The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-19
COUNTY ATTORNEYS DuTv.

Cedar Rapids Gazette: OF course II
Is foolish to say there Is no profiteer-
Ing in or near Cedar Rapids, that ex-
cess prices are not charged here.
When the poor consumer buys a little,
pasteboard package containing sin
gle pound OF lard and pays forty-five
cents for it, or when he buys pound
OF butter, dozen eggs. a sack of flour,
q bushel OF potatoes, a pound or two
of tomatoes, he knows he is paying
more than he should. Maybe the re-
taller is not the man to doubt on the
deal. Possibly it's the wholesaler. Or,
going still further back, it may be the
producer. The thing to do is find out
Just where the extra wide margin
comes in. It's there somewhere, and
it's dumb foolishness to rant against
profiteering IL we can't do anything
about it ourselves. 1t would be easy
enough for the food inspector, Mr..
Bitner, and the county attorney. Mr..
Lockwood, to ascertain what it costs
to market food supplies in this city and
what it costs the consumer to get
them. Then, II 1t is learned that there
is an undue profit somewhere, there
is the state law, which is Very plain,
and somewhat inclusive as follows:
Section 5067-a. That 1t shall be
unlawful for any person. company,
partnership. association or cor
poration owning or operating any
business of buying. selling. hand
ling, consigning or transporting
any commodity or any article Of
commerce, 70 enter into any agree
ay1f nnrfr nr htvSa i1v,
with any other dealer, or dealers,
partnership. company. corpora
ton, or association OF dealers,
whether within or without the
state. engaged In like business,
for the fixing of the price or
prices at which any commodity or
any article of commerce should BIZ
sold by different dealers or
sellers, or to divide between said
dealers the aggregate or net pro-
ceeds Of the earnings OF such
dealers and sellers or any portion
thereof, or to form, enter into,
maintain, or contribute money or
anything of value to any trust,
pool. combination, or association
of persons of whatsoever charac-
ter or name which has for any OF
its objects the prevention OF full
ard free competition among buy
ers, sellers, or dealers in any COM
modify, or any article OF COM
merce; or 10 do or permit to be
done by his or their authority any
act Of thing whereby the free ac-
ton OF competition in the buying
or selling of any commodity or
any article OF commerce Is re-
strained or prevented.
1t is being charged here by not a
few persons, many of whom bring
their complaints to the newspapers.
that there are food profiteers in
Cedar Rapids a comparison of the
prices paid here to those paid in
cities where investigations OF al.
legged profiteeering are being pushed.
certainly shows that IL prosecution
is justified anywhere 1t AT least is to
be considered here. When charges
of this nature are in circulation.
when the state is making an effort
to Illustrate profiteering and when
the president and congress are do
ing the same, it would seem to be up
to the county attorney to confirm
or refute such charges. He can
summon anyone he wishes before a
grand jury and satisfy himself as to
conditions. even though it may not