Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-08-08
j. s. GOES AFTER
FOOD PRGF|TEERS
Machinery Set in Motion to Crush
High Cost Ogre.
WILL NOT TRY EXPERIMENTS
tro Keep Clear of Substituting Food.
Action Will Be Earnest, Aggres-
sive and Vigorous, Directed by
Department of Justice.


washington, aug. 6.-The govern
ment is going to prosecute the food
brofiteers in the United States as IN
immediate remendy for the high cost
bf living.
This was announced by Attorney
General Palmer after a conference
with the president which followed an
nll-day deliberatioa of the special cab
tnet committee on means of reducing
hhe prices of necessities to the agitat-
led public
The department of justice, it vas
declared, win employ every resource
lat its command to ferret out and pros
ecute the hoarders of food and those
who are charging extortionate prices.
Hit Big and Little.
Big and little profiteers are to be
prosecuted and congress is to be asked
to supplement- the existing penal code
of the food act with amendments
which will enable the government to
reach its hand out and grapple the re-
taller who IN many communities is
charging exorbftant prices for food
Btuffs
The president authorized the state
nent that he viii address congress on
the subject within a few days and at
that time will submit recommendations
to aid in dealing with the critical sit
nation adequately and effectively. Be
yond that announcement the president
had nothing to say regarding the ISSUE
Profteers the Target.
1t was made clear, however, that the
government does Hct contemplate en-
aering upon any experiment in sub
eidizing food, such as purchasing
wheat at the guaranteed price, and
selling It for less to the miller, max
ing up the deficit from the billion-dol-
lar wheat guarantee fund.
Action. as Attorney General Palmer
put it, earnest. aggressive, vigorous
action" will be directed by the de-
partment of justice against al profit
GERS, and it was reported that among
the first big offenders to be proceeded
against will be the big packers
Following the attorney generals
conference with the president, Mr..
Palmer counselled with Charles F.
Clyne, district attorney of Chicago, and
c. E. Ames of the department Of JUS
1ice.
1t was admitted that the particular
subject cf the conference was the Chi
cago packers. When asked about the
conference, District Attorney Clyne
said he could not discuss 1t.
Will Not Subsidize Food.
The decision of the administration
not to heed suggestions relating to
government subsidization of food was
made public by julius Barnes. director
of the grain corporation. who confer
red with the president
Mr.. Barnes issued long statement
TO explain the world wheat situation,
in the course of which he said that the
wheat corporation was now engaged in
buying new flour at less than market
prices and that this would be sold to
the public at $40 barrel, 40 more and
no less, in any community where deal
ers sought to charge more for the
product.
Discusses Cost of Bread.
in America" said Mr.. Barnes,
s'tlour is so per cent of the final whole
sale cost Of bread, and so per cent is
made up Of labor. other ingredients
hnd delivery. Roughly speaking, to
reduce the 10-cent loaf of bread to
cents, 65 cents per bushel must be
taken from the price of wheat.
IF -four were supplied to the bakers
free (the present cost c labor and
tother materials remaining the same)
I'VE could hardly attain retail Scent
hoaf.
IF, with later developments,
world wheat price is indicated lower
than the guaranteed basis, the wheat
director wBl not hesitate t. readjust
American flour prices at the expense of
the national treasury, as authorized
Ny congress-"