The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-11-03
HIGH LIVING COSTS ANALYZED
BY HOOPER ALEXANDER
o.. 8. District Attorney Of the Atlanta, Ca, District.


There Is no general %profiteering
on the part OF the retail gruccrs," ac-
cording TO "A statement Issued Friday
- United States Attorney Hooper
Alexander. under whose direction the
department Of Justice has FOR some
time past been investigating Too
prices.
Mr.. Alexander places The blame Tor
high prices largely upon b cN-
tIasagance OF the general public.
People com planned OF paying a dollar
or more a pound for boiled ham,
when the unccokcd product COSTS so
to 40 cents, he f.ys
ut never seems to occur TO such
people that they might boil their "
hams says MIR. Alexander. Men
who spend their time In golf or bill
lizards or at the baseball park. and
women VINO spend theirs al bridge
md the movies. will have 60 give a
little more time TO looking after their
own affairs. They ought to acquaint
themselves with market prices and
see TO II. when they buy. that they are
buying at market prices
lie promises In hts statement to
prosecute any combinations among
I retail grocers In iialng prices where
suc a combination can be found and
invites the public to furnish IN
formation along this line.
Many people complain that the
government i not doing anything TO
tns protiteers.' he SAYS. Some %
these cOmpiainants have recently
doubled the price OF rents TO the re-
tail grocers. / have had no cas-
brought to my attention where uns
body vans the price reduced on his
own service or for what ne sells"
MIR. Alexander declares that inc
regulation uf pricea h. "a thing state
4 AU-N UaHHHNANWHN aaH...U.AaHA ALAHH.H
take up. Thinking men ought 10
take notice" he declares, "Of the
sinister fact that the poWers OF the
state government are being utrophied
Tor lack OF use
While" his statement continues,
there Is not much profiteering
among retain groCeTs. ! suspect thar
there are lines of business In this
territory In which prufttcering does
go on. But | am impressed that ever
In these matters the public ~ ulmOsl
as much to blame as the dealers
People Cnil
no. lay aside the teaching OF common
sei.sc and forget The common oil
virtues of Industry. economy and self
denial, and then expect 20 be take'l
CIie OF BY the government like "a lot
OF ci.4i&. 4. 20
lie esuna,es pronteering as about
] per ent OF lhe evil confronting IA,
I lOuNNNIA anu AANNAMAkANAAA AAAN
neglect Of duty ana the eiturt TO gel
rich quick without dong productive
labor. ~ ~ per cent.
Mr.. AleNandcra statement follows.
TJhe nigh prices now charged ioi
the ARTICLES OF commerce, an wei "a.
nor rents and services, have naturally
resulted in gTedt public dinaatisiur
ton. This shoe pinvnca harueHt wheI
We buy fooustutrH, anu, since II u u
contact Win the rctAll groccrH ma
people feel the pthcnlng most, th'
ulaine b. taosi fre4uvnuy laid az "a
uoor OF uh4s claHs % meruhanta
Il have nae auU causud 20 be
made nlany Investigations ~tnruuEuou|
tnIss dialI.ct on tHc subject, aud
have ~ hand many repofus m Ereu
aetatl an 80 the yuat asa a,iluB pftti
VI groceries az retain. and a - a mat
ter only VI Simple justice 20 say thA
tncfc rs no general prUiitytrsuB 90
tne part OF the tcluIi BYoccta. " nat
ever cNtOruon ih being pt.Actlced o.
tne mater " tooustuma, "a ANY, VA
have 70 be d~elcFattu FARMER zach 0.
the channels o. commerce. Na .
Ecieral ruic, the brpra proiits pclhi
charged by retail growers are Az
larsef han tney were charged VI
tnc4n Ia uurmal times. n mere ari
tae -pc4,,a.ascs o. pruiIt chatgc'
seems hnrdly onoush 10 pas tue COS
VI dOing business.
IN course, mere are Instances 10
which indNlduai retailers cnars'
morr PROM 0u particular commuulttc0
than In r-cnsOnubic. hut even IA tu"a'
exceptional cases the excess has no
been large enough To be startling
ProFrcss has been made m the cnor
10 uu auDu abaaus,
where people hatltuntly ordc
their grocenrs without asking th.
price. o. wall not u~treuucnty happc.
that some HroccrH VIII render tnci
monthly bills az higher rates tnun ul'
same grocer charges utncr uud NOR
! prudent ~purphascts. A De- quite Nkc.'
that sue rruccrH did the same INNS
b 10 tbe samc i%mprudont customer %
normal times. but this wrong has o.
relation Whatever tu o. question 20
proIiteering. iu such "a ease. has no
body to blame but himself and th|
dishonest grocer and yet d De- O. Fac
that most of the grumhlinE ahou
iriCcH comes from this rlans cot pru
pie who forget that the government