The Washington herald., 1918-07-21
Pro6teering-lts Solution.

What do you know about prohteering. who is
to blame and what is the solution?
Here are known facts:
The Washington Herald traced shipment of
tomatoes from a Virginia farm The farmer was
paid cents per pound for these tomatoes The
wholesaler sold them at cents per pound and
the retailer at IS cents.
The retailer is the prohtecr
g. And there is no law which makes this bold
robbery illegal.
There are scores OF houses in this city which
have an average rental OF $50 per month. The
rental derived by the tenant through subletting
his rooms ranges from $I5o to $500 per month
The tenant is the prohteer.
And there is law which makes this bold
robbery illegal
We know a retail shoe merchant who purchased
certain grade of shoes at $325 per pair and sold
them for SIz.
1.-THE manufacturer OF these shoes was in Wash
z mgton the other day. He saw his shoes in the
shop window priced SI2. He into the store
and asked:
why are you charging $Iz for shoes which
cost you S32s per pair"
Here is the merchants reply:
I'VE get away with it, and might as
well take all that can"
This merchant is pro6teer.
And there is law which makes this bold
robbery illegal
Who is blame:
The above facts cited prove that the retailer
tenant merchant cheating and stealing They
are to blame because they get away with it"
But those who make the laws less
to blame because they allow them to get away
with it"
What is the solution2
Pass laws which will make prohtecring crimi-
nal The penalty for violation should be impris-
onmcnt and not a conscience fine.
The laws should provide for the appointment
OF n anti-prohtcerng board OF responsible and dis
interested A fair price list should be issued
daily and published in all newspapers. When the
housewife goes marketing she will carry this list
with her. She need not ask the prices, her fair
price list tells her that The retailer would not
attempt TO sell higher than this list if he knew
that by doing so he would subject himself to
pcnitcntiary sentence.
Our present lair price list is meaningless. Re-
talcrS disregard it. In the market you can find
any article selling for a half dozen different
prices Prices set to suit the retailers con-
venience pockctbook. If tomatoes are quoted at
10 cents per pound on the present fair price list
he will sell them at IS cents because there is
law. but the law of fairness and decency, which
will prevent him from doing otherwise
Past experiences in law making and law en-
torccment place us face to lace with the
agcment that by the time adequate ant-prohteering
laws for Washington could be enforced the public
would have been bled to poverty by the pro6teer
Could we hope that legislation providing for
the establishment OF a municipal market might
be speedier in its passage?
A municipal market is something concrete
Anti-prohteering laws futile, both in their
Interpretation and enforcement.
1t officials continue in dealing in generates
and shifting the responsibility from to the
other the prohteering question in this city will
never be solved to the relief of the public.
Would not municipal market give the public
the desired relief from food profteers if tomatoes
can be bought on the farms at cents per pound?
That is the price the municipality would pay for
them. Allowing for freight and overhead ex-
penses the municipality would sell them to the
consumer for at least cents per pound.
To-day the retailer is charging IS cents.