The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-21
WOULD PUNISH
RETAILERS WHO
ARE PR0F|TEERs
Bill Favored by House AgricuI-
turaI Committee
FARMERS ARE EXEMPTED
Palmer Says Little cougers" Cause
Much omplaint-Measure
VIII Search Them Out

Washington, Aug. 20.-At the sug-
gestion OF Attorney General Palmer,
the House Agricultural Committee dc
cided tonight not to exempt retailers
doing business of less than 100000
from the anti-profiteering sections in
the Food Control act. This means, as
Mr.. Palmer told the committee this
afternoon, that the Government will
be able to "go after the little fellows
as well as the big ones" The penal
ty OF two years Imprisonment with
an alternative fine of $4,000 will
thereby be imposed on all offenders,
and this will be applicable to the cor
ner grocery store as well as to the
great packers.
Up to this time, the section OF the
Food Control act that would apply to
these small dealers has been worth
less because 1t contained no penalty
clause But if the committee makes
the necessary changes-and Chair
man Haugen OF the committee said
tonight that it would probably do so
tomorrow-it is expected that the De-
pal llilcul VI JuollSC VIII DO al ASt
with the power it desires against the
little gougers.'
The committee abandoned its idea
of price-flxing scheme on the advice
of the Attorney General. He said
such change would involve bringing
to life once more the elaborate ma
chinery OF the Food Administration
or the licensing authority. In addi-
tion, he said that the power thus au-
thorized would be so drastic that 1t
would not be sanctioned by Congress-
without long delay. Chairman Hau-
gen has been an ardent advocate OF
such system, but he said tonight
that the committee would not now
insist upon it.
While the committee took the At
torney Generals counsel in the two
particulars mentioned, it rejected his
suggestion that farm corporations or
ganized for profit should be included
in the anti-profteering extension. The
members of the committee are chief
ly from agricultural districts and
have great sympathy with the farm
ers. Mr.. Haugen said that no evil
dence has been submitted showing
profiteering by the farmers, and that
they had in some States been "perse-
cuted. not prosecuted"
While the committee was working
this afternoon on the changes in the
bill, which it expects to report to-
morrow, Representative MacCrate OF
New York put in a resolution on the
House floor asking the Attorney Gem
eral for specific details on all prose-
cutions for violations of the Food
Control act. He even asked for the
names of the persons and firms indict
ec.
The section Of the act under which
the department will be able to fight
the little gougers" is No. 4, and
reads as follows
"That it is hereby made unlawful
for any person wilfully to destroy
any necessaries for the purpose OF
enhancing the price or restricting the
supply thereof; knowingly to commit
waste or wilfully to permit prevent
able deterioration Of any necessaries
in, or in connection with their pro-
duction, manufacture, or distribution:
to hoard as defined in Section 6 of
this act, any necessaries; to monopo-
liZe or attempt to monopolize, either
locally or generally, any necessaries;
TO conspire, combine, agree. or ar
range with any other person, (a) to
limit the facilities for transporting.
producing, harvesting, manufacturing,
supplying, storing. or dealing in any
necessaries; (b) to restrict the sup
ply of any necessaries; (c) to restrict
distribution of any necessaries; (d)
to prevent, limit or lesson the manu-
facture or production. Of any necessar
les in order to enhance the price
thereof or (e) to exact excessive
prices for any necesaries; or to aid
or abet the doing of any act made un-
lawful by this section"