Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-19
Flying Squadron
Unearths Many
Food Profiteers
BY Associated Press.

New York. April ia. w. Riley.
chief of the Flying Squadron" Of
the department of Justice, whose
campaign so far has resulted In the
conviction OF l07 profiteers with fines
ranging from $50 to $4,000 and i'm
prisonment from one day to two
years, has uncovered a number OF
commodities for which
dealers are said TO be asking eSor-
bitant prices. Complaints Of alleged
"gougins" In almost everything from
pickles to rouge and from lemonade
to whisky are being reported to Mr..
Riley by New York consumers. One
man who had paid s1.15 to a restau-
ranteur for a tiny steak and six
small pieces of French fried pota-
toes, didn't stop to eat them but
glancing at his check, took news
paper he had been reading, wrapped
up his meal and brought 1t to the
federal prosecutor.
Some Of the letters of complaint
were amusing, others pathetic. All
however. showed the seriousness OF
the present era of high prices. One
indig citizen wrote: "You ought
to investigate -'s fish mar
ket In Brooklyn. He's modern Jesse
James. What do you think Of 30
cents a pound for salmon and 90
cents for sea bassT'
The chief of the Flying Squad
ron" has received complaints of such
examples OF alleged profteering as
follows:
Drug store whiskey at S. pint and
So more for Doctors prescription;
canary birds $50 to s25 and SO to SIS
for a cage: lemonade. served at a
hotel dance and said to have been
week" 81 n glass; rouge 81 to SO
box for imported" brands; that
fish during Lent rose from 20 cents
to 81 a pound in some New York
markets: prunes. three for 10 cents
in popular restaurant: peanut oil,
sold as "olive OIL" 81 quart: an
thracite coal SIS instead Of $3.50 a
ton in Nyack. N. Y, because the
miners were granted wage increase
OF so cents q ton.
Consumers complain to Mr.. Riley
that they have to pay so cents a
pound for tire same brands OF oonee
that retailed for q cents a pound be-
fore the war and that wholesalers
paid II cents a pound for some of
these coffees three years ago and
are now paying IS cents. Milk, they
charge. costs 10 cents a glass in
restaurants which buy 1t for IL
cents a. quart: THAT they have to
pay IS cents for linen collars cost
ing at wholesale $40 a dozen;
pickles COST cents each: cabbage
40 cents a head IS cents a bunch
for asparagu and 80 cents a head for
lettuce.
\ young woman protested after
having paid SO for bag at depart
ment store bargain sale" which. she
later. cost Is cents to man.
ufacture. She said that many big
business houses were not satisfied
with 100 per cent profit but we're
making. in some cases. $50 to 200
Per cent. She suggested a remedy"
as follows:
DO not buy anything in the first
store you visit. Ask the price and,
if it seems at all excessive, say you
will not pay it and walk out. Then
go next door and you may buy it for
less. At any rate these profiteers need
10 know that the public is wise to
them. A tremendous volume OF
refusals to buy would make such
merchants realize they must stop
overcharging If they would not
precipltate a general business boy
colt"
Obviously the Flying Squadron"
is working with the utmost secrecy
and names of conpIainants are
withheld Several big New York
corporations, which have been ac-
oused of making unjustif1able pro-
fits on foodstuffs and clothing. are
now reported undep investigation.
According to Mr.. Riley, one con-
victed profiteer blamed the public
for much Of the high prices.
ITS so easy to get what you ask
for the merchant conflded to the
chief investigator, that few bust
ness men can resist the temptation
to raise prices. II I put two gar
ments in my store window Of ex-
actly the same cut and materials but
with $50 tag on one and SIS tag
on the other. most persons would
buy the hisher-priced one. TIE
strange freak Of human nature
People nowadays don't seem to CON-
Germ themselves any moro about
what a thing costs"
Protests against profiteering are
reported pouring into the federal
building here from all over the
country. When a complaint is re-
ceived 1t is indexed and forwarded
to federal prosecutors and flying
operating In the United
States judicial territory where the
victim resides. Investigation follows
and. II the facts warrant, arrests are
made. The campaign, initiated by
Attorney General Palmer. win go on,
to II. L. Van Sickler, In
charge Of the New York office for
Mr.. Riley, until prices Of food,
clothing, fuel and feed for livestock