New-York tribune., 1919-08-07
Names Clynn and DR.. Finley
at a State Committee to
Report on Living Costs
and High Milk Prices
Pledges Aid to Mayors
Promises to Guard Trucks to
Haul Army Food Where
transportation Is Needed
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence
ALBANY, Aug. G.-Action in meeting
the food situation in this state devel
oped fast here day. Governor Smith
appointed former Governor Martin II.
Glynn and DR.. John NJ Finley, State
Commissioner Of Education as com
mttee to investigate protiteering and
"the entire subject Of the high cost
of living" He will call an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature should the
committee report it necessary.
The Governor received a letter from
Mrs. Julian Heath, president of the
National Housewives League, calling
his attention to the milk situation in
New York City. In reply he wrote that
the GlynnFinley committee would
take up the milk problem and that
"they will be backed up by the whole
state government insofar as | have any
power under the law to put it behind
them
At a conference Of mayors and rep
rcscntatives of nearly al! the large
cities Of the state called by the Gov
crnor in the executive chamber at noon
to-dsy to discuss plans for disposlng
of surplus army food to the public, it
developed that some cities are already
selling the army food and that practl
cally all of them will be in the next
few days. Three carloads were sold
in Schenectady yesterday, and in spite
of pouring rain d carload was sold
in Albany within an hour this morning.
War Officials Pledge Aid
Immediately after the conference the
Governor got in touch with the War
Department at Washington and it in
formed him it would consgn to cities
or to committees appointed by mayors
days credit with the right to return
any that they were unable to dispose
of without any cost to the cities.
Governor Smith instructed the Ad-
jutant General to place the motor
trucks and property generally of the
state, located in the VHricls G.mories,
at the disposal of the n2A J,5 Tor dis
tributng food
The Governor, in naming his inves-
tigation committee, declared that the
increasing cost of the necessaries of
life had become of paramount impor-
tance, and that there is a popular de-
mand that something be done to check
1T. He asked the committee to I'm
quire into the entire question of the
cost of the production of food prod
ucts and of their distribution, and into
any illegal or unfair practices that ex-
ist in controlling the production, sale
and distribution of food and other nee
essaries of life"
while we are here to discuss the
distribution of these army food
stutfs," the Governor told the CON
ference of mayors and city officials,
I'VE must not overlook the fact that
whatever relief We can rende.
through this medium is but tenn
porary We are facing just now the
greater question of the nigh cost Of
deal of dissatisfaction. | plan to ap-
point committee to investigate food
conditions and | ask that you give il
your full cooperation. There is e
widesp spreading feeling against the
profteers. l am asking the mayors
conference to get behind me and to
acqualnt the members of the commit
tee with any conditions peculiar to
the community.'
Mayor to Cooperate
Mayor Walter R. Stone of Syracuse,
as president of the mayors confer
ence, assured the Governor of the CO.
operation of each mayor and also
offered the services OF the conference
ana JUS bureau OF information.
At the conference of the Mavor with
the Governor New York City was rep
resented by Edwin J. O'Mallcv and
William W. Smith, OF the citv's De-
partment Of Markets, through which
the army food will be sold there. Mr..
O'Malley told of the plans the depart
ment has made to sell "ten or twelve
million dollars worth OF the army food
IN New York" He said that the sales
VIII be begun as soon as he can pc,
the price list from the government.
They will be conducted at the school
houses, two policemen to be assigned
TO each, one to take charge of the
stock and the other of the funds The
goods Will be brought to jefferson and
greensboro Bridge markets and to
Weber's packing house on 122d Street,
from where they will be distributed to
the schools in trucks
Mr O'Malley said request had been
made of the government for the use
OF It's army transportation trucks. and
that if this failed the state guard
trucks would be called upon. Ii was
at his request that Governor Smith
directed the adjutant general to per
mt all the mayors of the state to use
these trucks for food distribution
IN nearly all the upstate cities com
mlttees OF citizens have been appointed
to dispose of the food, and they are
using either schoolhouses, frehouses
or large stores whose proprietors do
mated space and the services Of their
help.