Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-17
Congress Urged to Establish
Official Fair Charges Through
U. S. Machinery.
CHANCES SLIGHT FOR
PRICE-CONTR0L PLAN
Retailers Are Profteering, Ac-
cording to Evidence Before
Federal Trade Commission.

The bill to establish price-control
system in Washington. as suggested
to the District Commissioners. has
scant chance of being even reported
from committee. much less being pass
ed by either branch of Congress.
This does not mean that either
branch is averse to any legislation
that nseems effective to cure the ills
of proiiteering in the National Capital.
Both House and Senate committees
are anxious to relieve local conditions
and both committees will cooperate
on some measure that seems likely to
get results.
Something decidedly new and force
full may be reported by the commit
tees, and will at least be discussed in
the committee meetings this week.
This is a recommendation that has
been made to members of the COM
mittee by a group of prominent citi-
zens who have canvassed the best
opinion in official. business and leg
islative circles and who have the di-
rect viewpoint of the consumer
Official Fair Prices Favored.
The recommendation is this:
Have the Federal Trade Commits
sion find out just what it costs to de-
liver the necessities of life to the
retail dealers in Washington.
Then authorize some administra-
tive Office to say to the retailers,
Just SO much profit you may have
on these goods and not / cent more.
Then publish in the local papers
the prices at which these necessities
are to be sold-and let the consumers
boycott those retailers who refuse
to sell at such prices. ..
It is proposed that the cost Of de-
livery of goods to the retailers here
shall be handled AZ a general propo-
sitiop through the interstate COM
merce feature of existing law. ana
! that the suggested legislation would
take care of tie intrastate condition
Believe Retailers Profiteer.
While the packers and other big
corporate interests may be respons!-
BILE for a general boosting of prices
throughout the country, the members
of the District committees have been
told that retail dealers here have
been profiteering. The Federal Trade
Commission report on the high prices
of shoes made it plain that the com
mission had found the retail dealers
making exorbitant profits The testi-
mony of a commercial expert for one
of the packers before the House COM
mittee on agriculture showed exactly
what it cost to buy eggs from farm
ers in Iowa and to deliver them TO
the retailer in Westinghouse cents
at a time that the consumer was be-
ing charged rs and so cents.
These two instances are matter
of record before Congress, and MEM
bers of the House committee say
they can produce similar testimony
along other lines.
Some members had been advised
that retail dealers in Washington had
heep considering a maximum price
list. to which they were to agree by
voluntary action. Congressman say
that they would welcome such an or
fer from the retail dealers as an or
sanization or in groups, but they also
feel that while such a voluntary
agreement would be very helpful.
they should safeguard the consumers.
esnecially the government workers OF
small means, by compelling hxed
..aximum price after the actual cost
had been determined by the Federal
Trade Commission.
The majority of the members OF the
House District committee and a large
number Of their colleagues in the
uouse look with favor on such a pro-
posal as likely to be effective III is
being seriously considered at any
rate.