Republican farmer., 1919-08-15
ORDER CROSBY TO PROSECUTE FOOD H0ARDERS Advised by Attorney Gen eral Palmer to Punish
 Profiteers. $5,OOO FINE OR
 PRISON FOR GUILTY Holding Necessaries ill Elk cess of Reasonable Needs
 Against Law.

Hartford. Aug. S-The district at torney's office in this city was advis- ed by Attorney General Palmer yes terday to proceed immediately in the prosecution of all persons guilty of hoarding foodstuffs. The instruc- tions received here are the same as announced at Washington.
 District Attorney John F. Crosby is out of the city and will not return much before September 1. Allan K. Smith and George H. Cohen, the as sistant district attorneys, in charge of the office said yesterday the instruc- tions from the Attorney General are under consideration. They, however, had no definite statement to make as to the plan they will pursue. Sec tions under a United States statute act of August 1917 provides as fol- lOws:-
 Any person who wilfully hoards any necessaries shall upon conviction thereof be fined not exceeding $5,000, or be imprisoned for not more than two years, or both. Necessaries shall be deemed to be hoarded within the meaning of this Act when either (a) held, contracted for, or arranged for by any person in a quantity in excess of his reasonable requirements for
 
 dependents for a reasonable time; (b) held, contracted for, or arranged for by any manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, or other dealer in a quan- tity in excess of the reasonable re- quirements of his business for use or sale by him for a reasonable time or reasonably required to furnish necessaries produced in surplus quan- titles seasonably throughout the period of scant or no production; or Cc) withheld, whether by possession or under any contract or arrange ment, from the market by any person for the purpose of unreasonably in creasing or diminishing the price: Provided, That this section shall not include or relate to transactions on any exchange, board of trade, or sim- liar institution or place of business as described in Section Is of this Act that may be permitted by the Presi- dent under the authority conferred upon him by said Secsion IS: Pro- vided, however, that any accommodating or withholding by any farmer or gar dener, cooperative asfociation of farmers or gardeners. ineluding live stock farmers, or any other person, of the products of any farm, garden, or other land owned, leased or cul- tivated by him shall be deemed to be boarding within the meaning of this Act
 Whenever any necessities shall be boarded as defined in section six, they shall be liable to be proceeded against in any district court of the United States within the district where the same are found and seized by a pro- cess of libel for condemnation, and if such necessaries shall be adjudged' to be hoarded they shall be disposed of by sale in such manner as to provide the most equitable distribution there of as the court may direct, and the proceeds thereof, less the legal costs and charges shall be paid to the party entitled thereto. The proce ed ings of such libel cases shall conform as near may be to the proceedings in admiralty, except that either party may demand trial by jury in any is sue of fact joined in any such case, and all such proceedings shall be at the suit of and in the name of the United States. It shall be the duty of the United States attorney for the proper district to institute and! pros ecute any such action upon presenta- ton to him of satisfactory evidence to sustain the same.'