Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-07
FOOD, FOOD PRICES, LAWS AND US.

The government has ordered inquiry
and prosecution of profiteers and food
hoardcrs thru federal attorneys. The
packers are 10 be sued as they probab-
ly deserve TO De. 4 wholesale house
hitch was selling sugar at 10 cents
Wholesale has been pinched, Inquiry
- 10 be made il Iowa by the food ana
dairy commission, and so on.
1t will all help some. II the govern
ment is to order out of cold storage
the food stuffs thus held and which
may be ordered out under the boarding.
act the supply thus thrown on the
market will affect the prices of eggs,
poultry and other foods which are
held in storage. 1t will also seriously
affect the primary prices of perishab!e
articles IL they are not 20 be stored
but sold Immediately on the market
does the government propose to do
that? If so we can expect a drop in
butter prices and other food articles
that depend upon storage for preset
Walton for any length of time. That
drop would Of course affect the pro-
Queer at once by lowering prices.
1t is a question how far the govern
ment may go in controlling prices and
PERCENTAGES of profit The boarding
law is effective against boarding. IN
der 1t boarding is a felony punishable
by prison and by heavy fines; but it is
not at all certain that any such penal
ties may be legally laid upon those who
take exorbitant percentages of profit.
During the war orders from the food
administration went. Public sentiment
and the fear Of publicity held the
smaller profiteer down. Il is not of
evidence, however. that the large pro-
fteers failed Of their huge profits in
deals with the government. Now that
the war is over the ordinary business
man may insist upon being shown the
law under which he may be entirely
controlled as 10 his percentages Of pro
fit. Not that percentages allowed by
the food administration were too low.
Food dealers made more actual money
CT food than they had before.
But the retailer was under control.
And il is 10 the high credit Of the re-
tailers Of this county that they accept
ed the control. pledged themselves to
conform TO the regulations, did con-
form to them and gave every assist
ance to their enforcement. They re-
parted hoarders. Farmers reported
hoarders Hoa-ding was a crime in the
eyes Of the people of this section.
To both the retailers and the con-
sumers the charges made openly Will
then come with shock that
when the consumer and the retailer
and public generally were striving to
obey and enforce the boarding act the
administration was agreeing with
packers and Gamers TO hoard any sur
plus the government might have at the
end Of the war until those interests
had packed and sold the ensuing seas
ons output.
1t is a muddle. 1t affects all int
erests this new activity on the part of
the administration which had its hand
forced by the demand Of railroad en-
ployes. Food prices must come down
Of course but the primary producer
desires to retain his prices. the dis
tributors wish 10 keep their percent
ages, and the worker insists that his
wage shall be raised while at the same
time insisting that the cost of living
shall be lowered.
We shall DO some good, no doubt,
by the prosecutions against profiteers,
By enforcement Of the boarding act If
it shall be enforced. by congressional
action perhaps, but the real solution
Of the high cost of living lies with our
selves. We can't bid up the market
individually and collectively and lower
! the market at the same time; we cant