The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-05-24
ASSkIt DRUGGISTS
FOR PR0FITEERINC.
Accused in Senate Of Grossly
OveTcharging Public.
SMO0T PREDICTS INQUIRY
Charges Are Made During Debate en-
Boost on Calomel DUTY to IS Per
Cent-eiock Quicksilver increase.

Washington. May 24.-Retail drug
gistS came under fire in the Senate
for what they described as excessive
and exhorbitant prices charged fol
medicines.
Senator Smoot. Republican, Utah
predicted an investigation of prices
is coming. and said that when il does
!he people would know the ruth aboul
who made the profits.
fhe attack on the druggists was
made during debate on u committee
recommendarioa that the present tariff
duty of Is per cent ad yalOrem or
,alomel be tripled. Senator Smooi
declared that if this medicine were
placed on the free list there wouldn't
lie any reduction in the price by thf
retailers.
Remarking that there was no doubl
hat the druggists were charging ex
essive prices, Senator Norris, Repub
il,an, Nebraska told the senate hs
I'd not want to be an instrumentaiits
Il government that would put the
druggist in a position where he could
Justify rhe prices he charged.
1T probably would be better tc
place this necessary medicine on the
Tree list" Senator Norris said. This
probably would cut down the price
Maybe, 100. the people would be bet
~ off if they did not eat SO much
alomei. However. it is medicine
hat is used universally, and because
. man with a sick child or a sicl
wife is charged an exhorbttant prict
:; not, TO my mind any reason fOl
ne government assisting dealers il
l1actins that price.
We cannot reach rhs druggists Whe
harse these e1horbttant prices, bHt
We can take away from them the ar
:nnrent for that price,
Arguing that the high prices OF
which senators had complained werf
iiue in the first instance to congress
,;hch Ievies such heavy taxes on the
reople. Senator Hitchcock, Democrat
Nebraska. said that if congress want
ID druggists to reduce their prices j
would have to do its part first by re
,iucing the ievies on medicines.
After rejecting, 16 to 80. an amend
Hlent by Senator Simmons to contiIls
he Underwood law duty Of 10 PEI
en1, the senate approFstls the ka.ss
.,littee rate. 35 to 16.
A combination Of Democrats an
republicans blocked a move by Sen
.,ior Johnson, Republican, California
. have the house tariff duty OF 3
..ents pound on quicksilver suhsti
uted for the senate committee rate u
= cents.
The vote to sustain the COMMITTEES
amendment was 80 to 25, the Demo
rats voting almost solidly with th'
committee and other Republicans II
fayor Of the lower duty.
Presenting his case to the senate
,enator johnson declared that onl!
.hree or four of the ffty-one mine:
II the United States were producin:
quicksilver at this time, because o
..heaper production costs abroad, ant
he asserted that unless the house rat'
.ecame law there would be PRACTICAL!
40 production in this country.
Calling attention that the marke
price of quicksilver in New York wa
l3 cents a pound, Senator Underwood
Of Alabama, Democratic leader. ssit
II TAX of 85 cents, even OF 20 cents
was too high, and would have the ef
feet Of excluding the foreign product
He said that production costs wer'
based on figures established durini
The war, when, he cherged, American
producers obtained quicksilver at 1
cost Of ST pound and sold it to tn
government at 81 pound.