Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-03
CUT CAFE PRICES
CALLED UNLIKELY
Y. Nj. C.. A. Secretary Says
Rents and Service Are
to Blame
HEINZ MAKING INQUIRY
l.. ". Fountain Doubts if In
vestigator Will Find Evi.
dence Of Profieering
HEINZ MAKING INQUIRY

Food prices in restaurants will con-
tinue to increase until the restaurant
owners abandon their high rents on
main streets and eliminate the expensive
service system. High wages paid to
walters. and tremendous rents are paid
directly by patrons. Locate restaurants
in medium-priced buildings and establish
self-service or cafeteria service and you
will get way from the terrible prices
now being charged"
This statement, presented as a soiu-
ton Of the high prices in Philadelphia,
was made today by /. W. Fountain.
general secretary of the Central Y. NJ
G. A. and manager Of the big "
cafeteria that supplies meals to nearly
1000 persons daily.
Mr.. Fountains statement followed
upon the heels OF a statement made ny
Howard Heinz, food administrator on
Pennsylvania, concerning the investiga-
ton Of alleged prohteering by restau-
rant men. =,
curb o~yercharging restaurant managers
he admits that nothing can be done IN
Ina, line until Herbert q. Stockwel com
pletes the examination of books and ac-
counts kept by chain restaurants In
Philadelphia.
Means Hard Work
Just when this report will he SUB
mjtted bv Mr.. S~tockweU is not known
The work involves a mass or ngures,
and these. according to restaurant men
will prove that they are not gouging 'ne
public. 49,
A an instance and to illustrate that
tho pub,ic can expert little relief from
any report that Mr.. Stockwell may make
the ma a of a Childs restaurant a.
Fifteenth and Chestnut streets today as
! cert cd that prices in that place woul'
| not have been affected by the ruling OF
Clarence r., Wilson. food administrato
for the District Of Columbia.
That official ordered the Washington
Childs stores to cut prices. IN tht
washington restaurants. prices suddenly
advanced from 90 to 100 per cent ano
Mr.. Wilson, under a threat that tnt
Government would take over the busi,
ness unless prices were cut. succeeded
in inducing the New York managers oi
the Childs stores to order instant re-
ductions in menu charges.
The order does not affect us said
the Childs manager in the Fifteenth and
'N
Chestnut streets store. our books WI
prove that we are making less money
now than we did before the war. W.
are cooperating with the food admin
istration and doing everything possible
to aid its officials in their investigation
Sees Little Hope
Mr.. Fountain has little faith in thu
probe of the food administration ant
asserts that it will not benefit the. public
II am certain" he said today. tina
the investigation will show that tn,
restaurant men are not profiteering. TIL
real source of the trouble can be foun'
in the excessive overhead charges"
In our cafeteria. located In the base
ment of the Y building. we are servini
the best quality of food at prices nue.
lower than those charged in big restau
rants. We can do this because our rem
charge is low and because W. rave elm
mated the high cost of service. Ever.
man Is his own waiter and helps saw
the big expense attached to service. Tn
latter is a big item, for walters an
mattresses are now receiving very higl
wages