The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-19
FOOD HoAROING IS
HAVING BAD EFFECT
Arc Holding Large Amount
of FOodstuffffs.
LOCALITIES SHOULD ACT
Federal Trade Commission Should
Have No Power to Inaugurate
Prosecutions. Hence Local Authori-
ties, SHOULD Act.

The Virginia council of defense has
received number of requests for In
formation as to the question of what
of the alleged boarding of foodstuffs
1t is contended that distributors, ana
consumers as WELL are boarding great
quantities of food and that this prac-
tice is already having an undesirable
effect on prices.
This situation has been pulling
those in authority for some time.
yesterday the council of defense re-
ceived a communication from Wash
ington which answers In a way some
OF the questions that have been pro-
pounded. 1t came from the federal
trade commission and in effect puts
the solution of the problem clearly
up to the states. The statement from
Washington is in part as follows:
Protests against boarding and de-
mands for the prosecution Of hoarders,
SPECTATORS. and dealers in food and
other necessary commodities are con-
stantly coming to the federal trade
commission. These are sent from all
parts of the country. The majority
of them deal with purely local situa-
tons in the various states.
The federal trade commission has
no power to inaugurate prosecutions
nor can it deal with problems which
are clearly interstate or local. The
legal machinery of the government
can not be used to see justice done
In local or merely state situations
where there is no interstate principle
involved. and where there are ade
quate means of redress within the
states themselves.
Nearly every state in the Union
has laws which protect It's people
from hoardings, poolings. price-hNin
mhinations either expressed or i'm
piled, and from extortions and agree
ments in restraint of trade. These
laws cover practically every situation
which has arisen or is likely to arise.
Each state has it's own legal ma
Ichtnery sufficient to cope with such
conditions. There is an attorney-gen-
eral. district attorney, and county and
city attorneys or prosecutors. Each
county has its grand juries empowered
ito investigate, to summon witnesses.
and force the production of docu-
ments and books. If there is suffi-
cient evidence the grand Jury will
present Indictment and public prose-
Cutors will fight the cases through the
courts against individuals or corpora
tons violating these laws.
- Zeal communities and states must
manifest 4 larger degree OF self-help.
Doubtless in many instances. people
tagonisms by becoming active in
prosecutions that are really justified
They wish TO place the responsibility
or ensuing unpleasantness on the rep
iresentatives OF the federal department
of Justice through the federal trade
commission.
These communities must come 10
realization that they should try
self help, and use the laws and ma
chinerv OF their states The federal
trade commission ia ready to coop
! crate and assist in every instance iE
which IL may legitmately exercise Its
/ functions. II IL impossible to handle
{ all cases. or relieve the local commu
mites when local remedies are at
hand Those OF the larger aspect.
/ wherein interstate principles are in
| volved will be given prompt atten-
| ton. but by far the larger portion
| of complaints arise from abuses in
particular communities and are, there
fore, local"