of stores at
tackled by women, and much produce
stolen.
The Hebrew Retail Grocery League in
formed Mayor Mitchell and Police Com
missioner Woods that the East Side was
in a state Of anarchy and that they would
close their 5000 shops II protection were
not given them within several days.
George W. Perkins, head of the mayors
food committee, sent motor truck loads OF
1900 pounds Of smelts to be sold to re-
tailers at ~ cents a pound and to the
public at cents a pound. Large mobs Of
excited East Side women, who suspected
Wall Street influence, and did not want
smelts anyhow, mauled the sellers and
returned some of the fish to their native
element through open manholes. In the
Bronx and the East Side fish markets
many crates were sold later in the day.
Detectives Guard Fish.
John McGrath, Mr. Perkins secretary,
and Emanuel Hollander, q fish dealer,
took the precaution to guard their truck
with plain clothes men. The advantage
of this was proved when they tried to
sell fish on Munroe street. The car was
mobbed by several hundred women, who
reasoned that as one does not cook fish
without onions, buyers would use this
boycotted vegetable.
In vain. signs explaining the PROPOSE
ton were hung before the shops. In vain
Mr.. McGrath elucidated the law of supply
and demand as laid down by Prof. Taus-
sig. Although many pounds were sold at
the Delaney street open markets, twelve
patrolmen. four detectives, and a police
captain were necessary to hold back the
croWd:.
Many OF the pickets before butcher
SHOPS and groceries wore nti-High-Price
League buttons as a sign of authority.
This organization protested vigorously
over the fning of rioters and decided to
prosecute two butchers who are alleged
to have stabbed a woman and a baby.
Thirty meetings, protesting against high
prices. were called during the day.
Circulars I'm italian.
Mrs. Harris. a strike leader. distribut-
ed circulars in Italian, asking co-opera-
tion in price-smashing through East Side
public schools. She said that a mass
meeting with speeches in Italian would
be held on Saturday night and that a
parade was arranged for Monday morn
ing.
The renewal Of rioting was caused by
the fact that Thursday is the chief mar
keting day in cOngested sections. More
than 500 members of the Suffering Moth
ers' League participated in a riot on
HRvemeyer street. Push-cart peddlers
were attacked with stocks and stones,
and their food thrown into the sewers
Policemen were bruised and cut One
woman was arrested. One received
ten-day sentence for overturning push
carts.
In the Bronx, Mrs. Becky Singer was
fined for leading a disturbance before
a poultry market. Several unsuccessful
attempts to rescue her were made, At
the police court. she showed an Anti
High Price League button and said her
children were starving
\ man who bought a chicken at
poultry market was pursued by 200 women
into saloon. two blocks away After
the crowd had threatened to wreck the
Place. the proprietor induced the man
to throw his purchase to the mob, who
destroyed it. At the same market, Mrs
Ida Levine was arrested and fined for
attacking customers.
All agftating factions decided to con-
tinue the boycott indefinitely. In Bay
onne. similar boycott was put on
chicken, live and dressed A score Of
kosher slaughter-houses were forced to
close, together with the chicken mar
kets