The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-08-22
Government GRABS
.H0ARDED SUPPLIES
DETROIT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
SEXES 10000, 600 EGGS and soo,-
600 POUNDS OF BUTTER
FORCE THIEVES TO DISGORGE
Action Will Be Taken Where Hoarders
Are Found to Hold Greater Guam
titles of Food Than is Necessary
for the Conduct of Business

| GRAFTON between state authorities. wh'
possess detailed information of foot
and price conditions, and the attorne,
| general and his staff, empowered Il
enforce the food control law, is being
established as part of the governments
| fight to reduce the cost of living.
Instructions went yesterday from At
| torney General Palmer to the two dis
| trict attorneys in Ohio to proceed i'm
mediately to assist Governor Cox in
the seizure of large quantities of meat.
butter and eggs alleged to have been
held in storage in that state for more
than six to ten months, the legal lin
its. Criminal prosecutions will be in
stituted, it was stated, if ii can be
shown that the foods were held from
the market for the purpose of boosting
prices. Officials were inclined to think
that the long period of storage indicat
ed some other reason than an effort to
spread the abundant supplies of pro-
ducing season over the lean part of the
year.
Acting on a telegram yesterday from
Governor Cox saying that a Cleveland
concern in order TO escape possible
prosecution for boarding, was moving
its meat products to warehouses in
Chicago and destroying its records,
the department of justice ordered the
district attorney at Cleveland to look
into the matter Immediately.
Seizure of large stocks of foodstuffs
in storage continued yesterday with re-
ports received of libels filed in Cleye-
land and Detroit, and preparations for
such action in many cases. The de-
partment was informed last night that
the district attorney at Detroit had
filed libels in three cases and seized
approximately 10.460,000 eggs and 300,
600 pounds of butter
Statistics announced that the bureau
of markets. showing Il great increase
in the amount of food held in storage,
were said by Judge Ames. assistant
TO the attorney general, in charge of
the food control law, to bear
out the departments contention that
a prime reason for enhanced prices |
was the holding of supplies from the |
market.
I'VE are going to force these hoard |
ers and profiteers TO disgorge," Judge |
Ames declared. wherever they are /
found TO hold greater amounts than |
are necessary for the conduct of their
business and the safeguarding of the
food situation during the winter"
The agricultural committees of both
senate and house continued work YES /
-erday on legislation asked by Attor-
hey General Palmer extending the
provisions of the food control act and
giving a criminal penalty for violation
If it. Opposition by several senators
)alked an immediate report by the
senate committee, which now plans to
let Tuesday.
Another witness before the house
committee was John p. Miller of the
RATIONAL board of farm organizations,
Who urged that farm associations
hould be exempt from any regula
ions as to the price and distribution
f food products. L. ID. III. Weld of
'wift & Co, testifying before the
ouse interstate commerce committee,
7hich is considering cold storage leg
Station, declared that to force stored
God on the market now would Gre
tie serious situation next winter
Through the putting on sale yester
ay of 100000 surplus army blankets,
le war department made another at ,
lck on high living costs. kilograms ,
aaching the department yesterday in
ieated a remarkable response to gov
rnment offers.
Officials We're anxious that the dis {
'ibution should be widened SO that {
ersons remote from the supply cen
RS might be able to take advantage s
the sale, but they could see no way {
which this could be effected. In Z
uiry was telegraphed, however. TO I
lose in charge of the sales to report
lie number of blankets remaining on
and with view to making the sale
inject to mail orders when accompa 7
ed by the full purchase price. 5