Evening star., 1919-08-13
FAIR PRICES BODY
TO Be ORGANIZED
BY FOOD DEALERS
Decision Was Reached Today
at First Meeting of
Committee.
MASS Meeting CALLED
FOR ALL RETAIL SELLERS
Plan Goes to Attorney General
Palmer for Study-Relief in
Few Weeks Expected.

Appropriations aEgreGating near
ly S1.0oOJ0OO. with which to help
carry out President Wilson's sue-
Eestfons for reducing the cost Of
living, were asked Of Congress to-
day by the Commerce and Labor
departments.
Decision to form a fair price asso-
citation of retail food dealers was
reached today at the first meeting of
the fair price committee appointed
last night by Clarence r. Wilson.
former District food administrator.
At the meeting. held in Mr.. wilson's
office and attended by all but two OF
tnose designated as committee mem
bers, 1t was decided to set about or
ganlzing the association at once.
Eass Meeting in Day or Two.
All retail food dealers in the city
are to be notified of the proposition
ana invited to attend a mass meeting
to be held within the next day or
two. At this meeting the food deal
ers are to be informed Of the object
sought to be attained by the asso-
citation, and all who are willing to
become members will be enrolled
Members of the association will be
given display cards to be posted In
their places of business. the cards to
show membership and to pledge will
/ Hngness of those whose stores are
entitled to them to sell foods at fair
prices. Food dealers who are not
willing to make the required pledge
will not receive cards.
Attorney General to Study Plan.
The plan is to be submitted to At
torney General Palmer this afternoon
for an opinion as to its workability.
etc. and the Attorney General is to
be asked to address the mass meet
ing.
Differences of opinion arose among
those at the meeting as to the advis-
ability OF issuing a weekly fair price
nse OF foods. some members Of the
committee expressing the opinion that
establishment of fair percentage
margin would be more effective.
Hope for Relief In Few Weeks.
General opinion was that material
relief from present prices of foods
could not be expected for at least a
rev weeks. no matter what plan may
be adopted. However. it was urged
pr1ce association Of food dealers
housewives will be able to know what
dealers are willing to forego exces-
slve prohts. because only those who
will make such a pledge will be per-
mitted to display association cards.
Additional members of the commit
tee are to be named within a few
days. though no plan has yet been
prices of clothing, shoes, etc. That il
Will be relatively easy to regulate
coal and fuel prices was the opinion
OF those at today's meeting.
Specific Charges Made.
The district attorneys Office, it was
learned today. has received a number
of complaints from citizens citing
epeclfc cases of alleged price boosting
by local food dealers.
The Sherman antitrust law makes
it Illegal for dealers to enter into
agreement to regulate prices. but
there is no law under which the dis
trict attorney can proceed against an
individual dealer who sells his goods
at higher prices than his competitors.
The Information contained in the
complaints, however. may be of value
TO the food administrator. Clarence r.
wilson. when the price-fixinE COM
mittee appointed by him is Organized.
District Attorney Laskey was in
communication by telephone with Mr.
Wilson today and expects to confer
with him this afternoon on the food
situation, to find out in what way
they can cooperate in the work.
Mr.. Laskey said that. although the
investigation by his office is being
pushed. nothing has developed yet
that he could discuss for publication.
His inquiry is limited by law to
search for food boarding and for vio-
lators Of the Sherman law. The in
vestigators, it Is understood, do not
anticipate finding unreasonable
amounts of food stored away in the
District for the purpose of keeping II
on the market, because there are said
to be very meager accommodate in
the District for the storage Of food
First Legislative Steps.
The first legislative steps in the
program of action
seeking to secure a reduction in the
cost OF living were revealed today
when Attorney General Palmer, in a
letter received by the House agricul-
tural committee, recommended drastic
Of the existing food con-
troll law SO as to include wearing ap-