Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-12
MOVE GLOVER
LIVING COSTS
President Pushes Plan for
Checking PTOfiteaing
ACTION ON FOOD HOARDERS
Department of Justice EnIists
Aid of Consumers In Drive
on n. G. of L.
ACTION ON FOOD HOARDERS
" Special Correspondent

w Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.-Here Is
q summary of one weeks proposals
and activities by official Washington
in the consideration of the high cost
of living.
PRESIDENT WILSON appeared
before a joint session of Congress and
asked for legislation to curb profiteer-
ing. He urges a license system COW
ering all concerns engaged in inter
state commerce, that the federal gov
eminent may at all times lay a heavy
hand or profiteerS.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
brought suits for violation of the anti
trust laws against the Big Five pack
ers1Armour, Swift, Wilson, Morris
and Cudahy, charging unlawful COM
binations to control food and food
prices. Instructed all agents to ar
rest p~roffteers and food-hoarders I'M
der provisions of Lever food-control
act. which prohibits destroying, vast
ing, monopoliZing or exacting Excess
sive prices for n~ecessaries of life.
WAR DEPARTMENT prepared
plans for sale of surplus army food
stuff worth s132,137, 700 direct to con-
Bumers by parcel post on August IS.
Continued sales of surplus food stuffs
30 municipalities at cost. Postofice
department announced parcel post
weigh limit would be increased to 125
pounds for army sale. Secretary
Baker announced that after fo~odstuffs
are disposed of, department would
place on sale in the same way cloth
ing, shoes, blankets and other sup
plies.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ION
tinued to gather figures on high cost
OF living for Congress. Housing Blu
fcau placed thousands of dollars
{worth of furniture in Washington at
cost.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
reported no economic justification for
high price of shoes, laying the lame
on packers, manufacturers and re-
tailers for taking excessive pronts.
Commission continued work on its re-
ports on the packers and investiga-
tion of production costs.
II. S. GRAIN CORPORATION con-
sidered having government pay far
mers guaranteed price OF $2.26 for
wheat and sell it to the public at
$3.50, loss to be absorbed out of
b~illion-dollar appropriation made for
that p This. it Vas believed,
would restore five-cent bread. Side
tracked by opposition of Wheat Di-
rector Barnes.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES COM
MITTEE voted to begin consideration
on August IS of Kenyon and Ken
AIlCh DllIS " at1tilio @ho ~
trolling packing industry by licensing
and providing for appointment of re-
ceivers unless they obey law.
INITIATION OF CURRENCY
Senate adopted resolution providing
for an inquiry into the effect of in
fiated currency on the cost. of living.
Committee on banking and currency
will begin investigation. Senator
SInoot declared the worlds paper
currency totals $4,000, 10000 as
compared with $8,000,00O,O0O on
january 1, 1914.
HIGH PRICES5Senator Mcclellan
OF Tennessee introduced a resolution
asking for a bipartisan committee TO
inquire into the causes of high prices.
FARM ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
r.. w. Summers of Texas introduced
bill directing Secretary of Agricul-
ture to establish farm produce ex-
changes to give direct contact be-
tween producer and Rep
resentative Campbell of Kansas IN
troduced resolution providing De-
partment of Agriculture, Interstate
Commerce Commission and Federal
Trade Commission cooperate IN
working out a plan to stabilize cost
Of farm produce to the consumer.
neutrality-suspicious. John j..
Fitzgerald, of Massachusetts, pro
posed a resolution asking that $z'zo
wheat guarantee be removed, gov
ernment 30 make up deficit and bring
down the cost of flour.
SUGAR-Representative Elliott, OF
INDIANA, introduced bill to prohibit
Expectation of for two years