The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-28
OHIO AUTHORITIES
fcontinued from Page one.)

(CoptinueQ from rage OuSJ
alton resulting in unh"ard OF pF'ccS III
f""dSt"CfS in OHIO:
Hon. John q. Price Attorney General OF
Ohio, Columbus, ONO.
NV dear General I'r.r":--Supp!cmcnt-
fnl, our conversations on tn" SUBJECT OF
I state inquiry and prosecution II nrc'S,
s,rv IN the matter Of the cost Of food
necessities I nm officially submitting
the request that m" legal machinery or
! tho comyronw cath Of which you arc the
head, apply itself without unnecessary
! drlay in order that government IN n
crisis c,n meet the function for which 1t
was designed.
When organized society accepted the
! basic principles of C,s"rnm0nt in TINS
republic, il was with tn" primary un-
Outstanding that equal right should "n-
| tain rs between the people. ana special
privilege should he enjoyed by none.
| Food necessities almost in their en-
tircty como from the soil. TIL" work oil
man is but an incident TO that Of the
I Almighty. Tho cl"mc11tS Of nature w"r"
shaped for the provision OF humankind
! therefore whenever special privilege Is
enjoyed Ny individua, or interest it can
, be traced in the main {" c"nsplrac:'' ana
, conspiracy is an offcns" against both
the spirit and form Of tho law.
! At the very outset two things must
! be understood:
| Fjrst-Eevcr in the history Of the
world has there hccn such widespread
unrest. While this would s""m 70 ,"
natural consequence of IN" great war
which has involved practically all or
civilization. Il has been seized upon ny
. certain clements as an opportunity 70
| inspire public resentment against or
; ro-r;z ID government. If we arc to hold
! tho confidence Of the great masses of
| the people in our institutions. thsS"
/ same institutions must not permit in
Justice TO abide in the affairs OF the
: day.
Sncond-what Is undertaken under
: governmental auspices in this stat"
must bear unnistakablr imprint Of good
.ntcnt and sustained application to tho
task Mock hcroics and lack Of Courag"
! have MANY times in tho past made
movements such as VIC now attempt 4"
! inaucirate a failure from tho start be-
! cause public cooperation was with h'ld
through lack OF confidence.
Fer many weeks. through eIecutir"
! dcnartmcnts Of the state. We have been
: conducting n survey Of facts and con-
! ditions, and I have no hesitation in
! saying that there arc evidences Of I'M
| lawful practices in the traffic Of food
stuHs Tho evil s"cms To y" rooted
largely IN the concerted policy Of cold
storage institutions. Designed origin
! ally to conserve the necessities Of life,
I their purpose has been distorted md in
too many instances they are conducted
for tho preservation Of prices that can
not be defended. Tho law Of supply
and demand which has been ruling
! factor throughout tho years has been
we'll night If not completely destroyed.
! In seasons Of the year when tho soil
/ yielded an excess supply and prices
were within the reach Of every house
, hold there was no complaint against tn"
! things which hcsot us now. Through
I what IS charged TO h" a ColluSion DO
| tween commission men and cold stor-
age plants the volum" Of food essen
| tials WHICH made prices yield TO supply
Is now tAtcn from the market for a
two-fold purpose:
First-To maintain higher prices now.
Sccond-To guarantee TO the traffick-
ing holders OF food later an abundance
in unproductivc seasons. upon which
! high cost IS to nc imposed.
! During tho war the federal food COM
| mission in this state co-oT"ratoN with
tho war cabinet OF the governor. and ""
were unable to know tho results of its
investigation In tho city Of Cleveland
during the summer months. there comes
into the city an excess milk supply Of
IS per cent but IL has never been per
mItted to lessen tn" cost. Much Of II
has been canned. Cream in that. as In
other cities. was passed on to cold st"r-
ago and preserved in many instances fer
a period Of moro than n year. In fact
there was revealed tho practice of taxi
ing the slammed milk Of tho winter
mcrtL.f and mixing il with the preserved
cream Of tho summer season. At pnir.I$
where municipal regulation prc.cr!hoS
ut least per cent Of butter fat. tno
milk supply WAS subjected Ia q test aHI
If an excess OF per cent w"r" found. II
was extracted and passed later iGio tn,
SKINNED milk supply. So general has
abus" pcrS,St cd i'll 4 matter iuv"lVint;
the very If ufo IN incoming general ion
that common prudence would Som /,
suCgc.t that tho cities thrmSrl as.
! sumo charge Of this traffic. not only
that but that IN" infant If" of tn" M.
ton might DO prpt"Cr"d. W" spend I'm.
told millions to car" FIR human d"rrlrrr>
after the injury has come. II IL hiSl
time that governmental Vigilance w"r,
applied to the SOUR" Of these troubles
You will find with your very frs,
Investigation u Immunity Of price II
-, 70 and markct in every city. This
can hardly he Co-;nCidcnc". If j. * mnr,
than tina, the element At conspiracy Is
present and it IS punishable under u,
law.
/ Let mo invite your attention asa :,
the fuel situation. with th' approach
81 winter "" find tw" conflict .ug con
t"ntions-onc that the 7uhlr. IS deIc,,r
in laying IN its coal supply. mud lh'
other that "uuE'yiiuu IA empty cont
carrying cars N many terminals has T..
suited in mines h"lnE "i"3'd down
Th"r" is an appir' MT pr""Tr,'i "f hIghrl
prIces-so hiEh in fact that J." man "a,
Justify them. Il raj'"oad traffic Sundi
tons are a factor, IN" stat" can rasIl,
correct thcm. If. upon investigation ycl
! End that tn" r. "plr hHv. been roru.S,
in giving orders for tn" s. uicr supply
: tn" alarm can h.. sounded n time. and /
Z there is in tn" i,r"""SS Of creation ROW
couspirlng policy On the part Of Goa