The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-12-25
PALMER ASKS PUBLIC
To AID DEPARTMENT
ASKS PEOPLE TO JOIN IN Eff
FORT TO STAMP OUT
PROFITEERING

/ OF a decline IN retail 1000 prices De-
! ginning between January l and March
|, was expressed tonight by Attorney
General Palmer in statement sum-
ming up the efforts of the govern
ment to date in forcing down the cost
of living.
"The cost of living already under
CONTROL" said the Attorney General,
"can be reduced if everyone who pro-
duces will produce his utmost, if
those who buy and consume will save
and eliminate extravaganza and if all
honest people will join in with the
Department of Justice in stamping
out profteering and boarding"
Only since October %, when the
necessary amendments to the Lever
food control act were passed, the At
torney Generals statement said, had
it been possible to deal effectively
with all cases of profteering and
boarding. From October % to date
179 cases have been instituted and
prosecutions and seizures have cover
ed eighteen States, it. was added.
Due to cooperation between the
government and various retail mer-
chants associations, the statement
said, prevailing profits of clothing had
been reduced from 5 to so per cent.
"In August" said the Attorney Cen
erals statement, "in connection with
the demands for increased wages by
railroad Shopmen, based on the in
creased cost of living, the President
announced to the public the view that
the cost of living would be lowered
as soon as there were settled condi-
tions of production and of commerce,
as soon as the treaty of peace was
ratified and as soon as merchants,
manufacturers, farmers and miners
had certain basis of calculation In
statement to the shopmen them
selves the President declared that the
primary step was to increase produsS>
tion and facilitate transportation so as
to make up for the destruction
wrought by the war and the terrible
scarcities it created. The President
added that the government had taken
up with all possible vigor the task of
bringing the profiteer to book, MAX
ing the stocks of necessities in the
| countw available as lower prices,
stimulating production and facilitat-
! ing distribution.
"While waiting the enactment Of
additional legislation, however, the
Department of Justice did not remain
| inactive. Section six Of the act pro-
vided a penalty for boarding and sec
ton seven authorized the seizure and
| sale of boarded necessities. Since the
Lever act was amended to provide a
penalty for profitecring, 179 prosecu-
tions have been instituted under pro-
visions of that act and in all cases
brought to trial thus far convictions
have been obtained There have been
ninety-nine cases of actual seizures
under section seven of the act and in
many of these cases prosecutions are
also contemplated under section six in
addition, twenty-five cases Of alleged
boarding lsave been called to the at
tention of United States attorneys
for seizures and prosecutions have
| covered eighteen States and the COM
modities seized have included eggs,
butter, cheese, pork, poultry, lard,
fish, sugar, potatoes, coffee, -four and
canned goods. Fifty-three of the above
cases have already been disposed Of
by releasing the goods under bond on
agreement to dispose of same within
a specified time and at a reasonable
price under the direction of the Unit
ed States attorneys. In no case has
the market been flooded by the"whole-
| sale disposal OF such goods. In three
cases involving boarding, fines and
Jail sentences have been imposed. In
one case a fine of $100 was imposed;
in another fine of $3.50 and three
months in Jail, and in a third case
fine of $4,000 and five months in Jail.
| This latter case has been appealed.
Results of Investigations are now be-
ing laid before a grand jury in sever
al districts and reports of large num-
ber of indictments are expected in the
near future. Wherever possible de-
termined effort will be made to OBJ
tain Jail sentences.