Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-09
SHORE DIME RS
will be every A. NJ. tosP NJ.
HARMON'S ELECTRIC CAFE
watervie
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best Of food
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LIN i NM NCA IL
best Of service and the best Of food
jlyl1fri&sat,0
Of storage and put upon the mar
ket. Fortunately, under the terms Of
| the food control act, the boarding Of
foodstuffs can be checked and pre-
| vented and they will be. with the
greatest energy. Foodstuns can De
drawn out Of storage and sold oy @.
gal action which the department OF
| justice will institute wherever neces-
sary; but SO soon as the situation Is
Systematically dealt with it Is not
likely that the courts will often have
to be restorted to. Much Of the ac-
cumulatine Of stocks has no doubt
been to a sort Of speculation which
always results from uncertainty.
Meat surpluses were aaccumuated
because it was impossible to foresee
what the market would disclose and
dealers were determined to be ready
for whatever might happen. as well
as eager to reap the fullest advantage
of rising prices. They will now see
the disadvantage, as we'll as the dam
process of distribution.
Some ver3 interesting and signi-
ficant facts with regard to stocks on
hand and the rise Of price in face Of
abundance have been disclosed by
the inquiries of the department Of
agriculture, the department of la
Dor and the, Federal Trade Commits
7 sion.
Supply Of Foodstuffs Adequate
! THE seem to justify the statement
that in the case of many necessary
c. mmoditics effective means have
been found to prevent the normal OPP
eli alton of theta Of supply and de-
I mand. Disregarding the surplus
stocks IN the hands of the govern
ment, there was a greater supply Of
! foodstuffs in this country in June
| this year than at the same time last
! year. In the combined total Of a
number of the most important foods
in dry and cold storage the excess is
quite 10 per cent. And yet prices have
! risen. In a few foodstuffs the prices
had declined but in nothing like the
proportion in which the supply had
increased. For example, the stock Of
| canned tomatoes had increased 1O2
percent and yet the price had declin-
ed only 20 cents per dozen cans. In
some cases there had been the usual
result of an increase Of price fol-
lowing decrease of supply. But in
almost every instance the increase
of price had been disproportionate to
decrease in stock
! Clear Violations
THE attorney general has been max.
ing a careful study CT the situation az
whole and the laws that can be ap.
pied better it. and is convinced that
unde: tie stimulation and temptation u
exceptional circumstances, combination.
Of producers and combinations Of trad.
ers have been formed for the control
Of supplies and of prices which are
clearly in restraint Of trade; and agains,
these prosecutions will he promptly in.
sttuted and actively pushed which will
IN all likelihood have prompt cor-ec.
tive effect. There Is reason to believe
that the prices Of leather. CT coal. OF
timber and of textiles have been ma.
! so Ae-AAS SAASSeS2 ny ASthtS VI SOuScE
and cooperation among the producers
and maIketers Of these and other uni.
persall' necessary commodities watch
It will be possible to reiress. Nc
watchful or energetic effort Will b.
| spared to accomplish this necessary re-
| suit trust that there will not be man,
| cases in which prosecution will b
| necessary. Public action will, no doubt
cause many who perhaps ~unwittingl.
/ adopted legal methods to abandon
them promptly and Of their own wolf
| ton.
Publicity Big Aid
/ And publicity can accompl' sh a grea'
| deal. The purchaser can often take
| care of himself If he knows the fact.
and influences he is dealing WITH anG
{ purchasers are not dis.nclined to dc
! anything either singly CIR collectivel,
! that may be necessary for their self
| protection. The department of com
i merce, the department of agriculture
the department Of labor and the Fedora
! Trade Commission can do a great dea
towards supplying the public. systemat
/ ically and at short intervals. with infor
(
particular commodities that is in exist
ence and availa Bile. and with regard t.
| supplies which are in existence but no,
ava liable because Of boarding and witt
! regard to the methods Of price fixing
! which are being used by dealers in Ger.
/ tain foodstuffs and other necessaries
! There can be little doubt that retailers
are in part-someti-nes in large part
responsible for exorbitant prices; and
! il is quite practicable for the govern,
ment, through the agencies I have men.
toned. to supply the public with full
! information as to the prices at which
retailers buy and as to the costs Of
transportation they pay in order that
it may be known just what margin 81
profit they are demanding. Concerted
action on the part of the purchaser
can probably do the rest.
Urges Appropriations
That adequate funds be provided
by appropriations for this purpose
and provided as promptly as possible,
is one of the means Of greatly ameli-
Grating the present distressing con
ditions of living that have come to
urge in this attempt to concert with
YOU the best ways to serve the
country in this emergency. It ID
one Of the absolutely necessary
means. underlying many others. and
can be supplied at once.
There are many other ways. Ex-
listing law Is inadequate. There are