Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-18
FAIR PRICE BOARD
SPLIT ON POLICY
Committee May Break Up
Before Public Is
Benefited.

Disa greement between members OF
the fair price committee and Clarence
r. Wilson over questions of policy
matters, it was learned today. threat
ems to disrupt the committee before il
has accomplished anything.
At least three of the known agrees
sive members of the committee are
on the point of resigning. with others
it is declared, ready to follow their
lead.
/ DiGes aep,j J. Secrecy Foley
Among the points of disagreement
it was stated today, is the policy OF
secrecy that has been adopted. by
reason OF, which few crumbs Of i'm
formation have been allowed to reach
the public. -
In this connection it was declared
today that the meat committee OF the
vestigations more than month ago,
and that its report, with scale of re-
tail meat prices, has been in the hands
of Mr. Wilson for several weeks. In
spite of repeated efforts of members OF
the subcommittee, it was asserted, this
scale of prices has remained pigeon
holed and no publication or other an
nouncement of the scale has been per-
mitted.
No Milk Reports Lately.
DIR. William c. Fowler, member of
the milk subcommittee. said today that
he has made no reports of high prices
of milk for some time, and that under
existing conditions he will make no fur
Their reports. DR.. Fowler said that
when the milk subcommittee completed
it's work and filed informations with the
United States District Attorney it was
with the understanding that immediate
action would be taken in the matter.
No action has been taken. he said, and
the informations apparently have been
as securely pigeonholed as has the re-
port and scale of prices of the meat
subcommittee
1t is the belief of some members OF
the fair price committee that no active
or aggressive action is possible as the
body now is constituted, and that
members and the general public might
as well recognize the fact.
IF the fair price committee is a
body working in the interests of the
public has right to know what is
being done. If it is not working in
the public interest the public has a
greater right to know about it. And
if it is not doing anything. or if there
is no prospect of it doing anything
then the public ought to be advised
so that people might know what Ia
expect"
All of the various subcommittee
of the fair-price committee have COM
pleted their assigned work and the
results of their Investigations are in
the hands of the chairman of the
fair-price committee. No announce
ment of any of the findings has as
yet been made, however, a veil of al
most impenetrable secrecy being
thrown about the work of the SUBJ
committees as well as of the main
body.
None of the members of the COM
mittee would tell anything about the
first full meeting of the body, which
was held yesterday afternoon. CIar-
ence R. Wilson. food administrator of
the Department of Justice, denied
there is disagreement among the
members.
There is no row and no trouble
brewing" he declared. with emphasis.
1.-The only reason 1 cannot give out a
report about what occurred at the
meeting yesterday is because certain
further consideration must be given
to sugar prices. I must discuss this
with Mr.. Figg of the department, and
he is out of town."
The food administrator said the sub
jects of fair price committee work in
New York and Atlanta, where food
prices have been forced down, did not
come before the meeting, as pre-
dicted.