South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-03
PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIAL
SAYS PROHIBITION BARS
ERELOWERED IN STATE
PROBE COMMITTEE
ISSUES REPORT ON
SUGAR FINDINGS
Senate Board Claims Attorney
General Acted Without
Authority.
By Associated Press:

By Associated Press:
WASHINGTON, June 2.-The su-
gar investigating committee in a ma
jority report presented 10 the house
Wednesday declared that Atty Gen.
Palmer had used his power as chief
prosecuting officer of the govern
ment for the purpose Of fixing max
imum selling prices of sugar in
Louisiana and in SO doing acted
wholly without authority of law and
in violation of his own construction
Of his official duty"
The report, prepared by Rep. Hus-
ted, republican. New York. as chair
man, charged that the IegalistIc
method adopted by the attorney
general was wholly ineffective as
a means of price control" and that
IL gave apparent government sane
tion to extremely high prices, which
excited the cupidity OF Cuban pro
ducers and caused an advance in the
Cuban market"
Refuse To Sign.
Reps Whaley, South Carolina, and
Sumner, Texas, democrat, members
OF the judiciary committee which
conducted the investigation refused
TO sign the report and announced
that they would file a minority re-
port. Republican members. includ
ing Chairman Hustled, who agreed
in the findings were Rept. Classon,
Wisconsin, and Boies, Iowa. Mr.
Palmer insisted before the commit
tee that he had not fixed sugar
prices but merely stated the posi-
ton OF the department as TO prose
cution for profile eering-that Louisi-
ana planters selling at more than
II and Is cents wholesale would be
prosecution under the Lever law.
There were eight findings in the
majority report. the resolution in
trOduced by Rep. Tinkham, republic
an, Massachusetts, calling for an in
vestigation. combining the committee
inquiry 10 Louisiana transactions.
Allow Range.
The majority reported that be-
cause OF the great interest in sugar
the committee allowed a wide range
Of testimony in the hope of develop
ing facts which might lead TO bene-
tcial legislation.
The attorney general was advised
i'm oct, 1919, the majority held. that
excessive prices were being charged
by Louisiana producers. and he di-
rected L. =. Atty Mooney 20 mako
every effort 10 reach an agreement
with producers and refiners TO estab
lish fair price for the new crop.
After conferences with a cOnmitte-
representing producers. the report
added, Mr.. Mooney obtained an
agreement with them not - sell
over II and Is cents. AT that time.
the report set forth, sugar was sell
ing in the open market AT New or
leans, from 15 TO 20 cents. This
was due 10 the fact the report
continued, that Louisiana sugar Oc-
cupies a somewhat unique position,
as il comes TO market after the
greater part of the beet sugar crop
has been sold and before Cuban su-
gar appears"
crop Small.
Declaring that the Louisiana Crop
was small, with a big demand, tht
majority charged that certain pro-
ducers in Louisiana obtained gross
ly excessive profits" as evidenced
il said, oy the statement OF Mr.
Mooney that he was satisfied from
his INVESTIGATION that at Is cents
some producers would be making a
good profit, and at II cents would
be making a very large profit"
The majority report declared thai
while Atty Gen. Palmer considered
Il cents unreasonable" and "rath-
or high" he concurred in maxi
mum prices OF II and IS" and in
structed NJ: Mooney "tO immediate
~ prosecute any violatOr OF this
agreed price"
There were no prosecutions, the
report said.
The report quoted from testimony
Of Herbert Hoover before the com
mittee that the action Of the at
torney general was an apparent gov
ernmental fxation of high sugar
prices. which probably increased tho
price Of Cuban sugar
M IL nnnrn HnArD DH-