Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-11-27
Hundred Food Dealers IN
= =. dicted for Profiteering
in Berlin.
RADICALS STIR CLANlOR
Seize on Cos, Of Living as
Means Of Bringing on
a.. Revolution.
By =. Il. Congrr.

BERLIN. Nov. &c Berlin house
week over the news that n hundred
food dealers in one section OF Berlin
alone had been indicted FOR over
charging on the necessities OF life and
that hundreds OF tons OF sugar. -four.
margarine. etc, which were being
held UP supposedly for later sale at
even higher prices. had been CON
fiscatcd and that the police were ex-
tending the investigation OF the gro
GERS and butchers books to all parts
OF the city.
% The police campaign which was
undertaken TO meet complaints that
storekeepers are taking advantage OF.
fluctuations in the market To exact
usurious profits on staple necessities
and to check the operations OF the
Communist plundcrbunds whic h
robbed large number of stores.
yielded n hundred victims in one day
alone; many hundreds more. it is cx-
pected. will be caught AS the police
examine tho books in other parts OF
the city. The indicted dealers Of
tense consisted Of marking un srices
10 keep pace with the general rise in
the cost of living and the deprecia-
ton of the mark instead OF charging
only the permissible percentage profit
4 on the original wholesale cost of their
wares. They are not permitted. for
example. to fix prices ON the basis Of
the cost OF replacing stocks. though
many of them have been doing this
but they are only entitled to Il '.rca-
-spnnble profit" on their actual invest
uent.
Force Sale OF Margarine.
J--Thc police only confiscatcd $50 tons
ioi margarine, which the owners
started 10 retail at Il price based on
the present foreign value Of the inn
ported ingredients. and ordered II
sold al the old price prevailing when
INT margarine was manufactured.
Police President Reichscr. while
trying. on one hand. to satisfy the
legal complaints of the buying puh-
!!c by an anticNtortion campaign. an
.nounccd. on the other hand his dc
crmination to break up with the ut
most severity the plundcring of food
stores by mobS composed largely OF
volunteers in the army of the unam-
iployed. The entire police force Of
bcrlin was modified into dying de-
1achmcnts with automobiles TO min
The looting expeditions in the bud
and a prohibition was issued ugaius,
an meetings or professions In the
open air. Tn" retail business men
hrfcrtheless. are in a highly nervous
.Slale, tearing the sudden appearance
a'f gangs OF plundercrs. MANY
istorckecpcrs Keep man on duty CON
Sstanily at the hoisting apparatus for
steel shop window shutters to lower
chem at the tirst sign OF the approach
sDf hooters.
8. SoNieis' Hand l., Seen.
= The plunderhunds 49, now fully
tpnmasked as q POLITICAL .nat an econ
4mtc development. arranged anu
staged by members Of the Communist
Val Dor rarty-an extreme radical off
.shoot from the regular Communls;
Darty-"ith assistance from the SEM
criminal classes. 1t is "a part OF n
rplan devised by radical aeita,ors. mar.
.2icularly cInisSarics from soviet Rus
Sia, 10 whom the Increasing cost of
giving. the Industrial boom ana th,.
:uecrease III Unemployment resulting
h. ~ ''i"''"h OF the mark
t;np Z, c,,,af, oi hR"'h start
SIN othcr ,,arl, "S''"h' or
!in German, ,r,' .'' u'''r
-sceH rather under a da;npcr sine,
Ihe collapse %! tho March ins,rrec.
2ion in Central Germany. which l.f,
even tho radical sections Of labo,
An no mood 10 respond To the cal a.,
sAioscow for continued yjol,u,, 90
save the wnrld r.y,i,,,Io. &C