The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-08
r AIR PRICE BOARD
 ID MAKE SUREY OF ] PROFIT ID DEALERS
Intensive Campaign Against High Cost of Living and PrOfiteers Started-tO
 Examine Books

Profteers must hunt a hole and pull the hole in after them, if they are going to do business in Birmingham with ex- orbitant margains of profit, it is stated. Plans for an intensive campaign against the high cost of living and the profiteer in the Birmingham district were formu- lated at meeting of the fair price board yesterday afternoon
 J. c. Weatherly of the department of justice in Washington held a conference with the members of the board and 1t is announced that the federal government has authorized a substantial appropra- Iion to make the work of the board more effective and is prepared to lend every sassistance in ferreting out and prose k<uting violstors of the Lever act.
 As result of the assistance pledged by F4he department. the fair price board is Epreparing to make an exhaustive survey kof the situation with a view to detsrmin- kfng what constitutes a fair margin of sProf1t to dealers in staple commodities
 Three qualified government auditors have been detailed for duty in this dis strict and will be subject to the orders or xhe fair price board They will examine the books of concerns selected by the board and report their findings Hereto forp the fair price board has been un- l%lble t0 determine whether or not con- cern was making fair margin of profit because if had not machinery with which to carry on it's investigation
 The department of justice has an- nounced that any man refusing to allow his books to be examined will be sum tTnened before special grand jury eTn- uaDelled for that purpose While the board does not believe that such drastic ss4flp will have to be taken in many eases, Fzhe attitude of the government is cited as -an evidence of it's determination to insist l-on full Investigation.
 In its campaign against the profteer r1he bnATd plans to enlist the assistance sand cooperation of bofh mAnufa ct1Irers and merchants by q campaign of confl- s<lanrn Speakers from the board will pre- tasent the plans of the committee to the different associations of merchants and manufactures who will be asked to pledge their assistance
 It will be pointed ouf to them, it IS stated that their cooperation is peces- Sary for their own protection, and unless they show willingness to expose vio- laters of the law suspicion of the buy .ing public will rest against them When Ehe auditors arrive their first work will be to make an analysis of answers re Deived to questiornaIres already ssITt to ~lealers in staple commodities requesting rhem to furnish prices a which they Nuy and sell their goods Wherein the an Swers are unsatisfactory the merc chant or manufacturer will be asked to show his books,
 Sub-comnftteas win be appointed ID in vestigate sales of food, clothing, shoes and dry goods, in order that the held may be more fully covered and a nor4 ex- haustive inquiry than is possible through a single board of sixteen men. Eacn sub committee will he composed of ten or fifteen citizens, the majority of whonl will t2ee consumers
 Frank Spain, chairman of the fair price sIooard- urges all complaints to be sent to FIank Dixon, secretary, in the Jefferson County Bank building The cooperation of the consuming public is the vital factor G5n a movement of this character, accTd- ing to Mir Spain