Evening star., 1919-08-15
ATTORNEY GENERAL
To ADDRESS FOOD
DEALERS THURSDAY
Mr.. Palmer Will Speak on
H. C. l. at Central
High School.
CONTROL LAW BLOCKED
BY SOUTHERN SENATORS
Hoards Seized in Distant Sections.
Sugar Here to Stand-Fruit
=. and Vegetables Drop.

Developments today in the local and
national campaign to reduce the cost
of living and to bring the necessities of
life-food. clothing. fuel, etc.-to levels
within the reach of the average family
were:
Perfecting of plans for a mass
meeting of food dealers at Central
High School next Thursday night for
the purpose of forming a Fair Price
Association. Attorney General Pal
mer is to be speaker at the meet
ing.
Seizure by federal agents in vari-
Gus parts Of the country of huge food
stores. ostensibly held for export,
but believed to be boarded in viola
tion of federal cold storage laws by
profiteers seeking even more extor-
tionate prices.
Blocking by a small group of south
ern senators in the Senate committee
OH agriculture of efforts of the At
torney General to obtain enactment
Of food control law with teeth in it.
Assurances from managers of
chain stores and large adjustments
here that the price of sugar is not
TO be advanced from present levels.
Sharp decline in retail prices of
nearly all staple fresh vegetables
and homegrown fruits.
Attorney General to Speak.
Attorney General Palmer will ad-
eressI the mass meeting of food deal
ers to be held in Business High School
oext Thursday night for the purpose
Of forming fair price association
This announcement by Clarence r.
nj icfr
was accepted as an indication of the
governments interest in a plan which,
II worked out successfully here may
De recommended for adoption in other
eities.
The fair price association suSees-
ton comes from the dealers Them
eelves. 1t will be q voluntary orRani-
SAtiop-the contribution of whoiesale
And dsFptafl operators to the general
short being made to prevent profiteer-
ing. ss..,s...s.ss,ss.
Profits Margin; Inspection.
Clarence R. Wilson and a fair price
committee which he has partially
named, VIII control the organisation.
They will determine the margin of
prodts to be allowed and provide an
In NO way will be subject to the
rules except through their voluntarily
becoming members of the association
Expulsion of members from the as
sociation would be followed by the
withdrawal OF their membership
cards. That the public would not pa
tronixe stores which can't display evil
dences Of their aff1iiation with the as
socfation Is the theory underlying the
plan.
Retailers and, for that matter,
wholesalers in Washington claim that
high prices here are due largely to
food speculation outside. They don't
believe the fair price association will
20 far in lowering costs. They do be-
1ieve, however, 1t will be effective in
checking prohteering and stabilizing
prices on q marginal profit basis to
be regulated by the food administra-
tor and his fair price committee.
The Attorney General is understood
to be interested in the fair price as
sociation idea because it originates
with the dealers and he is desirous
that they shall be afforded every op-l
portunity to cooperate with existing
government agencies in the campaign
against prodteering in the necessaries
Of life.