Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-09-20
GET "H|CHER-UpS" SAY
 STATE MERCHANT ASSO
(Continued From Front Page)

the event that we do not, the govern, ment will send investigators of its own.
 "It has been suggested that fair price committees be appointed in ev. cry community. We must get this information" stated the governor, "it is big duty with us. We should get into the same spirit we were during the war; have big confidence in you men that you will do your part in clearing this up. Government to Help
 John H. Langston, assistant United States attorney, stated there had been no prosecutions in Arizona by the government for profiteering. The reason was, he said. because it is the announced policy of the government to leave this matter to the state. If ! the state fails to carry out the recorn- mendations and enforce the laws, the federal government will then act.
 "The government is giving the pno- pie this opportunity" declared Mr. Langston, land it is hoped that they appreciate it. The thing to do is to make it very unpopular for d man not to come forward and cooperate. We are accumulating large amount of information.
 Louis B. Whitney told the mer- chants that the state law in regard to profiteering was almost as strong as the federal law. The mast difficult thing, he said, was to get the eviden- ce. However, he declared that if the merchants will cooperate with the state government, that the latter would work with the federal govern ment.
 George F. Smalley, representing T.. A. Riordan, state food commissioner, stated that during the war Arizona had the finest food administration or ganization in the union. Enforcement was left with the merchants, which said MT. Smalley, is the spirit the United States wishes displayed now
 "The food administration was all , most entirely suspended at the sign ing of the armistice," said MT. Small ley. '"The bars were let down. It is the desire of the government to re- turn to former conditions. Because we found 13 retail dealers and one wholesale store in Tucson taking un- reasonable profits, it was naturally thought that it covered about every thing those dealers handled. On the contrary" said MT. Smalley, "it rep resented only comparatively few commodities.
 "There is more squalor and poverty in Tucson among the lower class than ever before," MT. Smalley declared. He told of some extreme cases.
 "Do you know that a man in Tue son, working for the state, died of starvation? He had four or five lit tie children and was working at the university for only $60 month. It was found after his death that he had denied himself for those children un- til he actually came to his death by starvation, and this in the state of Arizona. The state of Arizona is re- sponsible for such low wages. It has not kept up with the high cost of, living.
 'Tn our investigation we paid par ticular attention to the stores patro- nized by the poorer people. In one which has a meat market department, the proprietor told me that he knew of customers of his who had not had meat for 30 days.
 "In looking over the business men assembled here," said Harry A. Diehl, Fl hardly think they could be called profiteers. Conditions that confront the merchant today Hare serious. During the war we thought we had hit