Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-23
NEW FA|R-PR|CE BOARD
CHAIRMAN TO Be NAMED
II. Grayson DashielI Quits Committee
Over Protest OF Colonel
c. II. Kelley.
T. b. MORTON ACTING AS HEAD
Secretary Of Council OF Defense Not
Sympathetic With Views Held by
Retiring Attorney, Who Felt Body
Lacked Power.

Richmond's fair-price committed re-
Gently created by the Virginia Council
OF Defense under authority from Gov
ernor Westmoreland Davis to pursue
4 relentless campaign against profitecrs
in tho necessities OF life, is TO have "A
new chairman. He will be n lawyer
and Will succeed r. Grayson Dashicll.
who resigned as head OF the committee
yesterday because he stated ne was
convinced that the body was without
lists.
protest of Colonel c. Il. Kelley. execu-
tive secretary of the Council of De-
Tense. in whose hands the orGaniza-
ton of fair-price committees through
out the state mas been placed By the
Governor. Colonel Kelley assured Mr..
D i,asI1i it is understood. that he
antitrust law recently passed by the
General Assembly. but mis- efforts to
have Mr.. Dashiell reconsider his action
were without avail.
Morton Acting Chairman.
Thomas Il. Morton president OF the
local organiza tion OF railroad shopmen.
will act as chairman OF the committee
until another chairman is appointed by
Colonel Kelley upon his return from
Washington on Friday. Colonel Kelley
Viii leave Richmond today for trip
throughout the state TO organize fair
price committees. ilo will first go TO
Norfolk. then TO Danville and from
bdHN!Ile 20 lNnCnpUES. he Will go
from Lynchburg early Friday morn
ing TO Washington for a conference
with Attorney General Mitchell Palmer.
on the operations of the Department OF
Justice in connection with the work
of fair price committees in this State
and over the country.
tance telephone with the Attorney
Generals Office yesterday afternoon.
and SAID la, last nigh, tha! he had been
tice wanted the local fair price COM
lnitees TO 20 forward with their work.
and that agents Of the Department
was need OF drastic punishment. which
could be inflicted by Federal authority
more decisiTciy than by the local
committees or the Council OF Defense.
Kelley Is Unsympnihctic.
From all he could learn in his con-
versation with the authorities in
Washington. they had no idea o: talk
ing over the functions OF the fair
price bodies, Colonel Kelley sa id. lie
seemed to have but little sympathy
with the idea held by Nj. 'Dash!e!l
would permit punishment OF proftecrs.
Punitive methods were only needed in
extreme cases, he declared, the force
bring about many solutions.
X. w Merchant, vice president OF /
the Renters ana Consumers Protcc-
tive Association and a member of the
fiir-prIcc committee, yesterday sent a
letter TO Governor Davis asking for
a law with teeth. chairman with
teeth ana a committee with teeth" to
make the drive against high prices
caused by profitecrs. This letter was
no reelection on Chairman Dashiell. Mr..
Merchant declared last night He
stated that he had heard OF the con
templated resolution OF Mr.. Dashiell
before he wrote the letter and mis- ref
crcncc TO a chairman with teeth" was
meant to refer TO the man who might
succeed Mr.. Dashicll head o, the
committee.
Wants Some RenI Action.
Mr.. Merchant said further that he
had only accepted membership on the
committee when convinced that il
would get to work in earnest and
tackle the proposition with sleeves
rolled IN ready for business. He was
Of the opinion that the antitrust law
Of the State would cover all the points
involved and enable the committee to
establish and print its list of fair
prices or fair profits, which ever it
decides TO do In this attitude. Mr..
Merchant is in accord with the secre
tary of the Council OF Defense and
the majority OF the members of the
committee.