The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-15

Continued from Page One)
after making every fair allowance for
the cost OF handling the goods.
shrfnkage, wastage and operating ex
penses4
Two women and seven men will be
named today to establish uniform
prices for the city Of Richmond. This
was announced last night by Colonel
Kelley. A dozen representative citi
zens are on the list from which the
board will he chosen and the size Of
the committee is almost sure to be
nine. Colonel Kelley stipulated that
ut least two women he on the price
governing board as representatives of
the largest class Of buyers and the
one having n most intimate knowl-
edge of the cost OF every necessity OF
life,
Tbs .c}ass most a rfected by the CONF
mittee, the merchants OF tho cry. viii
also be well represented. Several
prominent business men have been
approached and It is certain that at
least two OF them will agree to this
most patriotic duty They naturally
feel some delicacy In supporting a
movement which VIII almost certainly
reduce prices in this community, but
they are being appealed to on strictly
patriotic and humanitarian grounds.
The committee will aturally be in
conferece for some time before the
first price lists are published in the
daily papers, as thorough investiga-
ton viii have to be completed before
II Is in n position to say what con-
stitutes n fair price on the hundreds
Of articles to be dealt with.
Quotations will have to be furnished
by wholesalers, jobbers and fac
tories. variances averaged. and the
cost of labor. rent. equipment and all
other operating expenses taken into
consideration before retail ma:.Enums
are fixed.
Must Toe the Mark.
When the lists are published. con-
sumers will be relied upon to see that
merchants strictly toe the mark II
the committee desicnates fifty cents as
a just price for butter and a mer-
chant quotes flfty-two cents the con-
sumner should notify the committee
whether or not purchase has been
made. The matter will then be RE-
ferred to either state or federal au-
thorities for investigation and prose-
cution.
If offenders do not come under the
jurisdiction OF the state apti-trust law.
enacted at the special session of the
general assembly, the federal statute
movement cannot as yet be accu-
rately estimated, as many complica-
tons will enter into the work Of the
committee.
1t will be fairly simple TO prescribe
prices for butter and eggs, -four and
cheese, or other staples. but II the
duties Of the committee are made to
include protection to those who are
contemplating Drawing public opir
ion in blanket rather than spend a
months salary on a suit Of clothes
variations OF quality and cut will have
to be considered.
About the only way to get" tho
impatient clothiers who are not con-
tent to let the accumulation of a
fortune extend over a few years but
who seek to convert every customer
into bonanza, VIII be to demand
the actual cost, to him, Of tho de-
sired garment. With this information
the federal authorities can determine
whether or not he should be chaa-
tised.
II prices of shirts, shoes, chemise.
salt and salad suffer any appreciabls
decline through the efforts OF the
committee, 1t Is more than probable
that each member will have a shaft
rivalling the Washington monument
placed TO his or her credit and that
their names will go down In history
with those OF Washington. Lincoln,
Gladstone and othor famed craancipa-
torA