Arizona republican., 1919-09-27

yestigation to conform to proper prices, although there have been exceptions in this regard.
 Reports to U. S. Officials.
 Complete copies of the report of the | investigators are being placed in the | hands of the federal food administrator for Arizona, Timothy A. Riordon, and U. S. District Attorney Thomas A. Flynn. Also a list of all cases of talk ing excessivbe profits is being fur- nished the federal food administrator. Thereupon, it is my understanding that he will immediately serve notice upon each of the merchants named to imme- diately reduce their prices upon the specific commodities noted, and give them complete directions in this re- gard. From the apparent attitude Of the food merchants in general, 1t is my belief that the very great majority of those who are in error will imme- diately conform to a proper schedule. It is my further understanding that if any such merchant refuses or fails inn mediately to conform to proper schedule of prices, then the matter will be taken up with the United States attorney general with view to immediately causing the license of the offending merchant to be revoked. or in the event he is not operating under a license, then to forbid all whole salers from selling to him under pen atty of having their own licenses re- voked In the event of the revocation of license, then it is my understand ing that the United States government will prosecute any person doing busi- ness without such license.
 Will Act Against Profiteers.
 So far as the laws of Arizona are concerned, the county attorney has no statute under which he can prosecute a good merchant or any other mer- chant for taking excessive proflts. However, the county attorney has the powerful weapon of publicity, and if any merchant refuses or fails lmme- diately to reduce his prices to proper basis upon being notified so to do by the federal food administrator, l shall immediately make known to the pubic the name of that merchant and the ex- tent of his profiteering, and the fact or his failure to comply with the reason able demands of the food administra- | tor This. think, will be an effective means of redress, in addition to the method available to the federal govern ment of revoking licenses.
 Some of the facts disclosed by the investigation. without at this time giv- ing names or going into details, are as | follows:
 A number of the meat stores are charging excessive prices. It Is in teresting to note that some of these within a day or two after they had been investigated voluntarily reduced their prices as much as five cents per pound on a number of cuts, but num- Der of these meat shops, as above in | timated, are still charging excessive prices. One of the most fragrant of l these cases is a meat shop selling chiefly to laboring people, and handling exclusively COW meat and inferior meats in general.
 Instances of Profiteering.
 Eight retail grocery stores are charging excessive prices for wheat flour. and twenty mine retail grocers are excessive in their prices for vari- ous other food commodities.
 Three wholesale grocers are show ing too wide margins on certain foods
 One wholesale fruit and vegetable
 house is extremely high in most of its margins, and two others are hlgn on
 some fruits and vegetables.
 Many of the restaurants have in-
 creased the prices of served meats ir
 spite of the fact that wholesale prices
 with the exception of pork, are lower than a year ago.
 I have no doubt but that number of good citizens will immediately fee like calling upon the county attorney for the specific details of all excessive , margins of profit taken by food mer- chants in Phoenix, but as above in l timated, the sole question with me is am convinced that the most effective
 how the most relief from the present high cost of living can be secured, anG way is to turn the matter over to tht food administrator and United State! attorney, and then if merchants do no comply, for me to face them in thu public press with the cold facts, whicl certainly will not be very good for tn 1 business of any man whose prices ar 2 too high.
 l.. M. LANEY, : County Attorney.