Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-21
FAIR M|LKPR|
Will Be ENFORCED;
PLAN BEEF SCALE
Nine Cents a Pint and
Eighteen Cents a Quart
Must Be Maximum.

Must Be Maximum.
In an effort to meet the situa-
ton resulting from the present
acute shortage of sugar. President
Wilson today revived the wartime
power of the federal government
over the nations food supply.
In a proclamation, the President
transferred to Attorney General
Palmer the broad authority exer-
cised by Food Administrator HOOv-
er during the war. While 1T is
Mr.. Palmer's present intention to
exercise this authority only so far
as sugar Is concerned, he Is pre-
pared to use it to meet any SINH
lar situations affecting other food
supplies which might arise.
Among the first acts of the De-
partment of Justice, 1T il UNDER
stood, will be the establishment OF
n price Of IL cents a pound whole
sale for all sugar, except the
Louisiana crop, part OF whcih al
ready has been fixed at IL CENTS.
This Increase Of price was said to
he necessary to prevent n famine
during the early part of next year.
Sharp curtailment OF sugar con-
sumption by candy and soft drink
manufacturers also will be ordered,
as officials declnre the present
shortage In due in n measure to
the Increased consumption of candy
and soft drinks which has followed
the enforcement of prohibition.
Any price in excess of 9 cents per
pint or IS cents per quart for milk
when sold over the counter is excess
sive, in the opinion of the District
fair price committee, and all COM
plants of milk being sold at higher
figures will be referred to United
States District Attorney John E. Las
key, who met with the committee at
the Department of Justice late yester-
day afternoon.
The committee, which met to hear
the reports of it's subcommittee.
adopted a ! resolution that sales of
milk at 10 cents or more per pint and
10 cents or more per quart were not
justified. and Mr.. Laskey promised
quick action on any cases referred to
him by the committee. 1t is the hope
of the committee that the price can
be reduced to II cents per quart
shortly, but no action to that end has
yet been taken.
New Price Control Plan.
IAN entirely new plan for controll-
ing the retail fresh beef prices was
agreed on by the committee, acting
on the report of the subcommittee
which includes DIR. W. C. Fowler.
health commissioner; Miss E. J. Goode
m9 e4Eross profit Of 3aM per cent
VIII be allowed on fresh beef. and q
BE- prepared Showines the
price each cut should sell for when
thss gEics foE side or the entire car
For example If the entire carcass
Is bought by the butcher for 20 cents
a. pound the chart will show how much
the sirloin, chuck, roundsteak, ribs,
etc, should bring per pound at retail.
The vertical columns of the chart will
show the ordinary range Of prices
and the horizontal lines will give the
cuts of meats. These charts will be
posted in every meat shop and will
be given wide distribution.
In. addition every. butcher will be
required to have a conspicuous sign
in his shop showing the wholesale
comparing the wholesale price with
the chart the customer can determine
what is a fair price for the cut he
ordered.
Soon to Decide on Prices.
The committee has not yet worked
out the prices at which the cuts
should be sold, but this will be done
within a few days.
No fair pricelist'' such as was is
sued during the war and for a time
last summer will be published by the
committee.
Instead close watch will be kept on
retail stores. principally through vol
unteer workers. and comparisons with
known Wholesale prices will quickly
show whether there is any prof1teer-
ing.
The subcommittee on shoes has
worked out such a system, and has
written to AL manufacturers who have
sold shoes to Washington dealers
within the last six months asking for
a report of; the amount Of such sales
consists of Mrs. c. S..
HamliR, Joseph StraSburger and Ed.
win D. Atkinson.
Accountant at Work.
Mr.. Atkinson. who is an expert &C
countant, is now examining, the books
of three representative shoe retail
houses-one on F street, one in
and one in the northeast
orally accepted by the trade as a
fair margin of profit, and what are
the operating costs of the business.
Representatives will then be appoint
ed in the larger government offices
and other places where large groups
of consumers may be reached, and
these representatives will ask a num-
Der of his associates to save their
sales slips when buying shoes. The
sales slips thus gathered will repre-
sent every branch of the trade in
WASHINGTON, and they will be turned
over to the fair price committee
headquarters for comparison with the
wholesale price lists. Specific COM
paints, however, will not have to
wait on this system of rice-ch ecking.
for determining fair price margins of
groceries and other provisions, and this
is expected to give better satisfaction
than the old price list method. 1t has
been the experience OF Chairman Clar-
ence R Wilson of the committee. dur
the armistice, that the naming of any
maximum price has tendency to raise
prices which may otherwise on occasion
fall below the official figure.
Turkeys for Thanksgiving day will
be plentiful, according to reports re-
at prices as high as they were year
ago the matter will be brought to the
attention of the district attorney. The
committee will not attempt to say what
the retail price should be, however, as
it believes competition will keep it
within reason, especially when it is
known that the government is watching
the market.
Because of the great variety of articles
and the wide range of styles and quality,
the committee finds the task of checking
up on prices of clothing for men and
women a difficult one, but the subcom-
mittees are endeavoring to fix a schedule
covering staple articles of dress for both
sexes, and specific complaints will be
taken up in the meantime whenever
there appears ground for action.
The committee has fixed l cent per
pound as the normal margin Of profit