Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-04-23

ed by the state commissioner at s3,-
900 each.
DEALERS DEFENDED.
MANGET'S REMOVAL ASKED.
The retail grocers of this comrnuni-
ty were warmly defended from the
charges of robbery" as made in the
telegram here of John A. Manget,
fair price commissioner of Georgia.
as published yesterday by w. M.
Jones, local wholesale grocer and
member of the club, and others he
fore the Kiwanis Club of Americus at
its weekly luncheon at the Windsor
Hotel today. At the same time MIR.
Jones submitted a resolution calling
upon Attorney General Palmer to re-
move Mr.. Manget as unfit, for having
denounced the local dealers as ruh-
bers without having heard their side
of the case. After some discussion
the resolution followed the club rule
and went to the public affairs cons-
mittee for recommendation.
The introduction of Mr.. Jones res
olution resulted in some vigorous dis
cussion of the subject of profteerinM.
the statement of some of the mem
bers that they believed Mr.. Mangetss
charges were not entirely without
foundation, and the apparent agree
ment of most of the club members
that it could hardly go so far as to
call Mr. Manget's removal on thaA
ground that he had not heard both
sides without doing as much for him
and giving him an opportunity to pre-
sent his evidence If he had any.
The discussion also developed the
fact that the margin of profit Of q
cents per pound for retailers, as fixed
this week by Mr.. Manget, would xe-
suit in an actual loss to the handler,
and, that while perhaps dealers YsrS
now selling sugar at much wider
margin Of profit than that fixed by
him, it is the custom to "foElow the
market" up or down, in other wordze
to sell on the basis of what replace,
ment of the goods would cost at the
time and not upon the prices paid.
Mr.. Jones denounced Mangak'a
telegram as a most scurrilous SANDER
upon the merchants of this city, and
an accusation that, if he had menr
toned name, would have resulted
in him being the defendant in a suit
for heavy damages.
II make the statement do," said
he, because | know what | am talk
ing about. / know that sugar can
scarcely be bought on the market to-
day at any price. Under his ruling
Manget has taken this authority unto
himself without any law. | ann adj
vised by Mr.. Watkins, attorney tor
the Southern Wholesale Grocers' As
sociation, that there is no law to coM-
pei a merchant to sell his goods be-
low their replacement value. Manget
accused our honorable merchants of
being a band of robbers and thieves
without hearing. ! do not think we
should submit to it without a protest.
He takes the position that every re-
taller should limit his profit to cents
per ~ound. The latest quotation \
have had ON any sugar at all wat
27 1-2 cents in New Orleans. 1t costs
every retail merchant from 20 per
cent upward to do business. H he
sold his sugar at cents a pound
profit he would make about z cents
on the dollar and would actually lose
from II to / 3 cents on the dollar.
No fair minded man wants his gro
Ger to do business on that basis, for
ne can 90 II.
Edgar Shipp, also wholesaler,
confirmed every. one of Mr.. Jones'
statements about prices and c0ndl-
tions He declared himself unable
to get sugar at all.
Bob" Edwards, of the Edwards Gro-
cery company, retailers, was asked
his position. He declared that 2
cents per pound profit would only pay
for the paper bags and the shrinkage
of Id to 15 pounds to the barrell, and
that if he had to be limited to the 2
cents margin he would suggest that
Mr. Manget handle the sugar in the
future. He declared it meant loss.
that he could not afford to stand.
While sympathetic in sentiment to-
ward the local merchants, and cons
aeious of the fact that it was the duty
of this semi-public club to stand be-
hind local institutions, it was decid-
ed unwise to take action without let
ting the matter go through the usual
channel of committee inquiry.
The luncheon, which the memDers
of this new organization have come
to look forward to with eagerness,
was a delightful and Informative aft
fair Miss Hubbell, Y. w. G. A.
worker, was a guest Of the club and
explained to the members the pro
gram of the organization so that they
may be posted when the coming APP
neal for funds Is made