New-York tribune., 1919-08-19
Responsibility for Purging
Itself of Price Evils To
Be Left With Each Com.
munity, He Tells Aids
Task as Vital as War
Couging Must BE Made a
Crime i'll Order to Curb
the Practice, He Asserts

New \ ork Cltys fight on the high
cost Of living got under way officially
last night when Attorney General A
Mitchell Palmer outlined the plan Of
campaign 70 the fair price committee
appointed by Arthur Williams, Federal
Food Administrator for the metropoli-
tan district The committee met al the
Blltmorc, with Mr.. Williams presiding
Mr.. Palmer told the committee the
fight would not be directed from
Washington. bur each community
would be left 10 purge itself of its
sougers He discussed the laws he
has suggested to Congress and gave
the committee a plan Of procedure to
follow until these laws are enacted. He
declared emphaticaly he regarded Jail
sentences for protiteers as infinitely
more effective than refunds and fines.
His plan of including drygoods. cloth
ing and shoes IN the scope of the fair
price committees work was discussed
In detail.
"I have asked the people of the city
VINO aided during the war to meet this
situation. IS il is fully as important
and vital As their work during the
war he said.
"It is the judgment of the com
nunity which will be reflected in the
jury box. and | hope to have some OF
the profteers before a jury"
Wants Gouging Made Crime
M Palmer SAID he is trying to have
enacted law which VIII include in
divldua proiitee ring as crime. Under
the Lever and Sherman acts, he said,
hoarders and combinations are liable
to prosecution by the United States
attorneys, but only publicity can hurt
profiteers.
He told the committee thrco-fourths
OF the states already have organized
fair pricc committees, and only three
sta,e food administrators have declined
70 act The others are temporarily un-
able TO organize committees. he said.
He declared he feared d lack of CO.
operation when he entered the work
OF organizing committees and that the
responses have surprised him.
He asserted the "Yicious circle OF
alternately advancing wages and sal
aries must be eliminated. He called
the process one which will carry this
country 10 disaster
This committee can see that if
prices do not come down, they at least
do not go up he said. "lf you can
keep them from going up they are
certain to so down. They will sag.
You can't reduce the cost Of necessi-
ties while wages are up. Hold wages
steady unit, the natura, forces Of
peace operate and the menace Of things
worse than war is wiped Off the map.
Committee Members Present
Members Of the Fair Price Committee
present at the meeting last night were:
Alfred Z, MarlMg Michael NJ Fried
sam. William Feilowes Morgan. Mrs.
James Lees Laidlaw. Mrs. Henry Mos
kowitz. Theodore !. Wnltmarsh, Ed
ward H. Flash, T. r. Henderschott,
HugA trayne, Dr. Jonathan {. Day and
Sara A. Conboy. Alan Fox and Samuel
A Berger, counsel ~ the committee,
were present.
Administrator Williams announced
last nj ght that Charles Grismer, presi-
dent o. the Master Butchers Associa
tion OF the State Of New York has
been appointed by him to the Fair
Price Committee. The Food Admins
traitor conferred with Emanuel Gelley.
Albert Rosen and O. Edward Jahrs-
dorfer, representing the Master But
chers' Association. yesterday afternoon.
1t was decided to call a conference
with representatives, Of all the organ
ized master butchers in the city on
Thursday afternoon at Mr Wiliiams's
Office
The object Of the meeting viii be to
get the butchers to agree not to eX-
ceed the fair price margins fixed by
the Fair Price Committee.
Gouging Orphans Charged
Assistant United States Attorney
Ben A Matthews said yesterday he is
investigating a complaint against q
sugar merchant charged with having
sold 1000 pounds of sugar to an upstate
orphans home at ii cents a pound
The personnel OF the sub committee
on drygoods, clothing and shoes of the
lair price committee, as appointed by
Mlchael NJ. Freldsam. was made public
yesterday. II includes, besides Mrs.
James Lees Laidaw and Mrs. Sa" d Con-
BOY. VINO are also members Of the fai9
price committee itself: For the dry
goods industry. Louis Stewart, presi-
dent Of James McCreery & CO.; Clark
son Cowl, president Of James A Hearn
q Co.. and Isador Saks. president of
OAKS q Co; for the clothing manufact-
G'ers. William +. Goldman.of the Cloth
ing manufacturers Association Of New
York and the firm Of Cohen. Goldman &
no; Tor the shoe manufacturers, Emil
Neli' OF 5. We'll & Co.. for the cloak
sho suit industry, A. S, Faber. of Faber
hem. and Jacob Sperber: for the
retail shoe dealers. John slater, of J
9 a. slater and president Of the Retail
ohoe dealers Association: for retail
Brothers.
William Orr. former secretary to the
uVVernor. was named as secretary of the
ssuo-committce. Thomas W. Churchill.
soIher president Of the Board Of Edu-
>"'.oh' mas been made advisory counsel.
~, "A staff of 500 doctors aua nurses
.l conduct an tigAtion. begin
ing at once, Health Commissioner
wI1peiand announced, 70 determine
;""ether or not the high cost Of living
- havng an injurious effect on the
heaith OF the city
.ohn T. Dooling, Assistant, District
no,'..orhey' who is conducting the in
Jury into the milk situation, an
n;1 m0uhced the examination Of witnesses
~, De resumed on Thursday
n,e me wholesale prices quoted in the
tuta"y Price Current yesterday show
i;"; I"e agitation against the high cost Of
Ing mas not rutfled the market. Good
su.eamery (. butter has advanced from
- 70 "a y cents on Monday last to 81
10 oo1z cents. Live lambs rose from
81; S 70 70 lS'@ cents to 1914 to 1912. Spring
"'ehens were quoted at 81 to 40 cents
r, week ago and 3S to Al yesterday.
n me various grades of calves advanced
NY; ne ana two cents pound. The hog
n..e' r however, dropped from % to % y
~en's 10 2lhs to % cents pound