New-York tribune., 1920-05-21
q. S. Driue Against
Cougers Continues
Carron Says Price Var
Won't Curb Actirities
Of Department Agents

WASHINGTON, May 20.-Assistant
Attorney General Garvan announced to-
night that, regardless of the spreading
wave of price reductions, the govern
ment's efforts at hunting down prof.
teering merchants through investiga
tion OF profits made by individual
stores were being extended The cam
paign has reached more than score
of cities
Tactics employed by the "fying |
squadron" Of the Department of Jus |
,ce in New York were being employed,
he said, in the larger cities from coast
to coast.
Mr.. Garvan said ne was gratifed at
the price drop reported in nearly every
community, and added that he did not
believe the department deserved too
much Of the credit" He would not in
dorse claims of some merchants, how
ever, that they were actuated by patri-
otto motives
"That stuff is the purest buncombe,"
Mr.. Garvan said. "If they are patriotic
now, where was their patriotism year
ago. when prices were going up and
those fellows were making more and
more money.
"There are three things responsible
for this clamor of merchants to get on
the band wagon Of failing prices: The
women of the country have stopped
buying articles at exorbitant prices:
the market has broken, something
which could not be avoided, and a lot
of people saw indictments for profiteer-
Ing coming. ] say that few ii any Of
the merchants were sure that the de-
nlTtmaOt'G ~ OF ho
ment gathering evidence in their stores.
They simply saw the light"
Nr. Garvan SAID the women and the
press of the country had formed a
combination" to break the power of
the protiteer, and he believed they had
succeeded. While the downward trend
may not continue as rapidly as it now
appears, Mr.. Garvan said, he believed
the peak had been passed and that "a
general recession had set in which
might go long way toward reestab-
Hsh1ng normal condition" But. he
explained, normal must not be con-
strued to mean prewar price levels.
Mr.. Garvan said there was very
general campaign" being conducted by
eeveral national trade associations to
nullify efforts to bring down prices.
There is retail clothiers' organize
tom" he said. 'which has written to
all IFS members urging them to appeal
20 their congressman and Senators to
support the Knox peace resolution. By
that they hope to end any and all war
covers by which profteering can be
punished. That's why these claims Of
patriotism in cutting prices are all
rot"
The National Suit, Cloak and Skirt
Manafacturers' Association, Mr.. Gar
van said has decreed that "sk!rts and
coats must be longer" for fall and win
Ter. lie has telegraphed state chair
men OF women's activities in the price
REDUCTION campaign, urging them to
stick together TO defeat such plan.
Department agents are working on
books of numerous large manufacture
ing plants. seeking evidence as to
profits. Mr.. Garvin said the investiga-
tion would be extended rapidly and
along broad lines.
The action of the bankers who
pledged themselves at conference here
Tuesday TO restrict loans and compel
liquidation of "froen credits" was GER
tain to have a most beneficial effect,
he believed.
with the bankers refusing to ex-
tend loans, the public buying less than
1T any time since the war began and
general resentment against the prof
iteering price, something had to pop"
Mr.. Garvan declared, =
"We have had big yelp, from q lot
Of manufacturers" Mr.. Garvan said,
because they believed the price re-
duction which they s~y eeming was
going to cut off their markets. Blu.