Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-08-11
County Attorneys, in Con-
ference in Des MOines,
Find Laws Lack Need.
J ed Power.
BURNSTEDT LEADER
Was Chairman Of Commit.
tee Which Drew up Con.
ference Findings.

Iowa laws lack the lash necessary
for effective action against food pirates
and protiteers in other necessities.
This was, the principal conclusion
of the conference of county attorneys
with Governor Harding at the state
house Friday. so says j. f. Burn
stedt of this city who was in attend
ance
Although they pledged their en-
deavors to return indictments against
violators of the state law, the consen
seemed to be Mat there is no law in
Iowa under which man can be jailed
for making an excessive profit on any.
commodity.
The only time he lays himself open
to prosecution by state officers is when
he combines illegally with other per-
Sons to fix the price of his commodity.
The report submitted by a commit
tee of five county attorneys appointed
to draw up concerted plan of prose
cutiOn is virtual admission of in
ability to take drastic action against
profiteerS.
Burnstedt on Committee.
Members of the committee are J.
Z. Burnstedt of this county, J. M. c.
Hamilton of Lee county, M. J. Yoran
of Delaware county, c. c. Rippcy of
Des Moines county and H. A. Willough-
by of Grundy county.
Ask Special Session.
Discussion by the county attorneys
after the conference went into execu-
tive session Friday morning brought
out this point very clearly. One
county attorney went so far as to pro-
pose that Governor Harding call a
special session of the legislature for
the purpose of enacting additional
laws under which sO-called profit
"hogs" could be prosecuted. He was
not given an opportunity, however, to
present the matter formally to the,
conference. i
Evidence gathered by agents Of,
the state dairy and food commission
has to do with individual firms and
corporations, it Vas announced, and
therefore could not be made public.
Attorney General H. NJ. Havner and
former Attorney General George Cos
son expounded the law relating to prof.
teering.
Mr.. Cosson dwelt at length on the
federal statutes prohibiting combina-
lions calculated to increase prices, ana
suggested the governors Office be made
a clearing house for evidence gathered
by county attorneys which can be used
in federal prosecutions. His plan
contemplates submission OF the evil
dence by Governor Harding to the at
torney general at Washington.
Committees Report.
Following is the report. in part,
made by the committee Of five:
1.-THE committee states that the pub
lie should understand there are many
conditions of high prices which cannot
be reached by criminal prosecutions.
for the reason that they are due to
natural causes. Where the commodl-
ties are sold in the open market with
fair competition and where no agree
ment is made in the matter OF tle IN
ing of prices. or the control OF produc-
ton or distribution, no crime has been
committed.
ut is recognized that in many in
stances there are just grounds to be-
lieve there have been attempts mace
nv dealers to fix and maintain I'M
natural prices and the county attorneys
of this state pledge the use OF the
grand iuries af their counties ana their
hest efforts to ascertain any violation
of the law along this line.
Pledge all Efforts.
IF it is violation Of the state law
thcy pledge their best endeav0rs 10 re-
turn indictments, and if the crime Is
against the federal law. to report such
violation to the proper federal officers.
..The committee solicits the coopera-
tion of every citizen of the state OF
Iowa with reference to securing lh1or-
nation which will enable the count!
attorneys and the department OF JUS
tice of the state of Iowa to bring all
such offenders to the bar of justice.