Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-08-20
j. s, MEN BEGIN
BIG FOOD RAIDS
Government Confiscates Provi-
Sions for Resale to Public.
H0ARDED FOOD IS SEIZED
Loss of Property to Be Added to Fine
and Imprisonment of Profiteers-
Cost of Army Goods Lowered
by Secretary Baker.


duce the high cost of living, the fed
eral government began the seizure OF
huge amounts Of foods in storage
houses.
The first seizures were reported
from Chattanooga, Tenn, and Jackson
vile, Fla, and the United States dis
trict attorneys office announced that
similar action would be taken in the
Chicago district.
Governors of a number OF states
have asked the assistance Of the de-
partment of justice to force into the
market amazing qantities" of food
being held in storage, apparently until
prices increased. Attorney General
Palmer announced in Washington that
district attorneys had been ordered to
cooperate with the governors.
Not only will Chicago food hoarders
be fined and imprisoned, but their
stocks will be seized and sold.
Confiscate $4,000 Dozen Eggs.
At Chattanooga government agents
went to the storage plant of the At
lantic Ice and Coal corporation and
took possession of $4,000 dozen eggs
that were being held for Morris & Co.
of CHICAGO.
The district attorney at Chattanooga
managed the raid. He filed an infOr-
nation in the federal court, under Ii
be- proceedings charging that the eggs
were held unlawfully for the purpose
Of increasing prices unreasOnably.
At Jacksonville, according to an AS
sociated Press telegram, more than
million eggs, hundreds of thousands
of tins of canned foods and 27,500
pounds of sugar were seized in raids
on wholesale food warehouses and
cold storage plants by federal Off
GERS.
Plans for the selling of all boards
of food that may be found are now
being perfected, according to Mr.. Mil
roy. Violators of the authorizing
law will be liable not only to pay
fine of $1,000, or Imprisonment for two
years, or both, but are also likely to
have the government confscate the
food and sell it,
1t is expected that this punishment
will be effective against profiteers.
The Cuban sugar crop is the largest
this year in the history of the island,
according to H. H. Rolopp, who is
the head of the sugar distributing COM
mittee for the government Most of
1t has been marketed, he said.
Sugar prices forced from 16 cents
TO 10 cents retail shows signs of fur
ther slump as 100000 pounds of beet
sugar purchased by the government
for the middle West is reported on the
way.
! Food caches will be seized for uses
of the army and navy and later will
be directed to civilian uses. Release
of sugar for the canning season is
promised.
Determination on the part of con-
sumers TO take advantage of the gov
eminent cooperation in bringing about
a lower cost of living was indicated
in the restricted buying of distributors
In the produce market during the
day.
Eggs were lowered in price one cent
a dozen, a reduction of one cent
pound was made in the cost of butter,
and potatoes were offered at $1,000
325 a hundred pounds. against $1,000
$50 Tuesday Live chickens at 28c
a pound were one-half cent cheaper.
Despite these reductions In prices,
leading retailers and shippers were
slow buying and receipts that fell
short of normal for this time of year
were slow to clear.
Sales of government foods continued
with reflected lower prices in compel
ing commodities.
Postmaster Carlile announced that
he had received word from Washing
ton that the price lists on army food
which he will sell will reach the city
the end of the week.
Members of the Chicago butter and
egg board passed resolution extend
ing to President Wilson their co-opera-
ton and services to him in the estab-
fishing of some form of temporary reg
ulation of their industry.
U. S. Cuts Food Prices.
Washington, Aug. 14.-To meet re-
uuCkAOitS maui w ASldHSIS. Il
new scale of prices for surplus food
stlffs was put into effect by the war
department.
Roast beef was reduced from S2.13
TO S1.90 per six-psund can bacon from
81 to 81 cents per pound, and No. 8
cans of beans from IL to 8 cents.
Prices on other items were reduced
in proportion.