The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-31
Declares Violations Will Be Re
ported to Federal Attorney.
Commission to Continue Setting
Profits in Topeka.
CONSUMERS ARE DETECTIVES
They Must Report excessive
Charges" Is Assertion.
Price Chief Does Not Fear a
Court Injunction.


gard the county fair price commit
tees list of prices if they see fit to.
Let the people, when they are
overcharged, report such violations to
the committee.
Then the fair price committee will
get busy and have the case referred
to Fred Robertson, United States dis
trict attorney. at Kansas City,
That was Chairman W. H. Kemper's
answer today to statements by the
grocers that they would disregard the
price list fixed by the committee. This
list OF prices. according to Kemper,
viii stand, with possibly a few minor
changes as decided on from time to
time by the committee. The commit
tee was to meet in executive session
this afternoon.
The consumers must act as "detec-
tives" If violations of the fair price
committees order are to be brought
to the attention of government agents.
If a person is asked too high a price
for certain articles, he should refuse
10 buy, is Kemper's advice. If, how
ever. he chooses to purchase and then
viii report the violation. kemper VIII
communicate by next mail with Ed
r. Hackney, of Wellington, chairman
OF the state VINO VIII IIldhC
investigation and report his find
ings to Robertson. The federal at
toraey will prosecute If the merits OF
the case justify.
VIII Ignore Protest.
Kemper today received the letter
from the grocers' advisory committee
TO the commission wherein the COM
mittee refused to serve in the capacity
for which it was appointed. The stand
taken by the grocers will be ignored,
Kemper said, and the price commits
sion will continue TO function,
If advice in setting prices on gro
Cerics and meats is desired individual
<rocers will be called before the com
mir-ion. it was asserted.
Kernper expressed little fear that
q court will grant the talked of injunc
ton to be asked by the grocers.
IF the district judge will call the
fair price committee before him at
the 50 me time the grocers appear for
their injunction, if they do. the in
Junction will not be granted" he said.
We have full authority to set these
prices from an act of congress The
price list will stand with the possible
exception OF few minor details we
expect to work out at meeting this
afternoon. The price commission Will
continue its work and act further in
other fields involving prices of nee
eS-'ties of life"
e fair price committees tele-
pl'. number is 473. The Southwest
ern Bell company donated the phone
for the committees use without
charge. Kemper said
Groccrs Attack Kempcr.
Representative grocers. denouncing
". II. Kemper. chairman of the Shaw
nee county fair price committee, as
radical. biased, ignorant and unfair
d Jared today that they will ignore
his price list and continue to sell their
~ n16 Ia
They declared that Kemper had ar
bitrarily fixed the prices on iO3 arti-
cles without considering cost, quality
or overhead expense. They denounced
him as inca pable of filling the posi-
tion he is holding and announced their
determination to run their business in
their own way. They are, however,
willing to cooperate with any "rea-
sonable" persons in seeking a means
of reducing living costs. they said.
These statements were made in an
interview this morning by Harry
. Whitellsey, Fred Morns. Ivan Dibble
a nd Bert Green. On most of the arti-
Giles upon which Kemper set the price
they are losing money, they said.
They pointed out that prices in Topeka
now are lower than in nearly any
other city of the United States and
that a fair price committee is not
needed to reduce them more.
Competition. they said. among the
SEQ groceTs of Topeka, has forced
prices down to the lowest level at
which it is possible for any grocer to
do business. They urged that if the
public warts to cut down it's grocery
bill that it should watch the grocery
advertisements in the newspapers and
buy where foodstuffs may be obtained
the cheapest.
Claim Uniformity Impossible.
They pointed out that it was next to
impossible to fix one price on any ar
tiCle at which every grocer could SELL
owing to the different times at which
purchases were made and the amount
of overhead expense of different
stores. They claimed that Kemper
had refused to permit them to advance
prices even when the wholesale mar
ket price had advanced to where it
cost them more for certain articles
than they were allowed to sell for at
retail
SO far as eggs are concerned, the
CrOcers declared. there would be none
town were they to stick to KEN
per's selling price of so cents a dozen.
They would either have to lose ten
cents a. dozen or perm the farmer to
sell them outside of Topeka where he
can find a higher market, it was de-
Clared. Nevertheless, they expressed
their determination to buy as cheap
as possible and sell at a reasonable
profit despite the fair price commit
tee.
I'll