Arizona republican., 1919-12-09
LAWS AVAILABLE
NOW: BRING OUT
THEPROF|TEERS
High Cost of Living Confer
ence Here Marks Step in
Right Direction = Profi-
teers to Be Punished

With federal laws now available for
the regulation and punishment of
profiteers 1t remains now only for the
people to produce the -rich-quick-
ers, according to John II. Atwood, who
was here yesterday as the special rep
resentative OF the United States at
torney generals office and arrange
ments were made at yesterdays meet
ing here by which the people can get
a double Nelson strangle hold on every
guilty man.
The system provides for big COM
mittee In every county, composed of
representatives from the womens
club. business organizations, labor
unions and the public at large, with
one paid investigator. The commit
lees, through their individual or
EXAMINATIONS and on the information
which their paid and authorized in
Vestigators are empowered to get, will
report direct to Commissioner George
Smalley, United States fair price ad-
ministrator for Arizona Smalley, in
turn, will act with the assistance Of
the United States attorney, and the
federal courts will try the cases.
Profiteers, when convicted, accord
rs ~ NiAN iAtN ldNt Will NC lloiblt W
$4,000 fines or two-year penitentiary
sentences, or both.
Atwood comes here as one of the
big men of the nation, sent out by At
torney General A. Mitchell Palmer to
regulate the profiteers. The attorney
general, in letter to State Attorney
General Wiley +. Jones, introduces
Atwood as a Kansas City attorney,
graduate ne Harvard fa4 1.-Two
Of the department of justice. Atwood
came into national prominence in the
assistance he rendered the govern
ment in the campaign against the
packers. His participation in nvmer-
Gus other large prosecutions and i'm :
portant Administrative works also is
mentioned by the attorney general.
Retailers Causing Unrest
Speaking to the readers of The Re-
publican, Mr.. Atwood said:
The conduct of retailers throughout
the country is causing a condition of
unrest that may compel the govern
ment to open retail stores on a COM
petitive basis so severe that the bust
ness of the retailers will be ruined
This course is not desired by the gov
eminent, but something must be done.
The retailers realize the situation and
they are lining up now on the fair
price plank. In fairness to the honest
dealers it must be said that all are
not willing proflteers.
1T makes the whole public feel
sore" he continued, when extreme
instances of profiteering are discov-
cred and uncovered, although minor
instances are bad enough. A specific
case involves the sale of army dress
shoes in the east. Those shoes cost
the retailers $685. pair and were sold
to the public at s14.50. That sort OF
thing makes an anarchist of anybody
Prior to the war;" Atwood con-
tinued, retailers were averaging prof
its of from IL to IS per cent, while now
their averages range from % to AZ
per cent and shoe retailers throughout
the country are averaging 80 per cent
Now it seems to me that SO per cent
is going pretty strong.
Pleased at Meeting
Il want to express my delight in tbs
attitude of the merchants at today:
meeting" Atwood added, they are {
patriotic and enthusiastic lot. If they
maintain the stand they took today
the high cost problem for Arizona /:
solved"
Governor Campbell presiding at yes
terdays meeting, took occasion t
qualify Atwood's statement slightly
by saying that the Arizona people ar;
the greatest little starters in thu
world and that he did not feel that tn,
high cost problem was solved quite yet
The governor believes that yesterday
meeting marked a good days work
but that lot more work remains Il
be done. 1t Is the governors belle
that the campaign against old Hi Cos
has merely received a first class start
The merchants of Arizona, in &C
cordance with a resolution yesterday
will be called upon to place themselve
on record in regard to their ideas o
profits. The plan is to equalize al
profits. regardless Of ultimate prices
such as may be influenced by loca
conditions. At q subsequent meeting
it is hoped to work on the expected
report of the merchants and to declar,
a percentage of profit that merchant
can be expected to have from tn
public. This percentage, according t,
the sense of the meeting, was to b.
considerably under SO per cent.
Those Present
One Phoenix shoe dealer yesterda,
stated his position in startling terms
He said that his main line of shoe
had cost him $3.50 a pair. that he wa
selling those shoes at $3.50 a pain
that his supply was almost out an,
that the wholesalers were asking hin
to pay $3.50 a pair for the next 10
that he bought. He left it to the con
ference TO consider his position.
Atwood left by train late yesterda,
for Utah where he will continue hi
campaign. Those present at yester