Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-20
CITY HELPLESS TO HIT
GOUGERS, SAYS N'CA|N
War Over, Heinz's Hands Are
Impotent to Act Without
U. S. Aid
ONLY REMEDY IN CONGRESS
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

"There is nothing more to be SAID
on the food subject and profiteering,
said Charles J. Hepburn today. MT.
Hepburn was chief counsel for the food
administration in Pennsylvania.
,"Mr. Heinzs statement issued after
his conference with Attorney General
Palmer dismissed the subject for the
time being. The next move is up to
Washington" added Mr.. Hepburn.
There are some hundreds of thou
sands of persons in Philadelphia VINO
are sadly, puzzled over the twin sub
jccts of food prices and profteering'
Why does not the government or
the food administration, or somebody,
do something to end this intolerable
situation? Every housewife knows
that the prices of food have run wild.
The family with the ordinary income
must struggle to make ends meet.
New York Has Right Idea
In New York. something like 1900
retail grocers have been investigated.
Why arc not the grocers of Philadel-
, phia investigated. and the conscience
less profteers exposed and punished!
"Aud now they tell us that they
have no law to punish profteers and
stop this food gouging,' cry thou
sands of indignant people.
All the above is true.
So far as the constituencies cold :
blooded profteer is concerned, no de-
nuncatons arc quite equal to his
crimes. He has neither conscience mol
morals. He is in plain terms a thief
in disguise:
1t is also true that Howard Heinz
who was food administrator during the
war, and Charles J. Hepburn, his chic
counsel and legal adviser, are for the
time being perfectly helpless. AS mat
ters stand they can do nothing.
Food Laws Dead Letter
The war is over and the food laws
are n dead letter.
Here is the story:
The United State food administra
ton in Pennsylvania during the cighteeI
months of its operation had the powe
and might of the United States Gov
ernment at its back. But there wer
flaws even in the Lever act. the Law
under which the food administrator
operated. Take one instance alone
There was no provision for Furnishing tn
small grocer who profiteered. The bi
fellow. or the grocer who did bust
ness of 500. 900 or more year, coul
be reached and punished.
Why?
Because he was a licensce. He wa
licensed by the food administration. a
provided by law. to do business. AS
licenscc. he was subject to the foo
laws. He could be closed up or com
pelled to make donation to the Re
y Cross>or 90 out of business permanent
II he disobeycd.
n In New York. however. the corne
! grocer could be reached and punishe
for profiteering. This fact caused con
siderable criticism of the Pennsylvani
food administration during its operation
II was an unjust criticism.
"If New York can punish protteel
and corner grocers who charge exorbi
tant prices, why cannot the same thin
be done in Pennsylvania
Because the New York Legislature G
the beginning of the war passed a bi
to prevent profitcPring in food. and pro
vided for the appointment of stat
commission to see that this law wa
carried into effect. Every food handle
came under its operation.
When the United States Food Ad