New-York tribune., 1919-10-14
individual Cases Will Be
Pushed as Soon as the
Amendments to Control
Statute Become Effective
Sugar Surplus Is Denied
Baker Says Army Is Ration
ing Supply and None Has
Been Shipped to Europe

WASHINGTON. Oct. 13.-Anticipat-
ing that legislation to stop profiteering
soon Will become effective, the Depart
ment OF Justice is putting The final
touches to its plans for procedure
"hen the new weapons are available.
Attorney General Palmer today
called a meeting Of the conferrees who
took the cost of living problem under
advlsement nearly three months ago.
Secretaries Glass, Houston and Wilson.
Chairman Murdock and ". 3. Colver
or the Federal Trade Commission.
Director General Hines, Assistant At,
torney General Ames, Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Treasury Leffingwell and
IL. E. Figg, assistant to Judge Ames.
were present.
Alter review of the progress made
so far, which was said to be rratifvinr.
considering that none Of the laws re
quested of Congress has been placed on
the statute books, the conference dis
cussed new steps to be taken when the
real campaign" Of the government is
started
Palmer Ready TO Prosecute
Officials declined TO indicate what
they had in mind, but it is known that
Attorney General Palmer is prepared
to proceed vigorously in a number OF
individual cases, involving both food
stuffs and clothing, as soon as the food
control law amendment to include the
latter and to provide a criminal penalty
for violations becomes law The
amendment has been passed by both
houses Of Congress.
Another conference is to take place
later in the week, probably Thursday
or Friday, at which time Secretaries
Baker and Daniels are expected to at
tend and to advise concerning the re-
lease Of surplus foodstuffs still held
by the military departments Of the
government.
Planning to take the public into his
confidence concerning action against
the cost CT living Attorney General
Palmer will make q number Of trips
into adjoining states, beginning the
latter part of this month. 1t was said
the trips would be similar TO his Jour
ney to Albany fov conference with
New Yori; State officials.
No Sugar Surplus Available
Neither the army nor the navy has
any large surplus Of sugar available
to place on the market to reduce the
present shortage, Secretaries Daniels
and Baker said to-day.
Eve are on a rationing basis now.
and on January ] we viii have to go
to the open market to buy sugar for
the army.
"At all shore stations we have started
to ration sugar." Secretary Daniels
said, "but on board ship, the men have
their usual supply. have ordered a
canvass Of the navy's supply to be
will be sold to the public
Secretary Baker to-day issued
denial of the report that the War De
partment held a large surplus and that
improvident sales had been made Of
sugar abroad. In part his statement
said:
81 have seen in the press statements
that the army had a very large surplus
Of sugar. and that the civil population
of the country was suffering from a
shortage. while the army had an over
supply. Some months ago told you
the army then had more sugar than
about disposing of the sur
plus was that if wc cut down to d two
Or three months supply, the money
rom the sale would go, according to
the law. into the Treasury, not into
The quartermaster's subsistence fund.
and we would not have any money TO
purchase sugar when we needed it,
Army on Sugar Ration
~ concluded, nevertheless. that the
wise thing to do was TO sell down to
-hree months supply, and 10 rely on
Congress to make new appropriations
at the end OF that time, but | found
this morning that the army is now
Down to two and a half months sup
ply. that the army is rationing itself
Just as the civil population is. and
hat there is no surplus OF sugar in
the army.
Last spring the army had a supply
81 64.o0o.000 pounds Of sugar, OF which
81 100000 pounds were turned over to
he Sugar Equalization Board
with regard to European sales,
here has been statement from time
to time that the army was sending
large stocks of sugar TO Europe None
Of the surplus sugar Of the army ever
has been sent to Europe"