Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-26
Mere Bluff Won't
Check PrOfteers

{ ontinued From Page One
cncc. It aEentuates the impression
that the whole thing is matter of
politics with the starting point at
Washington.
The food administration officials in
Pennsylvania frankly expressed to At
torucy General Palmer their doubts as
to the cXpcdiency of his plan. At the
same time an honest effort was put
forth to render assistance along the line
he had chosen. All but about a dozen
of the sixty seven county admin
istratOrs ignored the request of Admin
istrator Heinz early last August to get
back into harness. and half of that
number declined to serve.
"What did the attorney general eX-
pect of them anyhow Did he imagine
they were going to throw business to
the winds now that the war was over to
assist the administration in a plan that
was forcdoomed to failure?' seemed to
be tho sentiment.
Even had all the county admins
traitors in Pennsylvania, at the behest of
Attorney General Palmer, volunteered
for the work, without money even for
absolutely necessary expenses, they
would have found it impossible to re-
cruit volunteer working force to give
the plan even a colorado measure of
success. As for paying inspectors. eX
aminers and deputies. it would have
required tens of thousands of dollars
and a small army in Pennsylvania
alone, to say nothing of the country at
large.
Why Palmer Has Failed
1t is for this reason that in my dis
patch of yesterday | stated that the
attorney generals plan is imperative
under food administration methods that
made the organization in Pennsylvania
the greatest success in the country.
Under the operation of the federal
food administration where state officials.
county administrators, and hundreds of
minor officials volunteered their services
certain necessary expenses such as Office
rent, stenographers, postage, printing,
travelling and incidentals, were partly
paid by the PENNSYLVANIA committee OF
public safety and council of national
defense. There is no such organiza =
tion in existence now and no state funds
available for such purpose.
Government assistance is out of the
| question. because thsre has been no ap
| preparation made for the purpose. II
is like law which describes a crime but
. l"i'' ~ f''N' i''' =" bNHhlNN
Tedious Legal DELAYS
The idea of reporting violations tc
| the United States district attorney is a
| drawback suthcient 0 dampen the ardol
| of the most enthusiastic volunteer
| There would be Investigations, grand
jury findings and everything but an
assurance of prompt action. There
would be the prospect of interminablf
delays, and in the end. possibly. a
nolle pros or indefinite continuance.
1t is an unpleasant condition to con
template. Protiteering is rampant. Yet
one may search the newspapers in vair
for the record of prosecution of d
protiteer, though the chaparal aroun,
Philadelphia is full of them.
Who shall decide who and what i
a protiteerf United States District
Attorney Francis Fisher Kane. o.
Philadelphia, for the eastern district
of Pennsylvania? Where is his fore,
of expert accountants and examiner,
such as were assembled under the di,
rection of Herbert G. Stockwell, o
Philadelphia, chief, of the division O
audits in the food administration
whose men came down like the locust,
of Egypt on the books of corporations
firms and individuals suspected o
profteering and fairly ate up figures
to discover the truth?
1t was possible for them. to deter
mine who were the profiteers. Wht
will do that work now? How will
Francis Fisher Kane, or even the at
torney general of the United State
himself. determine without examination
of books and accounts TO the satistsc
tion OF q jury who Is or who is no
guilty Of profteering under the law?