, 1919-08-14
FOOD ADMINS
TRAITORS CALLED
". S. ATTORNEY GENERAL AID.
MITS LAW MAY NOT REACH
GoUGERS.
AFTER wPROFITEER|NG
ASKS FOR FAIR PRICE COMMIT.
TEE IN EVERY
COUNTY.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

western newspaper Union news service.
Washington, Aug. IL. = Attorney
General Palmer has started out to as
certain how much of the high cost of
living Is due to excessive profits by
retailers. In a telegram to all state
food administrators who worked with
Administrator Hoover during the war,
the attorney general requested the
appointment of a fair price committee
in each county to investigate what is
being charged for retail necessities
and If in excess of what the commit
tee considers just, to publish a list of
fair prices for the guidance of the
public.
Hoarders, on the other hand, can
be reached thru the war time food
laws or the Sherman act, and Mr..
Palmer requested the state food adj
illustrators to transmit to him any
evidence of boarding or other viola
lions of the law which they might en-
counter in their work, with the prom
Use that the governments law enforce
ment machinery would act promptly.
The attorney generals telegram fol-
lows:
I'm order to secure accurate infor-
nation relative to charges of profit
eering by dealers in necessary COM
modities it is the desire of the gov
eminent to ascertain whether or not
such dealers are making more than a
fair margin of profit.
"Will you assist in your state by
requesting those persons who have
LoN- o,, l-1l .u
der your jurisdiction to appoint fair
price committees, including one re-
taller of groceries, one of dry goods,
a representative of the producers, of
organized labor, of housewives, two
or three representatives of the public
generally, also a wholesaler when
practicable?
please request them to pursue ap-
proximately the same inquiry with
reference to food products and the
ordinary necessities in dry goods and
clothing that were pursued by your
fair-price committees under the food
administration act. This committee
will be an extra legal body, without
power to summon witnesses or fix
prices.
SIT is requested, however, to as
certain the cost prices, determine a
fair margin of profit, and II retail
prices are in excess of what the COM
mittee regards a fair price, to have
published its list of fair prices, re-
porting to o for review.
ANY evidence of boarding or other
violations of the food control act which
may be developed in the work Of such
committee should De turned over to the
United States attorney, who will be in
structed to employ all his resources as
well as those of the bureau Of investi.
CATION to cooperate with you and your
committees in seeking out and punish
ing all violators of the law.
There is a pressing necessity for
the restoration of normal conditions,
and 1t is believed that through the
same organization which you had as
federal food administrator, you and
your county administrators, together
with their appointees, can render a val
liable service to the country at this
time, and your cooperation and theirs
without compensation, will be greatly
appreciated.
'The widest publicity of this move
ment and the results obtained by the
county committees, 1t Is believed, will
be an important factor in Its success.
Please wire whether the government
can count upon your active co-opera-
tion."