The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-08-20
HIT
A BODY BLOW
GOVERNMENT is SLASHING
PROFITEERS ALL OVER
AMERICA.
PEOPLE ORDERING
$50, 100000 in Groceries Be
ing Distributed All
Over Country.

The government is striking a body
blow at the profteers this week.
Sixty thousand postal employees
are busy taking orders and distribut-
ing government supplies all over
America. approximately one hundred
million dollars worth Of government
food supplies are being distributed to
the people at and below cost. The
distribution is being made by munic-
ipalities, and where they have failed
through civic bodies, and where these
were not authorized, the postoffice
department has undertaken the bur
den and the distribution is being
made.
Postmaster Sharp, the postofice
clerks and letter carriers and ruraI
carriers were all busy Monday morn
ing filing orders. The lists published
in The Dispatch Sunday morning
were eagerly scanned and orders were
soon compiled The postoffice de-
partment ruled late on Saturday that
only first zone postage would apply
to all shipments, and this changed
the cost of all shipments to this city
from New Orleans very much. Capt
Sharp had figured all shipments to
Columbus from New Orleans on the
third zone rate and it hwas necessary
to revise the whole schedule Mon
day morning which was speedily
done. Orders began to pour in and
they continued all day yesterday
Elsewhere appears a corrected state
ment of prices and first zone post
age.
Ia addition to the government dis
tribution of army supplies through
the postoftices, municipalities and
civic bodies thu Department OF JUS
tice got busy and millions Of dollars
worth Of boarded food was seized
over the country and will be put On
the market this week. Two million
dollars worth Of butter, eggs, and
sugar was seized in st. Louis, Kan
sas City, Chicago, Detroit and other
cities and il will be sold. Hundreds
of tons Of boarded food products will
be seized in other cities and sold to
the American people under plans Of
the war and postoffice departments.
Five million eggs in Chattanooga will
be libeled and thrown on the market
this week and libel proceedings
against hoarders all over America
will begin this week and probably
ten thousand indictments will follow
Pertinent and appropos is the state
ment issued by the bureau Of labor
statistics at Washington last Satrr-
day relating to the high cost Of Iiv-
ing. The cost has increased eighty
lc- cent in Az years, food and
clothing showing the largest increase
The South was affected as badly as
any other section of America. The
increase in some southern cities was
as follows: Savannah 1916; Jack
sonville 764s; Mobile 76.64 From
last December to June this year the
increases were the largest. In six
months the cost Of living iacreased
as follows: Atlanta 1922, toodstuff
and clothing showing an i ease Of
4069 In Birmingham the-p was sB
increase Of 1913, with food aad cloehx
ing increased 29.S4. Memphis showed
an increase Of 1925, with food and
clothing increase Of 1888. New Or
leans showed an average Increase Of
20.75 with a food and clothing IN
,rease Of $3.50. These were the in
,reases for only six months, unless
checked by the governre-t which.
would have precipitated food riots
and revolution.
The government food distribution
begins today. Get in touch with the
oostOffice, get the lists and prices
and get in line. Millions more in J
iood supplies are TO be distributed
nd 80. aar -. -