The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-22
EVENING, FEBRUARY -: 1872:
sTHE LOCAL PRICE INvEsTIeAT1or

NMHILE the grand jury found no, true bills
against any local merchants for profiteernE,
there not being sufficient evidence produced 10
warrant an arrest, yet in the information brought
tohe attention Of the jury by the price investirat
ing commission there were several DEVELOPMENT,
OF interest to the public.
While prices, according to the comparative lists
complied for the information of the commission,
arc stt in too many instances above that of neigh
boring cities yet there has been significant de-.
cline in prices here, beginning to be noticeable tus
after the appointment OF the commission by Judre
Showalter in November, and very ABRUPT decline
the charge of the Judge to the grand Jury 49,
sued January 10th.
Mhether there really was any, connection be.
tween these incidents mentioned and the decline
lnsprtees, or whether local merchants arc engaged
IN making rather tardy concession TO existing
conditions which they would have made ANYWAY
issot course, not known. The past thirty days the
deeline has been especially sharp with merchants
Advertising their wares by name and quoting
prices out right, thing which was not done In
Advertising to any extent prior to this period This
shows a healthy spirit of competition that will
benefit the public. While there is much more
satisfaction among the people as to prices now
than there was five months ago there must be fur
ther reductions, IL Farmont is going to measure
prices with her sister cities of West Virginia.
THERE'S one thing which the commission failed
toFtake up that would not only have been of value
tothe jury acting upon their testimony, but would
have been helpful in many instances to the mer-
chants themselves, and to the public also in civ
ing fair Judgment to their tradesmen this is a
survey OF rentals charged for business places, OF
transportation, and other overhead expense incurred
tnconducting business in Fairmont. II IL had been
posstble.to make such survey, It would have been
most helpful to the jury in their findings and
would have enabled the people to discover whether
prices were unfair when based upon the cost Of
dong business locally.
As for the grumbug population Of Fairmont
these who felt the pinch of prices most keenly, and
who We're lopdest of protesaton against so.called
prefiteersI the most OF them failed to appear to
gnbstantiate their charges. They were lamentably
absent before the jury. The ones who did appear
were unable to produce concrete evidence upon
which could be based prosecution 1t was
in Tesponse to popular demand that Judge showal-
tefsestablshed the investigating commission, and
y IS, for the protection Of the people that he
retains this body. II Fairmont people are not sat
istied With prevailing prices, the commission is
ready lend ear but 1t Is not fair to growl and
notfhaye courage TO back up the complaint
There is one mystery which still remains unex.
planned The survey, before mentioned would
probably have made this clear. but there is large
Question in the minds of the people as to why
merchants, buying from the same wholesale house
andpaying the same wholesale price upon the same
commodity should vary SO greatly in the retail