Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-23
PROBE OF PRICES
SHOWS BIC GAIN
BY WHOLESALERS
WatermeIons, for Instance,
Sold for Over 100 Per Cent
More Than Dealers
Paid for Them.

Continued From Page One.)
profits the state investigation
brought out new facts and figure:
yesterday which showed, for in
stance, the inside of the watermelon
business.
Selecting a typical one of many
cases, referred to by Harry Schef-
ferle, of Zipfel & Schefferle. bust
ness agents for the pool, Attorney
General Davis examined the records
of car No. 234S9 H. c. L., loaded
with watermelons, received in
Omaha July q, and the Shipment
split between Trimble Bros. and B.
Blotcky on a $3.50 basis.
Tells Watermelon Cost.
Mr.. Schefferle testified that the
melons cost $1o0 per cwt. on track
at Omaha and that incidental ex-
penses brought the actual cost to
Trimble Bros. and Blotcky at $l.66
per cwt.
With that basis to work on
James Miriovsky. Trimble Bros.
clerk, was called to testify as to the
selling prices to the retailers. He
offered the duplicate sales slips
which showed that these melons
were sold from 4 to 3 cents per
pound, most of them being disposed
of at 4 and 81 cents, and at time
when the prevailing retail price was
5 cents per pound. Thus it was
disclosed that the value of melons
was increased from % cents per
pound at the track to 5 cents a
pound in the retail store and that
the wholesaler sold them for more
than twice what he paid for them
1t was admitted that there is some
shrinkage in watermelons.
Potato Business Profitable.
Potatoes which cost the Trimbles
3.l3 cents per pound were sold by
them to the retailers at 5 and 4
cents a pound last month, most of
them being at and AZ cents.
The evidence on peaches and
plums did not show such margin
of profits.
]. Adler, representing the Ped
dlers' union, the next witness called,
testified that it was the aim of his
organization to sell cheaper than
the pool.
did you ever hear of combina-
ton of fellows holding up the price
of berries, strawberries, for in
stance?" the attorney general asked.
Says Prices Fixed.
eyes, I have heard of it," wit
ness responded. "Raspberries,
blackberries, loganberries and
strawberries-it is all the same
me or Levinson or Robinson can't
get them unless we pay the same
price they charge to the retailers.
They have been making 50 cents a
crate on berries"
DO you know anything about
Gilinsky going south to buy the
berry crop?"
II heard he went south in 1916
when he was married and he stayed
there all winter" the witness re-
piled.
Adler stated that his experience
had been that the prices asked by
members of the pool have been
generally uniform when other deal
ers tried to buy them.
Declares Lost Money.
Louis Sommer, grocer, Forty
ninth and Dodge street, related the
woes of the retail grocer. He de-
clared that he was losing money
on perishable vegetables he han
died, and that he carried this line
merely as an accommodation for
his patrons. He also said that he
did not make anything on butter,
eggs, sugar and that he would dis
pose of his meat department at 50
cents on the dollar.
He explained that yesterday he
bought sweet corn at M cents per
dozen and sold it at 80 to IS cents
and then just about broke even be-
cause his customers will accept only
the perfect ears and much has to
go to waste. Asked on what lines
he had made money he replied that
fancy groceries and canned goods
yielded fair profit.
Can you give US any information
that will he Up US in this investiga-
toni" the attorney general asked.
Blames Extravaganza.
1T is the high cost of extrava-
gance," he answered. For instance,
have good kind of cider vinegar
which is sold at 90 cents per gallon,
but the women would rather pay IS
cents a bottle for less than a quart
because the bottle has a name on it
and they read that name in the
magazines. He agreed that COOP
erative buying by pool of the
wholesalers would tend to keep
prices on level. He does mot re-
ceive written quotations from the
dealers of fruit and veee-
tables. Other information vouch-
safed by him was that his overhead
expense this year had been increased
BY $l83 per week for labor, and he
added that out of total business of
$4,000 last year he lost only $28 by
reason of failure to pay bill.
w. w. Bingham testified that his
firm did not make any money at all
this season on shipment of five
cars of red raspberries. He said
his concern was a member of the
pool.
Talked Over Fair Prices.
Ever hear of discussions at the
pool as to what fair prices should
Be-" was asked.
They may have talked that over"
the witness stated.
Harry Trimble, formerly of Trim
Die Bros. said he knew Of the noo1