Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-27
GOVERNMENT PLANS
CLOTHING SALES IN
SEVERAL BIG CITIES
Consider Laws to Punish
Hoarders and Profteer-
ing Dealers.
TO INVESTIGATE STOCKS
AND GIVE PUBLIC FACTS
Socks, Underwear, Shirts and
Tobacco Will Be Sold to
People.
p r EPA RING PRICE LISTS
These Will BE Furnished TO All
Post-Ofices for Convenience OF
General Public.
pREPARING PRICE LISTS
These Will BE Furnished TO All
Post-Onices for Convenience OF
General Public.
IBv Ax,ncIa,.,rr.,,

WASHINGTON. August 26.-Furthe r
Steps Steps to bring down soaring prices
The War Department announcing plans
ior opening rcta.. stores in number
OF cities through which surplus house
hold commodities and clothing will be
made available to consumers through
out the country.
Meantime congressional committees
continued consideration Of Legislation
designed TO reduce the high cost Of
living. This Included amendments TO
the food control act 10 punish profiteer-
ing and boarding: bills TO regulate cold
storage and appropriations for the
Federal Trade Commission 10 investi-
gate stocks and give Information to
Through the retail stores to be
opened by the War Department the
armys large surplus stocks of socks.
underwear, shirts. raincoats blankets
gloves. tobacco, soap and other house
hold comm odities Will be sold. Con-
sumers In the large cities. where the
TO purchase over the counter. but the
stocks also viii be made available to
persons IN other communities through
Price List. at Post-omce..
price lists are being prepared. and
these Will he furnished to all post
offices for the convenience of the pub
lie. While no announcement has yet
been made. 1t is expected that the
ably below the prevailing market
Present plans are TO open stores in
the fourteen zone supply, centers. and
OF the country in which large areas
are embraced in zone boundaries, addi-
tional cities will be selected as sale
centers.
In considering legislation for regu-
latins cold storage; the House Agri-
culture Tommii,ee ti heard several VII.
chief OF the Bureau OF Chemistry told
the committee the storage OF products
pend on the. food stored. Fish and
eggs he said could not be stored
without material deterioration. while
meats and orher foods were improved
by storage.
Discusses Fruit Situation.
r s French; representing the In
while not opposed 10 the suggested
limit of twelve months for storage OF
foods,ufs. said production would be
10. be returned to, storage il they be-
came drug on the market.
Testimony tnnoSi. regarding profiteerins
propriations Committee. which was
Ionsidering appropriations for the
sioners William 3. Colver and Victor
Mnrdock were witnesses.
Mr. Colvcr told Of numerous resales
OF the 1919 vegetable pack. which is
not yet completed, and said many OF
these were made for speculative pur-
noses re suggested that this con-
dition be corrected by enactment o.
appropriate legislation.
The present plan is to open stores
in the fourteen zone supply cities
BOSTON, New York. Philadelphia Bal
timore Atlanta, Jefersonville, Chica go,
st. Louis. New Orleans, San Antonio
Omaha lHl Paso, San Francisco and
Washington. The chain will be eX-
tended TO additional cities as rapidly
as possible.
Declare IIonrdinE Exists.
Hurried inventory of all stocks. fuel.
steel, lumber, textiles. leather and
food held by basic industries would
disclose boarding and speculation.
dock, OF the Federal Trade Commits
sion, declared today before the House
Appropriations Committee
They urged that the commission be
provided funds for permanent work in
compiling information regarding these
basic industries, eclarinE that such
information with comparisons would
reveal causes when living costs rose
suddenly.
Mr.. Colver said the canned food in
dustry was filled with spectators and
that this condition was typical The
pack OF canned goods this year is not
yet completed. but so per cent OF il
has been sold and resold since last
January with many OF the sales purely
speculative. TO stop this speculation
enactment OF legislation would be
necessary, ne said.