Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-19
Blamed by Senator Walsh for
Existing High Prices of
Food and Other Commodities
Essential to Existence.
CONGRESS URGED TO
HURRY UP CAMPAIGN
Sale Of Surplus Army Food
Begun, Many Million Pounds
of Canned Meats, Beans and
Other Staples Being Bought.

Washington, Aug. lS-(By the AS
sociated Press. .)-Quicker action by
congress in the campaign to reduce
the cost of living was urged today
on the senate and house. Senator
Walsh declared high prices were at
the bottom of all the unrest and
charged that congress was wasting
time when something should have
been done already in response to
President Wilson's recommenda-
tions.
Mayors of New Jersey cities ap-
pearing before the house agricul-
ture committee said action was
needed at once to stop the rising
scale of prices. Regulation of i'm
ports was one means suggested. The
amendment broadening the food
control act will be considered to-
morrow by the committee and prob
ably reported to the house.
Selling Army Food.
Sale of surplus army food began
today at storage centers throughout
the country. Definite reports were
not available, but it was believed
that orders had been received for
many millions of pounds of canned
meats, beans and other staples, to
be sent out by committees.
Debate in congress was occupied
to a great extent by living cost
problems.
Absence of quorum in the house
delayed until tomorrow final action
on a resolution calling for the fed
eral trade commission tot begin def
mite inquiry into "the Increase III
the price of shoes" J
Representative Siegel, republican,
New York, submitted figures on the
increased cost of clothing which he
said were obtained by New York
clothing manufacturers and showed
that in most cases the retailer
makes 50 per cent profit and in some
places 100 per cent
Manufacturers Cost.
: The manufac cturer's cost, he said,
was due to the cost of labor. He
presented figures to show that an
overcoat costing the manufacturer
$l0S5 in 1917, advanced to $l7.57 in
1918, and to $3.50 by last week. He
urged that dealers be required to
mark the cost prices on all COM
modities.
The United Fruit company was at
tackled by Representative Fitzgerald,
democrat, Massachusetts,. who as
serted it had made a 40 per cent
profit, and paid off millions of dol
lars of bonded Indebtedness not due
for some time.
Investigation of freight charges to
determine whether there was fraud
in capitalization of railroads as
before the interstate COM
tnerce committee was urged by Rep
resentative5 Huddleston, democrat,
Alabama, who asserted the transpor-
tation charges affect retail prices
tthree or four times"
Palmer Asks Aid.
New York, Aug. 18.-Attorney
General Palmer, addressing the fair
price committee here, appealed for
aid in sending to Jail "unconscion-
able profiteers" in the necessaries OF
life. He said he had come from
to give instructions for
conducting the campaign here for
fair prices, because New York is
the natural leader in this movement
and the eyes of the nation are fixed
upon it.
THE prices set by fair price COM
mittees will be accepted as stand
ard" said Mr., Palmer, and charges
IN excess of those prices will be
orima facie evidence Of. profiteering.
II am trying to have congress pass
/ law which will make profiteering
/ crime 1t is not now crime un-
ess two or more persons combine
-