Bisbee daily review., 1919-08-14
Amazing Quantities" Held in Storage All Over U. S., Say Reports to Attorney General;
 New Jersey in Bad Repute
FIRST CONVICTION FOR
 PR0FITEERlNG OBTAINED
Retail Grocer in N. Y. Is Fined $500 For Selling Sugar At 15 Gents Pound; Thousands
 To Follow, Palmer Declares

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-Impor- tant new developments in the govern ment's fight to reduce the high cost of living came today. One of the most interesting was the announcement by Attorney General Palmer that the first federal conviction for profitering had been obtained. District Attorney Lucy telegraphed from Binghamton, N. Y, that a retail grocer had been fined $500 for selling sugar at 15 cents a pound. No details were given and the law under which the case was brought was not known here.
 "A few thousand cases of profiteer- ing in each state will settle that trouble" MT. Palmer remarked.
 Would Provide Stiff Penalty
 In order to bring to book persons guilty of raising prices exorbitantly or hoarding food to advance prices, Mir. Palmer submitted to the agricul- tural committees of congress the draft of an amendment to the food act eX- tending its provisios to clothing and containers of foods and feeds and pro- viding a penalty of $5000 fine or two years imprisonment, or both for vio- lation of the law. Chairman Haughen of the house committee, announced that the amendment would be consid- cred immediately by subcommittee and that report might be made to- morrow.
 It is MT. Palmer's idea that this -E, lx1 h fore taking up the amendment sug- gested by President Wilson to extend the effectiveness of the food control act beyond the war period.
 Cabinet Officials Ask Funds
 Three cabinet officers asked special appropriations from congress for the campaign against inflated prices. Sec retary Redfield requested 410,OOO for operation of the bill insuring full stan dard weights.s Secretary Wilson asK- ed S475,000 for employment of special agents and others, and MT. Palmer re- Quested $1,000,000 for the bureau of investigation and for the expenses of the state food administrators assist ing the department of justice.
 Another $200,0O0 was asked for antitrust suits, especially against the five big packing companies.
 The attorney general also wants $3O0,000 for other work of the depart ment. not directly connected with the living problem, such as enforcement appeals and hiring of special assist ants
 Declare Food Stores Enormous
 A,Ir indicating sufficient food held in stor- age to affect prices materially if re- leased, MT. Palmer revealed that a number of governors had appealed to him to cut red tape" in forcing on the market amazing quantities" of foodstuffs now in storage.
 In some cases it was held the food had been held longer than permitted by state laws, but technicalities re- garding interstate commerce had pre- vented the governors from undertak- ing seizure or possession.
 MT. Palmer ordered all district at- torneys to assist the governors.
 Six States Complain
 Reports of excessive stocks of food held in storage have been received from at least six states, the attorney general said. He declined to be more specific, but it was indicated that New Jersey was one of the states.
 Storage conditions also are engaging attention of the state food administra- tors. several of whom have asked if they were authorized to publish the facts where it appeared that more food was being held from the public than the reasonable requirements of a dealer demanded.
 T told them to go right ahead and to use the names" Mr. Palmer an nounced. 'I am interested in getting as much information on this subject to the ultimate consumer as possibly can"