The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-06-28
THE CONSUMER COMES LAST
IN PRICE FIXING SCHEME
Plan on Foot to Stop Profteering in
Necessities-HOOver and Heb
bard Make Fair Promises.

The following circular was re-
ceived this week from Mr.. Hebbard
our state food administrator. The pa
tient, long suffering and patriotic
consumer can only hope the action
will be prompt and effective.
Definite measures to limit retail
prices have been announced by Food
Administrator Hebbard, through the
medium of standardized "fair price
lists" to be published in county seats
and in towns and cities of 2500 pop
ulation or over In such counties
Food Administration officials expect
to protect the consumer from unreas-
onabe price advances. By bringing
prices to a uniform level, the Food
Administration will not only protect
the average buyer, but will also pro-
tect the patriotic merchant who has
followed its suggestions from the
unscrupulous dealer who has at
tempted to take adantage of the
situation.
In every county and in every town
or city of more than $500 population,
the Food Administration will estab-
lish price interpreting committees
composed of representative of the
merchants, consumers and the Food
Administration. This interpreting
board will ascertain fair retail prices
on the basic commodities that COM
prise a large part of the peoples
diet.
Tradesmen on the board will be
appointed by the trades and will
serve with a representative of the
consuming interests, the local Food
Administrator acting as chairman.
Each board will have detailed re-
ports of actual wholesale prices, and
will ascertain fair margins of profit
that should be made by the retailer.
The final fair prices will be widely
published. Newspapers in every city
and county will be asked to cooper
ate, setting aside particular posi-
ton in a prominent place on the same
day each week, running the lists
with conspicuous headlines and in
teresting footnotes on the food prob
lam and the use of substitutes for
the foods most needed abroad.
Consumers will be asked to report
to their Food Administrator any
stores charging more than the an
nounced prices. Investigations of
these reports will give the Food Ad-
ministration a basis upon which to
work in separating the patriotic
dealer from the profteer. An in
direct control over the retail stores
may be exercised by cutting off sup
plies at the source-instructing Ii
censed wholesale dealers to sever
business relations with the firms
which exact more than a reasonable
charge.
lNcIdli pIlCS ltpOIISTS dIe DeiHB
appointed in every county. They
are expected to keep a close check
upon charges made at the stores and
to report to the local administrator
all dealers not keeping within the
limits prescribed by the "fair price
lists"
Wherever investigation shows that
any dealer has charged excessive
prices, the Administrator will grant
a hearing. If he cannot show a just
cause for his failure to keep within
the prices announced by the inter
preting boards, he will be punished.
The Food Administration believes
that with the cooperation of this
standardized plan throughout the
country it can assure the consumers
that the price they pay represents no
more than cost of production, plus
reasonable costs and profits of neces-
sary handlers. 1t has already,
through its licensing system, put a
close check upon the various classes
of retailers and has eliminated all
classes not performing a necessary
function in moving in the shortest
possible line and with least expense