The Butte daily bulletin., 1920-04-16

master in purchasing produce for
the market vendors wherever possi-
bic, such products to be sold on the
market at cost plus q minimum fixed
profit.
"The wholesalers do not want to
sell to us through our Market" said
ne, $50 let's relieve the wholesalers
Of all responsibility. Lets use their
own tactics and ignore them and buy
our own stuff and eliminate those
extra and unnecessary middlemen.'
The statement and the resolution
were both greeted with vollcys Of
applause, and it was evident that IL;
the council meeting tonight there
would be a huge crowd of interested
consumers there to see what the at
titllde OF Mayor Stoddcn and the
other councilmen were toward the
matte.'.
Various other speakers touched
upon matters in connection with the
subject of the wholesalers embargo
and all expressed themselves in fay-
or OF vigorous action. z
SrScinctly stating that the Asso-
ciatcd Industries fight against the
market was not q battle of the ner-
chants against the market alone, but
u war Of the interests controlling
Butte. industry and business against
the working men and women and
their children as II whole, Il. b.
Smith aroused a storm of applause
when he sarcasticalIy declared that
although the city contained Il ''great-
ly augmented force of federal de-
partment of justice operatives"
their efforts since coming to Butte
had been devoted to bounding tone
lone wobbly who, il he ever ntc two
;s5-ccnt meals in one week would
founder with gout.''
Mr.. Smith declared that despite
assurances many months ago by the
department. of justice chief, Attor-
ney General Palmer, that prices
would be lowered by the govern
ment, the cost of living aud with it
, tho profits of the profiteers had
steadily increased. He declared that
some action was necessary whereby
these government sleu.hs would be
forced to devote more of their atten-
ton to curbing the profiteels in
Butte and less to violating the con-
! stitutional rights OF Il lone citiZc
because he happened to be a "wob-
bly,"
1t was about this period that the
city attorney, who had been cX-
pressly invited by Freudenstein to
be present, put in appearance. Clin-
ton made one OF his usual and char.
| acteristic talks, advising against
what he termed ''hasty action" He
confided that himself and the mayor
had had the market matter ''lndcr
investigation" and said that as soon
as the investigation was concluded
| ''if it were discovered that there
were any violations of the Lever act,
proper steps would be taken.'' He
expressed sorrow that he and the
mayor had not gone ''far enough in
our Investigations to tell you what
the final analysis will be-" but hoped.
that in few days they would be
ready to dc ermine whether any ac-
ton would be taken.
Then cnsued u lively tilt between
the city attorney and Mr.. Smith,
which ended in favor of the latter.
Smith ridiculed the "invcstiga-
ton" referred to by Clinton and de-
clared that the consumers OF the
city were tired of '"promiscs of re-
lief, while the profitcerins continues
unchecked" He moved tho appoint
n'ent of the special committee of
five with instructions to lay the evil
denccs OF coilusion between the
wholesalers and the Associated In
dt;s res before the federal denart-
n,cnt OF, Justice Slcuths and the coun-
.y officials with the demand that
prosecutions against the profitccrs
be started ut once. The motion was