Evening star., 1919-08-16
j. S. AGENTS SEIZE
BUTTER, SUGAR AND
EGGS IN STORAGE
Buffalo, Canton, Nashville
/. and Detroit Reveal Large
Quantities of Food.
PRICES REDUCED HERE
ON FRESH VEGETABLES
Big Chicago Packers Deny Ohio
Governors Accusations of
Hoarding.

A4V0A0AA6'
Salient points today in the local and
national campaign for reduction of
living costs generally were:
Continued activity of federal
agents in the search for boarded
foods; reported seizure at Canton,
Ohio, Of 100 tons of sugar belong
ing to the C. D. Kenny Company;
mion pounds of butter and more
than 100000 eggs in cold storage
warehouses in Buffalo; seizure of
1850 cases of stored eggs at Nash
Vile, Tenn; seizure of nearly 10,-
100000 storage eggs at Detroit.
Statement of the bureau of labor
statistics, Department of Labor,
that general living cost has ad-
vanced approximately 80 per cent
from December. 1914, to June,
1913. Food and clothing cost in
1o4 per cent at Norfolk to 157.07
per cent at Chicago.
More stands in Center market
E. and Louisiana avenue market
&: quoted greatly reduced prices on
fresh vegetables.
Deny Food Hoarding.
Big Chicago packers. accused by
Gov. Cox of Ohio, deny that they
are boarding food or manipulating
food products in storage in order
to force prices up.
Reports of continued activity on the
part Of agents of the Department of
Justice in locating. libeling and seiz-
ing immense stores of food products
n nj he
country continued to come to the
department today. ]. c. Breitenstein,
assistant United States attorney for
the northern district of Ohio. re-
ported that Deputy Sheriff Walsh of
Cleveland. acting under his authority,
belonging to the c. D. Kenny Co. of
Baltimore, stored in Canton, Ohio. and
that libel proceedings had been insti-
tuted for the condemnation and sale
Of the sugar.
Reports Of seizure Of vast quantities
Of b0eeee&nd eggs found IN storage in
Buffalo, Detroit, Nashville and other
places also were received at the depart
ment.
Respond to Invitation.
Food dealers of this city began re-
spending today to the invitation of
Clarence r. Wilson, former District
food administrator, to attend the mass
meeting called for next Thursday night
at Central High School for the purpose
Of organizing Fair Price Association.
Indications were that the meeting will
be largely attended. ard that little, If
any, difficulty will be experienced In
launching the projected organization Of
food dealers who will pledge themselves
to refrain from charging unduly high
prices.
Marginal profits promulgated for the
food industry by the food admins
tration during the war may be adopt
ed for Washington by dealers here
who propose to organize a fair price
association at a meeting to be held
next Thursday night at the Business
High School.
Trade representatives on Clarence
r. Wilson, fair price committee which
held meeting yesterday afternoon
expressed the opinion that local deal
ers would agree to accept. for the time
being the marginal profits promulgat-
ed as wartime measure. They
indicated. however, that it would
probably be necessary to increase the
margins allowed on eggs and butter.
Another Meeting Next Week.
There will be another meeting of
the committee early next week at
which final decision will be reach
to be submitted at Thursdays mass
meeting.
Yesterdays meeting of the fair
price committee served to accentuate
the fact that the proposed fair price
association will oe the contribu, ion
of the dealers to the general efforts
being made to check profiteering and
that it will represent their most eff
fective endeavors to this end. 1t ap-
pears. in fact, that the association
will do its own policing against
profiteering. Retail dealers claim that
the members of the trade are not re-
sponsible for the high prices obtain
ing here They have offered to make
public their invoices. They expect to
prove their statements to the satis-
faction of the punlic, to The operati
of the fair price association.
This association may become a per-
manent body. Mr.. Wilson. the food
administrator, is without authority to
enforce a fair price list of a system
of marginal profits. but the proposed
association. 1t appears. will be able to
function effectively by expelling mem
bers who sell at prices in excess OF
the margin to be agreed upon. It is
presumed that the public will Coop
crate to the extent of dealing only
with firms that are members Of the
association.