Evening journal., 1919-08-25
PROFITEER WAR IS
LEFT TO PALMER
House Appropriations Com
miltee Decides Other Bur-
eaus Shall Not Have Funds
SAY NC TIME TO TRY
CUT FINE THEORIES S


WASHINGTON, Aus. 25.-IIeavy fines
and long prison sentences for thousands
OF proilteers and hoarders throughout
the country are the only means OF
bringing about an Immediate reduction
in the cost Of living, The House Ap-
preparations Committee has decided.
To carry out this program the com
mlttee practically has agreed to give
the Department OF Justice an The money
It reasonably can spend in The prosecu-
tlon Of a vigorous campaign against
those responsible for the present I'M
warranted prices. 40 the same time
sentiment in The committee. while
strongly IN favor Of the drastic prose
culions, Is opposed practically unaml-
mousy 10 the granting Of money TO
other departments for the carrying out
Of their pet plans for reducing the cost
OF living.
With all the additional authority for
prosecutions and punishment OF price
gOugcrs that AttOrncy-General Palmer
has asked already voted by The House,
The Appropriations Committee Is con
siderlng The requests Of the department.
for additional funds amounting 10 about
sj00.OO0 submitted with The plea that
the money Is needed 10 reduce The
present prices OF commodities. or this
amount The Department Of Justice has
asked 81. 10000 most Of which. Mr.
Palmer says, Is TO be used In employing
more operatives, marshals and special
attorneys to nrosecut the protlleers.
Chairman Good Iowa said nc was
certain the committee would favor the
employment Of This extra force and
give the department all possible aid In
bringing all the Federal Governments
powers In action 10 combat ihP gougers.
This Is not the time TO try out a
lot of nne departmental theories TO
bring down the cost Of living. but the
only solution lies IN going after The
prollteers with all the powers OF the
Federal Government and treating them
rough Mr.. Good said. "The blame for
the present conditions, Of course, lies
at the door of tho Administration. be-
cause all the war powers Congress
granted have been IN force. and from
the time the armlslice was signed up 10 |
few weeks ago there was absolutely /
no activity on the part Of the deparl- Z
menis 10 prevent the present situation. |
In fact the President stepped the other
way when he released from license IN 1
March all the food dealers under con !
troll Of the Food Administration during ]
the war, and prices have been climbing I
steadily ever since"
Sentiment Of the committee favors I
giving the President, as he asked, the |
means 90 use the secret service, which ,
Is under the jurisdiction Of the Treas !
ury Department, IN hunting hoarders OF /
food and other commodities. The ser |
vice was employed by the Food Admin |
istratlon I'm This work during the war I
under authority given the President in /
the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill. |
This authority was omitted from the /
last appropriation measure.
But where the committee is baking
IS at the requests OF the Commerce,
Agriculture and Labor Departments for
y, 10000 10 try out seme fine the
prizes" as Mr.. Good has called them.
These departments" the chairman Of
NE Appropriations Committee said,
have been trying 10 get Congress 10
appropriate for these plans for several
Tears, but they are being submitted
low with the assertion that they will
reduce the cost Of living" Mr.. Good
believes the plans will only add several
hundred fat jobs TO the Federal force
lere and produce no real results.
one Of these requests. for instance,
Is that Of the Department Of COmmeree
Tor about 100000, so that several
parties Of demonstrators can be sent
over the country teaching people how
10 cook fish. A like sum is also asked
10 encourage fishing. The Department
Df Agriculture wants about SiJOOO0 10
'xiend IFS reports on market conditions
md asserts II this is granted the reports
,an be issued on the tenth Of every
month instead Of the fifteenth. Stand
,rdization i'm industry whatever that
nay mean is the solution Of the cost Of
wing, the Bureau Of Standards con
ends and thinks Congress can well
pend $4,000 for this work.
The Department OF Labor asked for
l75,OOO 10 reduce the cost Of living but
rave no explanation of how it is 10 he
lsed other than TO carry out the pro-
,ram for reducing the cost Of living |
is outlined by the President in his ad-