The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1919-08-20
RETAIL PROF|TEER
WILL Be PUNISHED,
ASSERTS palmer
Attorney General Says Drastic
Action Viii Be Taken
Against Dealers.

wAsH1NoroN. Aus. so.-Ths Cow
ernmeut insspds 70 taiss drastc action
/ against the retail proatsers of the
country. bsiieving they are one Of
the main causes of high prices, At
tornsy General Palmer toid the House
Agricultural COMMITTEES to-day.
THE department has had more
complaints against retail gougers
than any one else" Palmer said.
They are taking advantags of
present conditions to tales unfair
pronta, ana the department desires,
with the consent Of Congress % take
speedy action against them as well as
oil profteers.
I'VE don't want TO pick out the big
packers and punish them alone and
then let the little gougers 50 free.
The lattsr are the men the people
come in contact with. and we have
much evidence to show that they are
e1tortlng large pronts."
Tho Attorney General all during this
testimony inslsted Hpsed was essen
tiai in the campaien against prices
and urged Congress TO extend the
Food Control Act to include wearing
apparel as ne giggested.
Proposed amendments 70 the Food
Control Act. which would authorize
tho President to nx Wholesale and
retail prices OF certain commodities,
we're strongly opposed to-day by At
torney General Palmer.
Mr.. Palmer contended the President
could not fix prices without the Food
Administration. reorganization Of
which. he added. would be too slow
and expensive.
-An anti-pronteering law. impos-
! ing fine of 5000 and two years
Imprisonment for violators. Is tho
lbest method of combating high Nv
ing coats" he, said. ..
The Attorney General in order to
reach the retailers suggested that the
exemptions OF all retailers doing a
business Of less than 100000 be
stricken from the federnl 'nod act.
Regarding the farmers and farm
organizations, Palmer said he would
exempt them from the boarding pro-
visions as he believed they should be
allowed TO hold their crops until they
desired to sell. but that he wished to
enforce the profteerinE laws against
them.
els It your desire 70 reach every
retailer directly" asked Representa-
tive Mclaughlin. Michigan.
''Yes, sir" answered Mr.. Palmer
emphatically. while the vast body
OF retailers are fair. there are black
sheep amone eNthem. 10 1--WE exempt the
merchant doing less than 100000
buslneA year. We fail 70 reach many
gouEers"
with that exception, have no OBJ
lection to the Kenyon bill." he said
"whenever any industry reaches the
atass Of monopoly It, ought 20 be reg
ulatad."
Opponents OF legislation providing
for regulatiOn OF the meat packing IN
duStry were heard to-day when tn
Senate Agriculture Committee re'
/, auned consideration OF the subject
william T. Nardin. Of 81 Louis
, manager Of q milk eondensery. OBJ
I jected TO Federal licensing on tn
ground that Other industrial sstab
! llIshments would bo required TO sub
' NIT to regulation. The situation
\ from the retail butchers standpoin
!. was presented by Emmanuel Was
!. serman OF Norfolk, Va. ia
n "Any Iseisia&ion that hurts tn
packers win hurt the retailer ana tn
business" ne said. Il have AWAY
found the packers fair and square,
Senator Kenyon. Republican. Iows
q asked " packers representative
!. hadn't urged the witness TO appear.
. "'They talked 20 me about It." h
said, 'but I was interested myself"
"Is there any complaint from MOI
folk consumers about prices an
pronteerinST'' 10 litlslA
"Yes, all the time" replied wasstI
" man. II don't doubt some retaalei
5 are prOatesring,"
- do the packers maintain unlforI
nd prlcesf" asked Senator Page. Repul
3: llcan. Vermont.
= mo. sometimes they are in line an
sometimes they are not"
$ In me main. the witness said, II
4: large packers furnished better ms'
. AZ lower prices than Independents.
2,