The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-16
ga BUTCHERS FACE
PROFTTEERING TRIAL
Accused of Exceeding Food
Boards Suggested Margin
of Profit.
ONE MAKES 26C. A POUND
Conviction May Result in Sup
plies From Wholesalers
Being Cut OFF.

Arthur Williams. Federal Food Ad-
ninistrator for this city. issued sub
pGnas last night directing 23i retail
butchers in Manhattan. The Bronx and
Brooklyn to appear before the Federal
Food Board. 6 West Fffty-seventh street.
to defend themselves against accusations
Of profteering. The hearings will begin
before Mr.. Williams and John Mitchell.
president Of the board. Friday morning
at 10 o'clock. and before they are over. II
Is believed. much light will be cast upon
butcher shop methods in times OF war.
The specific complaints against the
first batch are that they violated the
Food Administrations margin OF profits
as fixed in the boards suggested"
prices at which meats should be sold.
In many instances II Is alleged that
some OF the butchers charged FOR lamb
from 10 to IS cents a pound more than
the boards allowance for profit, and the
board considered II was generous
To Curb Food Prices.
Tho proceeding against the butchers
's the first big public move In a cam
paien having for Its purpose the curbirg
OF prices for foodstuffs In general, which
the members Of the board believe are
altogether too high. Floyd W. Fiske.
assistant director of the Bureau of
Transportation and Distribution. has
been holding daily conferences with
wholesalers and retailers In an effort to
- -natt, ,r-st
prices that will be fair TO the retailer
and to the consumer.
The roundup OF the retail butchers
!s the result OF many complaints that
their prices were altogether out OF pro-
portion to those they paid the whole
salers. The complaint department OF the
board investigated and decided that at
least 234 butchers should be required to
explain their prices
It was announced at the Federal Food
Boards headquarters last night that the
price division noticed a drop In the
prices Of city and Western dressed lamb
October Z. City dressed was then quoted
at from 90 to 20 cents and Western
dressed at from II to 81 cents q pound.
PROFIT OF cs Cents n Pound.
The investigation developed the fact
that one dealer--and this is said TO be
typical-paid 22 cents a pound for leg
Of lamb and reta!led It at 3s cents, de-
spite the Federal Food Boards an
nouncement that 20 cents was fair re-
tail price.
Loin for which the wholesaler received
% cents a pound was retailed at as
cents. notwithstanding the boards "sug-
gested" price was IS cents.
Ribs for which the wholesaler re-
ce!ved 90 cents were sold at 46, or Il
more than the boards price.
Shoulder chops. which should have
been retailed at SO cents, cost the butch
er's patrons ~ cents a pound
On sales OF Western dressed lamb
butchers were found to have CHARGED 10
cents. on ioin chops - cents. ribs IL
than the Federal Food Board said they
rad right to charge and deal fairly
with the public.
May Cut on Supplies.
II the butchers are found guilty Of
taking an unfair toll. the board. II is
understood, will have the right to pun
ish taem by ordering the wholesalers
from whom they buy meat 10 cut of
their supplies Such an order would
mean that the retailer would be forced
out OF business until the order was re-
voked. Under the Food Administration
avs there is no way OF reaching an I'm
licensed retailer except through his
wholesaler. who holds a license Unless
a licensee o6eys a reasonable request OF
the Food Administration he Is in danger
NJ losing his permit. and no licensee
has refused thus far to obey the slight
est hint from Mr.. Hoover or any OF his
assistants.
go on the Federal Food Boards grid
iron were extremely disturbed last night
when the news OF the subpnnas was re-
ceived and many OF the most anxious
ones telephoned to their lawyers for
help.
The cases will be prosecuted for the
Federal Food Board by Charles P. Rob-
insnD g+s ~o,,Dsai