Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-14
Definite List Of Food Prices viii
Be Announced Soon
CONFERENCE At TRENTON
No Committee Named for City
AS Yet--WiII Probably Cow
er Many Business Branches

Concerted action by the federal
government, the state and county
authorities to bring about the reduce
ton in prices of foodstuffs will be
the first step in the war against prof.
/ teering in this state, according to the
decision reached at a conference of
county food administrators with
United States District Attorney Boz
dine at Trenton this morning
Thomas H. Mettler, food admiaiS-
traitor for Middlesex county, was in
touch with Mr.. Bodine by wire shorts
ly after the conference and stated
that definite list of articles to be
standardized would be issued IL the
attorney would await the return OF
William s. Tyler. state food adnlinis-
TRAITOR.
During the absence of r. Tyler, who
is expected to return from his vaca-
ton this week, the United States dis
trict attorney will be in temporary
charge of the camapign.
After a list of prices have been de-
cided upon and published, Mr.. Bodine
said that dealers refusing to sell at the
prices fixed would be held as profit
eering and that the cases would then
be taken up by the Federal authorf-
| ties. A dealer in Binghamton, New
York, was fined $500 for charging four,
cents more for suger than the speci<.
| fed list.
The list which will probably be,
| added to as the investigators report
will also include coal. in addition to,
foodstuffs and clothing. Mr.. Mettlerd
said. The first efforts will be to
standarize the food prives.
Mr.. Mettler said that information.
would be sought from Washington asl
to what prices should prevail in thial
state. The county food administratf ri
H.. IT,. -
other and with the state administratorS
he stated.
According to Attorney General
Palmer, Mr.. Mettler said that 1t was
thought that the price fixing commit-
tees should include representatives Of
all of the businesses and classes prin4
cipally interested. A suggested LIST.
includes the following: One retail
grocer, one wholesale grocer, one REF
tail dry goods represen tatiye and
representatives of the producers. or-
ganized labor, housewives and the
public at large.
"As / understand the work we ara
doing now," Mr.. Mettler said, sit u
mainly preliminary After our orr
ganization is completed and we have
| Investigated as to what should be
! the prevailing prices for the stz1pl{
commodities. we will give greater
u
William H. Griy~oId, city food ads
ministrator, said that he had been ID
touch with Mr.. Mettler but that sd
far no committee had been nameds
Owing to the gravity and respopsi~
bility of the work that must be dpna
by the committee the city adn1ihisS
traitor said that he would not take
any hasty or ill-advised action in
making the appointments.
So far it is understood that no
secret service operatives have BEEN
assigned to work in this secAon Of
the state.
That most of the violations being
committed at present by food prohf
teers can be presented under the
Lever Act was the opinion express-
ed by Assistant United States Attorz
ney Ben A. Matthews. lie is chief Of
the criminal branch of the United
States District Attorneys office at New
York and in charge of the collection
of evidence against alleged hoarderz
and profiteers.
Mr.. Matthews declared that because
of the fairly broad scope of the Lever
act he has extended his investigation
to include alleged combinations and
deliberate waSters of food. Eyldence
obtained will be placed before Fed
eral Grand Jury. He said that he has
received tOllIptesiiiLct tsAt -
which are being investigated by Fed
eral agents.
Whether ice will be included in the
list of articles to be priced is noa
known yet, Mr.. Mettler said.
Mayor Frank Dorsey, in CONVERSE
ton with the county administrator
over the phone this morning informed
Mr. Mettler that he was in position
to give his proof that the natural ics
dealers were profiteering. The city
of New York has appointed com.
mission to determine the fair retail
and wholesale prices of ice the may
or said. They have fixed $40 per ton
as a fair price for artificial ice in New
York and Sc per ton in Richmond.
Dealers here are selling artificial ice
for So per ton when it costs them no
more to manufacture their produce
than it does the Richmond Dealers
the mayor said.