The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-08-02
HIGH PRICES OF FOOD
MUST CONE DOWN some.
High government Officials are Prepar-
ing To Go After The Profiteers
With Sharp Stick
OF OHIO ALSO GETS BUSY

Washington, Aug. 1.-Govermen-
tai machinery was set in motion yes
terday in response to demands from
the public that some official action be
taken to relieve the high cost of liv-
ing.
Prices, as they affect the average
citizen, assumed first place in inter
est in the capital. At the White
House President Wilson was said to
be giving deep and very thoughtful
consideration" to problems presented
to him and the Railroad Administra-
tion by members of the railroad
brotherhoods, who represented that
prices would have to come down or
wages go up, if social unrest was
not develop into unheavel.
In the Senate and House, the stu
alton gave rise to several resolutions
to investigate the cause of existing
price levels, another to reduce the
volume of currency in circulation as
means of debating prices, one to
request the Attorney General to stop
speculations in food on exchanges,
and another to sell this years wheat
crop at market prices instead of at
the government guarantee, the differ
ence to be made up by the govern
ment.
Attorney General Palmer met 8
high government officials whom he
had summoned to his Office for dis
cussion of high costs and the best
methods to pursue to effect reduc-
ton.
After a general talk, lasting near
ly three hours, the conference dis
banded to meet again, probably next
week, for further council based on
additional information to be collect
ed in the meantime.
Those attending thd conference
included Secretaries Glass, Houston,
Redfeld and Wilson, Director Gener-
al Hines, Chairman Murdock, of the
Federal Trade Commission, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury Letting
well and w. B. Colver, of the Feder-
al Trade Commission.
AS a step toward breaking high
prices, plans are being made by Sec
retary Baker, Postmaster General
Burleson and Representative Kelly
of Pennsylvania, to sell through the
parcel post surplus army food stocks
valued at $124,OO0,000.
Production cost figures have been
obtained by the commission on in
dustries representing S30,000,O0O,-
600 worth of capital, as a result of
the activities during the war in ad-
vising the Government what prices
to pay for. the millions of dollars Of
purchases made by it.
The commissions Investigations
during the war, all of which dealt
only with the most authoritative in
formation derived from books of
involved, are said to have
shown that profteering was at min
mum in the retail trades, most of
he exhorbitant prices which are be-
ng made going to the manufacturers
md wholesalers.
AS a remedy, the commission gen.
erally will put on license system
,or corporations doing an interstate
business, the system to be applied
irst in those cases where the mulct-
ng of the public has been most fla
yrant.
Figues showing that retail meat
lealers in Washington are averaging
LOO per cent. profit on. all sales of
neat were cited before Senate Dis
rict Of Columbia Subcommittee in
,estigating living costs in the dis
rict.
E. A. Calvin, representing the Cot
on States Official Advisory Market
ng Board, told the committee that e
While, July l, retail dealers in Wash t
ngton, according to figures of the j
Department of Agriculture were pay h
ng from 18 to 19 cents pound for t
ressed beef, they were dispOsing of o
ne entire carcass at an average {
rice of not less than 40 cents d
ound. b
Officials of Ohio are also on the
rail of food profteers and Michigan f
lans similar action. Sale by the n
iovernment of surplus war feed sup f
lies is expected to afford only tenn a