The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-22
.DEIAILSGVEN
. |N.PRICE. INQUIRY
Complete Report Of Grand
Jury Foreman Made
Public

FsSlBatInB protiteertne IN Marion
county. an. accurate report OF the
address OF o. S. Mckinney, fore
man of the grand jury, has been
obtained.
The grand jury report as given
by o. S. Mckinney, foreman. fol.
lows:
your Honor. ! presume that the
grand jury should report 10 you
not only IN the way >ot findings,
but In the way OF explanation and
suggestion: Owing to the many
things concerning the high cost OF
living, the rumor Of high prices in
Fairmont that has been prevail
ing throughout the community for
many months, we believe that We
ought to report to you that We
made a very painstakiag investiga-
ton and that We have examined
a great many witnesses touching
that question. Our conclusion is
that there are excessive prices, or
hayel ieen excessive prices, charg-
ed IN this town. or In this city, for
many things that enter into the
consumption Of families and the
public, here. might say right here
that we found that there has been
very considerable decrease in
those prices within the last 80 or 40
days, perhaps.
ave have inquired diligently OF
many witnesses the how and why
Of this decrease. There has been
no appreciable decrease, so far as
;;;;we Ian find in the wholesale
prices Of goods. and there does not
seem 10 be any plain explanation
of that matter, but We didn't think
It was material We should find out
the cause. directly, that led to the
decrease. The decrease itself was
very satisfactory. Now, We found a
multiplicity Of opinion as to why
things should be higher hero than
elsewhere, but none Of them ap.
pealed to this grand jury as being
sufficient to account for the fact
that, according to the report OF
your commission, prices are higher
in Fairmont than in Charleston,
Huntington, Uniontown and per-
haps, Morgantown or Cumberland.
There was no accounting for that
fact. ARD II 1t had not been for
this reduction in the prices Of
many goods, especially meat. that
that had actually taken place, we
would have endeavored still to
pursue that line little further.
Now, We have gotten a very sub.
stantial reduction in the price OF
meat and perhaps In some. other
goods, or groceries, though l think
We found canned goods have not
very greatly reduced; they are TO
some extent, perhaps a luxury. We
did not pursue that like we did the
the commodities that are absolute
" necessary for subsistence. We
believe the work Of this commits
sion has done great deal OF good
and has called the attention OF tho
merchants themselves 10 the fact
they we're excessive in their prices
We believe that this Is the real
thing that has caused this reduc'
ton which is so material as to be
apparent. We found the merchats,
usually, were very responsive TO
our questions and were inclined 10
give US all the information they
could and were not ugly at all or
determined to withhold any intor.
nation; indeed they gave It to US
quite freely.
Productive Of Much Good.
II think this grand jury investt-
CATION will have done gooG, per.
haps, in pointing out to. these gen.
tlemen the fact that We want to
make this the best community In
the state and that It is the ind!.
vIdual work OF everybody engaged
in business here to try 10 reduce
our prices so as to make our COM
munity an attractive one Tor peo'
pie who want to invest or who want
| to come here to Live. | feel the
merchants themselves, or dealers
In commodities, realize the best
way to reap the greatest rewards
for their labors Is to put the price
Of commodities SO people can buy.
And with that kind OF admonitlon
and suggestion, think the grand
jury has accomplished something.
We found no case we thought an
indictment would lie. The evidence
skirted along the edges Of being
sufficient to find an indictment.
AS we did not find any indictment,
think 1t would probably be int
proper for ME to mention any one
particular set OF people whom we
found. from the testimony. We
thought certainly had q gentlemen's
agreement as to prices. They &C.
knowledged they had, and thai
when they raised the prices, as they
did some time ago, on the service
they rendered the community. thew
had, a gentlemen's understanding
when they raised tho prices, the
price was to go up 10 certain
point. Now, that was skirting along
pretty close to the place where q
conspiracy might be shown.
Suspleioned Conspiracy.
I'VE found another case in which
think likewise a fuller investiga.
ton might prove q conspiracy.
That is a case In which the deliv-
cry Of freight cars In the yards
down here was sought TO be inter
fered with. but in the main we
found nothing upon which we could
base an indictment, when It is un.
derstood you cannot indie: man
for simply charging excessive
prices for his goods. AS much as
we might think. he ought to be pun
ished for That sort. Of thing, We
found nothing that would justify us