Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-23
EXPECTS FOOD
PRICES TO DR. OPP
after JANUARY |.
H. C. |. Already Under Con.
troll, Says Attorney Gen.
eraI-Urges Elimination
of Extravaganza.

culation. In a statement to the
shopmen themselves, the president
delayed that the primary step was
to increase production and facilitate
transportation so as to make up for
the destruction wrought by the war
and the teri fble scarcities it created.
The president added that the govern
ment had taken up with all possible
vigor the task of bringing the pro-
fteer to book. making the stocks
of necessities in the country avail
able at lower prices, stimulating
production and facilitating distribu-
ton.
"The movement inaugurated at
that time to gain control over the
cost of living has been largely in
the hands of the Department of JUS
tice. 1t should be helpful to point
out what has already been accom-
plished and what further steps are
in contemplation. To assess the sit
uation it is necessary to look back
and ascertain what the trend of
prices has been in past years.
= Trend of Prices Upward.
Taking retail food prices as a
basis, the index numbers of the
United States Bureau of Labor sta
tistics from 1911 to 1919 indicate
that up to 1919 there has been a mo-
ticeable trend upward in such prices
in the fail of the year whereas since
August his year such retail prices
have been kept practically station
airy. BY way of illustration, during
the period August to November, in
elusive. 1916, there was an advance
ii, retail food prices as indicated by
the bureau of labor statistics of IS
points, IN 1917 10 points and in 1918
16 points, as compared with no in
crease whatsoever in the correspond
ing period of 1919. Considering the
four years from 1911 to 1915 inclu-
sive. retail prices show slight up
ward trend from September l to Oc-
tober l, a greater upward trend from
October to November !, and re-
manned practically stationary from
November l to December l. Dur
ing the four years from 1915 to 1918,
inclusive, retail food prices show
decided upward trend from August
to September and to October !,
and a slightly lessened but decided
upward trend to November ! and to
December l. This year during Sep
TENDER and October an actual re-
duction m the general level of retail
prices was effected as compared with
August, while the figure for Novem-
Der, although slightly above that of
October, shows no increase above
the August returns. In other words,
the off ,ial data clearly show the sig
nihcant fact that the cost of living
as indicated by retail prices was no
greater in November of this year
than it was in August, while during
former years, extending back to 1911,
the returns for November show a
increase over the Att
gus: returns.
Expect Slump by March.
1.-THE history of retail food prices
indicates that decided downward
trend ordinarily may be expected in
the part of the year between jan
uary | and March l and it is to be
hoped that this trend will be accel-
Grated this year by the campaign |
by the government which is
just now getting well underway.
No Penalty Provided.
"The Lever food control act, un-
der which the food administration !
operated and through the enforce
ment of which the Department OF |
Justice is now trying to reduce high |
prices, unfortunately did not pro-
vide a penalty for certain acts de-
clared to be unlawful, and therefore,
the Department of Justice was un-
able to effectively deal with many
cases of prohteering which came to
its attention. Realizing the gravity
Of this situation, the president APP
oeared before the congress on Au-
gust 8 and urged an immediate
of the food control act
10 extend its scope to all the neces-
sites of life, and to provide a pen
Atty for violation of the section four
IF this act, which made profiteering
Unlawful and to extend the life of
he act into peace time. The attor-
ley general appeared before the SEN
ate agricultural committee in August
md urged that amendments asked
~ the president be passed. Not
Until October %, however, cid these
become law, and only
since that time has it been possible
o deal effectively with all cases of
,rofiteering and boarding.
Officials Active.
while waiting the enactment of
additional legislation, however, the
of Justice did not re-
main inactive. Section Of the act
provided a penalty for boarding and
section 2 authorized the seizure and
'ale of boarded necessities. Since
he Lever act was amended to pro-
,ide penalty for profteer;ng, l79
have been instituted.
Under provisions of that act and in
I'll cases brought to trial thus far
convictions have been obtained.
There have been so cases of actual
seizures under section J of the act 7
md in many of these cases prosecu-
ions are also contemplated under
section E. In addition, % cases of
llleged boarding have been called
o the attention of United States at
orneys for Investigation, for seiz-
Tres and for prosecutions, if the
acts warrant.
Commodities Seized.
These seizures and prosecutions
lave covered 18 states and the COM
seized have included eggs,
butter, cheese, pork, poultry, lard,
1sh, sugar, potatoes, coffee, -four
md canned goods. Fifty-three Of
Ia ahoa-o $500 La.-o Loar d;snaead |