The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-15
NEW HAVEN FIRM
 PENALIzED FOR
 SECOND DEFENSE
Eastern Flour and Merchan- disc Co. Must Give $500 to
 the Bed Cross.

Hartford, Oct. 15-After a delay of several weeks the Food Administra- tion Saturday announced that for the second time in five months, the East ern Flour & Merchandise Co.,, a large wholesale firm doing business at New Haven, has been convicted and penal ized for violation of the food admin istration rules and regulations. The latest punishment was the alternative sentence either of the indefinite re- vocation of their food administration license or the privilege of contribut- ting $500 to the New Haven chapter of the American Red Cross.
 After filing an appeal with Wash ington for another hearing and then Vacating it, the firm has paid the $500 to the Red Cross and unless they again violates the food regulation, will be permitted to continue in busi- ness. They were forced to close last May and 3, and to display over their main entrance, in conspicuous letter. ing, a sign reading, Closed by Order of the United States Food Administra- ton" For some time the Food Ad- ministration officials both in Wash ington and in this city considered erasing the original penalty of $500 and revoking the license, for stated period or for the duration of the war, but it was finally determined that the compulsory contribution and a warn ing that a third offense would be the last, was the proper penalty.
 Isadore Bear is president and Charles J. Finley is secretary Of the Eastern Flour & Merchandising Co.,, and both have endeavored by every possible means to balk the execution of the penalty imposed by Assistant Federal Food Administrator Joseph H. Lawler, who gave the accused firm a hearing in this city Aug. 15. At this hearing the firm was convicted of sell | ing flour without substitutes and ot selling flour with an insufficient amount of substitutes. The Food Ad- ministration ordered the firm to cease all business under it's license during i the last week in August. In lieu o1 | this penalty, thep rivilege was giver
 of contributing $500 to the Red Cross Last April Thomas W. Farnam whC recently retired as New Haven Foot Administrator, closed up the firm fol | two days because, as he said in hi:
 finding, he did not believe the in
 fringement of the flour and whea | substitute sales regulations had beer | deliberate. The lentient penalty wa
 also imposed with the understanding
 that the recommendatia1 would b. made to Washington to revoke sum marily the license on condition thu they would hereafter carefully observ' all the Food Administrations rule
 and regulations.
 At the hearing before MT. Lawle
 on Aug. 15, both Bear and Finley con
 tes' ed the charges from the very be
 ginning of the hearing and severa formal motions for the postponemen
 of the hearing and for more specif1 I statement of the charges were quick
 overru1ed by MT. Lawler. The hear
 ing proceeded, thee hief witness bein
 Eugene Faure, New Haven exper accountant, who had taken trans
 cripts from the firms ledger provin : beyond any doubt that they sol wheat flour without substitutes to : Kulzae of Bridgeport on July 6, 191S and that on June 1 5 they sold to A. E Andrews of Norwich 260 barrels C l flour with only a small amount c white corn meal. The firm on Aus 26 placed with Food Administrato Farnam a certified check for $50 . which check has now been paid to tn ) American Red Cross.