The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-04
President Wilson Plans to
Eliminate These Features
of Living Costs !
BOTH PROSECUTION .
AND LEGISLATION
Attorney General Already Checking UP
On Alleged Profteers-An Investi-
cation of Food and Clothing Profits
Asked in House. 49, ~


WASHINGTON, Aug; 4.7-Food experts
here agree with Lloyd Geofge:tba it will
be a year or longer before the cost of
living Is materially reduced They point /
to the export record of june as proof
that the world is short Of bread, meat /
and other food.
The exports of breadstuffs from the I
United States in June, 1918 amounted to
! $54472,47l in value and in the same
month this year to Sis 330, 2ll. Meat and
dairy products jumped from 81 ,957 3555
last year to Sl74 ,344 1898 in June this year.
Most Of these great increases were in
barley, wheat, bacon, lard, lard com
pounds, condensed milk and rye.
The program of the White House is to
eliminate the profteer and Spectator.
This will be done by prosecutions and
legislation If the laws on the books are
not already adequate they will be made
so if the President succeeds in having
congress follow recommendations he will
submit
The attorney general is checking up on
alleged protiteers and viii report his find
4 mgs to the President within the next
few days Some reductions are expected
| from this policy
An investigation by the house rules
committee into profits Of firms dealing in
foodstuffs clothing and other commodi-
ties was requested Saturday by Repre-
: sentative Igoe, Democrat, Missouri
7 Chairman Campbell promised .considera-
E tion at an early date. Mr. Igoe charged
E that industries which paid war taxes last
year are making the consumer bear them
now.
= believe he said that more profits
are being made this year than last. not
! outstanding the war has ended ! want
/ To leave industry free as much as pos
sibe but when prices are boosted as
, they are being boosted now. it Is time
ito cali a halt"
As an instance. he said. the price Of
shoes IS. mounting rapidly and in two
:, months, May or June this year. the price
= Of hides jumped from rs cents to 81 D
: pound. greater jump than in ten
= years combined. while the price of cattle
remained stationary or slightly decreased
. "A statement of the earnings of the
entral Leather companv" continued Mr.
lgne, reading from the Wall Street Jour
nal. indicates they ara making more
profits than last year The earnings aft
n O. all charges for the Quarter ending June
, 20, 1919, were s. $685. 45 an increase o
90 per cent compared with The CORES
). ponding period Of 1918
Mr.. Tgoe said shoe dealers expect price
to reach unprecedented levels this fall
4 Another instance cited hv Mr.. lgoo t,
y how that taxes are being showed off Of
81 the public was the action Of am apart
j, ment owner in Baltimore who required
IN his contract that if his nroper+v wa
% reassessed the tenant pay the additional
- taxes pro rata
g Chairman Camnbell said potatoes wer
e bought by Washington retailer a
y sis5 a barell and sold for $50 ..
d. The salaried man is being made t,
bear the burden Of the war taxes. do
= clared Mr.. Igoc ''and he has no way t.
or pass it on to the public. Eveotuqilv h
IS viii be the man who will pay all the wa
er taxes
e Opinion was expressed By Chairman
Esch of the house interstate and fore'g
s. commerce committee that first actior
ed would come in the senate on Legislation
n creating a wage commission He expect
&C. th'0 to be presented to CONGRESS- carl
1t this week in the form Of bill being prc
III pared by Director General Hines am
OF others Interested.
10 "Onr committee he added, "wiIl COZ
ne 'inue in the mean time on hearinqs a
y to the future railroad policy and take u
- the srecial legislation as soon as it reacl
lal es us
aif inly cho