The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-07
STOCKSOF STOREDFOOD
LARGER AND ALL PRICES
HIGHER THAN YEAR AGO

the house interstate committee was told
today by Glenn +. Plumb of Chicago
Mr.. Plumb, who appeared IN support OF
the Plumb plan for the reorganization
of the railroad, said the information tend
ed to show that the 'wrecking and loot
ing of the New Haven, Chicago and AL.
ton, Rock Island and San Francisco lines
were mot sporadic examples of the high
way robbery to which the American na.
tion has been subjected as to its public
transportation highways"
The government case against the five
big packers will be placed before the fed
eral grand jury which meets at Chicago
three weeks hence. This means that Grim,
inal prosecution will be instituted.
Charles +. Clyne, federal attorney at
Chicago, said today that besides asking
indictments under the criminal section
of the Sherman antitrust law civil suits
would be brought under that statute and
that in addition the packers ;ycald be
prosecuted under the food control act on
the charges Of boarding
Suits against the great meat pack
ing firms were announced yesterday by
Attorney General Palmer as the first
concrete development of the govern
HlCht - " iCuuCt MY IL
cost of living.
Armour, Swift, Morris, Wilson and
Cudahy, who have been pictured in the
Investigations of the federal trade com
mission and before congressional com
mittees, as great combination in con
troll of food products, are to be haled
again before the federal courts by spe-
cial prosecutors.
The evidence in hand, Attorney Gen
eral Palmer declared, indicated ga
clear violation of the anti trust laws. -
Whether the prosecutions would be
civil or criminal the attorney general
declined to state, merely recalling that
the law provided for both.
The history of all the government s
antitrust prosecutions in % years does
not show a single individual ever serv-
ing Jail sentence for a. violation.
There are evidences that the govern
ment hopes for some in the present
campaign.
While he was announcing prosecu-
tions of the packers, Attorney General
Palmer was unleashing his special
agents on a countrywide trail of profit
eering and food boarding. These pros
ecntions come under the food control
law
All United States attorneys were in
structed to ferret out food boards and
libel them under federal laws
''This is the most important busi-
ness before the country today" an
nounced the attorney general, "and /
propose to have the law enforcement
machinery of the government sidetrack
everything to this job
I Mr.. Palmer's telegram follows:
''The food control act, which is still
in force, in Section s, makes boarding
of necessaries as therein defined a
crime and Section provides that
whenever necessaries shall be boarded
they may be proceeded against by pro
cess of libel for condemnation
''There is much complaint in the
/ country about the extensive storage ot
food products, which in many instanc
es may amount to violation of law
You are directed to immediately
employ all the facilities at your com
mand and make use of all availabl,
sources of information to seek out al
dealers guilty of boarding within tn
meaning of the act, and to ascertain i
in any other respect these provisions o
the food control act have been violates
in your district.
Please proceed with promptness ant
diligence to make thoroughgoing in
vestigation of conditions in your dis
trict with respect to possible violation
of this law and of the antitrust laws
and when the evidence warrants Sc
that arrests are made without furthe
instructions.
This is business of prime importanc
which demands your immediate person
al attention. Conditions require
countrywide campaign against HOARD
ers and profiteers and / desire the dc
! partmcnt of justice to use every legf
: means available to put an end to thei
activities -