The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-19
REGULATING FOOD PRICES.
Local Food Administration Carries
Out Instructions of National Food
Administration.

mihis'ratioh price interpreting board
was held at Chamber OF Commerce
yesterday. Present: G.. a. Lennon,
County Food Administrator; Mrs. III.
q. Osteen and Mrs r. II. Moses, Food
Administration statisticians: and the
following members OF the interpret
ing board: Mrs. Irving A. Rytten-
berg. representing the consumers; Mr..
ID. G. +. Bultman. representing the
retail dealers; Mr.. Abe Rytter-
berg. representing the wholesale
dealers; L. /. Reardon, assistant coun-
ty food administrator. chairman.
The United States food administra-
tion regulations for organization, in
spection. collecting, compiling and
publishing of prices charged by
wholesale dealers to retail dealers,
and by retail dealers to consumers,
weights, measures. etc. were read and
thoroughly digested.
Prices and delivery of ice, with par
ticular reference to weights of ice as
delivered by ice dealers and quality Of
Ice too in accordance with State
and city OF Sumter laws, and United
States food administration laws were
also discussed, and IL was decided to
look closely into the question Of just
weights OF ice. and Of weights and
measures for other commodities.
The board instructed the assist
ant food administrators to furnish ev-
cry retail dealer In foodstuffs with a
copy OF the rule regarding the per-
centages OF profits governing the food
administrators in arriving at retail
selling prices as outlined by the Unit
cd States food administration in
Washington. County Administrator
Lennon showed letter from FEEDER
al Food Administrator William Ell
liott of Columbia guaranteeing addi-
tional expert inspector services in de-
tecting violations of rules and regu-
lations by profteers in fee. and viola
tions office weights. also of weights
and measures In other food commodi-
ties, and I'm prohteering prices Of 9TH
er commodities also.
The. board also directed that every
Wholesale dealer be supplied with
blank forms for making weekly re-
ports to the Office OF the interpreting
board. Chamber OF Commerce. every
Saturday. OF prevailing prices to re-
tall dealers with statement OF invoice
prices. and per centages Of profits.
The board will meet every Tuesday.
at IL "A. M. to interpret these prices
and check up the retail prices as re-
ported by the official statisticians for
Sumter, Mesdames Moses and Osteen.
The United States food administra-
ton Is determined to stop profitcering,
II any there be i'm Sumter, also any
possible short weights or short meas
ures, and to impose the heaviest pen
alties OF fines. Imprisonment, and sus-
pensions of business for violation.
Retail dealers interested in securing
copies OF percentage of profits allowed
as published in this paper today, may
secure same from the assistant coun-
~ food administrator at Chamber of
Commerce. by calling or phoning.
when copies will be mailed free of
cost.
Consumers who are desirous of as
sisting in doing away with profiteering
or short weights and measures, are
advised to follow very closely the
weekly publication of prices of foods
by retail dealers which will be found
In the same place i'm this paper
each week. III the consumers wish a
square deal they should be willing to
report anything they find wrong or
that they think is wrong, for investi-
cation.
The members OF the interpreting
board will give much OF their time to
this work. without pay. and are due
tho cooperation and the support OF
the public consumers. Only by re-
ceiving reports can they detect or
cause 10 be detected Intentional on
unintentioal violations of the food ad-
ministration laws. except those viola
uons detected by the United States
food administration detectives at the
disposal Of the local interpreting