The Washington herald., 1918-07-30
WAR WORKERS
GET ANSWERS
ON BIGPROFITS
Federal Employees Push
Pro6teering Inquiry
Among Violators.
GIVE FACTS IN LETTERS
Apples 80 Cents a Peck
Here, 80 in Frederick,
Md, Nearby.
GIVE FACTS IN LETTERS

has come in to the National Fedora
ton of Federal Employees to the
questin sheets sent Saturday to
members Of the federation. Here
and there among them L. a threat
ening letter.
The following letter which
smacks OF the black hand" In its
diction Is a threat that Is not VEIL
ed.
1t is signed by "A Butcher" and
warns the National Federation to
stop interfering in meat prohteer-
ing as follows:
There is nothing to prevent you
going as far as you like In your in
vestigation but take a tip and be care
ful what you publish.
Just remember the fate that befell
Francis ]. Heney after he unlocked
the vaults OF Henry Veeder.
'In spite of Clarence Wilson's re-
peated assurance, to paraphrase an
old song, They aint going to be no
fair price list on meats" so be con-
tent
"a BUTCHER"
One letter received by the fedora
tion was accompanied by a copy Of a
Frederick, Nd, newspaper and
Washington newspaper. Attention
was called to a quotation Of apples In
a chain store in Frederick. Nd, for
Sc peck, while the price In Wash
ington for the same week was 20
cents for one-quarter peck or so cents
for q peck. at the stores Of the same
company. -s5s..- 49,.
. The washington paper q the 5hext
day, July 8, had a statement from
the president of the market saying
that prices were no higher in Wash
ington than In any other city, In
spite of the newspapers, and proving
the same with newspaper clippings.
Another letter also gave informa-
tion concerning the same firm.
"On the forenoon OF July IS, 1915,
my wife. while trading in the
market on Louisiana avenue south
of Ninth street, heard a discussion
of the employees of that concern.
The most striking statement came
from the manager ofthat concern.
He said, "the clerks come here at
good salaries, and should be made
to pay high prices for what they
get.
Before she left the store one of
the clerks, who was bringing in
some meat to place I'm a showcase.
told another clerk that there was
something the matter with that
meat. The other replied that 1t
would have to be sold anyway.
The Boycott.
That an effective boycott Of dealers
who sell for less than the agreed
price is also charged in one letter.
"One of the greatest causes of the
robber prices, If not the greatest, is
the boycott used by the commission
mon. 1t is practiced on the retailer.
1t has been going on for years.
Il have no excuse for the retailer"
the letter goes on. but at the same
time they want to save themselves
from loss. and that where the boy
colt comes in.
Thousands Of pounds Of perishable
food goes o waste every day because
of it,
This writer gives as an example the
boycott Of farmer who sold load
OF hay to man who happened to be
out in the country. When he brought
his next load of hay to the market the
commission men refused to buy It Of
him because "he sold outside of them"
it for him, so that he might certify
1t for a purchaser. As soon as his
wagon got on the scales, he was told
to get off, as the scales were broken.
He became discouraged and went to
the commission men and promised to
De good the next time.''
The 1e Grocers.
The case of the sixteen grocers
charged with profiteering by the Dis
trict food administration, was settled
yesterday afternoon.
Omctals of the food administration
refused last night to make public the
punishment to be meted out to the Of
tenders.
Shortly before the Sunday roundup
In which the men were caught, the
District food administrator announced
that the final warning had been is
sued In regard to violating the fair
price list, and hereafter offenders
would be severely dealt with.
Laundry Prices.
Profiteering in laundry prices was
charged in a letter to Edwin s.
Hege. secretary Of the room regis
tration bureau Of the District Coun-
ell of National Defense. It was
signed by a prominent resident of
Washington.
The local. steam laundries charge
prices that are apparently exceszIy..
according to the writer" said Mr..
Hege yesterday.
Il have not figured out the over.
head cost Of operating a steam
laundry. but do know that the Chi
nese laundrymen have set a rather
good example in the very, moderate
increases which they have made
We Of the Room Registration Bu,
reau are interested in this matter
not merely in casual way because
1t affects all the people, but also be-
cause 1t has a decided bearing on
the room situation.
THE result OF the high prices Is that
some laundry in their rooms and this
is a thing that is oftentimes objec-
tionable to households in which such
rooms are located"
As examples of this young naval
cficcr stated that the laundry charg-
ed s1-so for doing up white sait. II