The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-29
Court to Wage War
Against Food PrOfiteers.
Tribunal To Go Into Marketing,
Distribution and Freight.
FACTS TO BE GIVEN PUBLIC
Public Eating House Prices
Will Be Investigated.
Adopt Policy Similar to One
Used in Coal Investigation.

The spotlight of publicity is to be
turned on the food dealers who haven't
learned of the signing of the armistice
and ending of the war. Thru the court
of Industrial relations state wide
probe of food prices is to be con-
Quoted. incidentally there is to be a
bit of public discussion of the hotels
and public eating houses-use OF
names. prices, wages and profits
To Go Into Marketing Question.
Under a provision of the industrial
court act the labor tribunal may so
into the marketing, distribution and
transportation of food stuffs. Recent
ly the industrial court secured much
valuable information regarding the
marketing of meats in its investigation
of the Wolff Packing company wage
case. These figures are to be applied
to the retail butchers. The public =
to be given the facts. And if the pub
lie is happy and satisfied-well. Mr.
Ultimate Consumer pays the bills.
Recent invests gal ton of the so-calIcd
packer trust brought out information
to the effect that while the stock pro-
ducers had lost heavily and the pack
ers had cut their prices. the consumer
was receiving little benefit The blame
was placed at the door of the butcher.
1t is the purpose of the industrial
court to ask the butcher some ques-
tions just as soon the machinery
for an investigation can be set i'm mo-
tion. Just now the court is looking
for an expert accountant who can as
semble and analyEe the evidence after
it is gathered.
To Get All the Evidence.
OF course the court can not make
an order in the profit grabbing cases.
But it has ample power to gather evi-
dence and to submit it in full to the
Ttrh Iif hrr haNII
to the press.
One of the happy little profit grab
bers to receive early attention is the
keeper of the public eating house.
While many restaurants and cafes have
cut prices since the war. the policy
has not been general. This is particu-
/ larly true in the so-callcd higher class
places. The hotels have also been of
tenders. When the peace jubilees
were held and prices began to hit. the
| toboggan, the hotel and public eating
house people seemingly didn't hear
about it, At least they didn't pass any
OF the saving to their patrons.
Public VIII Get Facts.
| There isn't a bit of question but
that the public is entitled to all the
| facts in these cases. said one judge
of the industrial court today. I'VE are
just now making a survey of industrial
conditions with a View of aiding the
working man in securing better work
| ing conditions. lust as soon as we
can get high class accountant. l want
| to start looking at these food prices.
All the general public wants is r
chance to make its own deductions
We have ample authority to gather
evidence and to give the full details
to the public thru bulletins and state
ments to the newspa pers.'
A policy similar to the one adopted
| in the coal investigation will be fol-
| lowed by the court. Statements Will
be issued showing the price which GER
tain dealers pay for commodities
prices charged the consuming public
and profits after making due allow
ance for covering the firms expenses.
Out After Eating Houses.
In spite of the big slump in prices
of flour, meat, eggs. milk. sugar and
! other essentials, many of the public
| eating houses are using quotations
| which were in effect during the war
When the price of eggs went to 10 and
| 80 cents a dozen, many cafes in To-
! peka boosted the price to 80 cents for
| two eggs. The cost is now under 20
cents dozen, but the two eggs served
to the public command the same old
price.
once the industrial court starts its
probe. there is wide range for in
vestiEation. The industrial court and
its subordinate branches have suffi-
! cient power to look into all classes Of
price fixing. as wen 'as to gather in
| formation regarding working cendf-
tions, hours. wages and rents. fnfor-
nation gathered in the investigation
will be assembled and presented to the
public thru such agencies of publicity
as the court may command. The con-
,suming, public will be the jury which
will determine the penalty.