, 1935-11-13
Behind the
Scenes I'm
w
The Brownsville Herald Washington
Correspondent
n RnnNEY nIrTrHER

AD111NG I'm NV. 10. 4AAeiGo y
some talk in responsible quarters Of
filing antitrust law suits against
groups alleged to have joined in rails
ing the price OF bread.
Thus far it's only talk. But evil
dence has been assembled and Is be-
ing studied to determine what
ground there may be for action.
The antitrust law policy of the
administration Is SO vague, especially
since collapse Of the MIRA and dur
ing current faltering attempts TO es-
tablish voluntary codes, that no one
Is predicting whether or not acton
will be taken.
1t Is conceded that some bread
price prosecutions might be a smart
political move Much Of the price
fixing in bread has affected only
bread sold In interstate commerce.
but some Of the higher priced bread
Is regularly shipped across state
lines.
Officials concerned have been
reading with interest a recent ex-
cerpt from the Food Field Reporter.
trade publication, which said the
Flour Association OF Philadelphia
had demanded an increase Of 81
per cent IN the wholesale Price Of
bread SO some bakers might pay flour
bills long overdue. The story added:
The association members control
80 per cent OF the flour business in
the city. II was pointed out by s.
Garland Koran president OF the as
ISOLATION. He indicated that bakers
who refuse to increase the price viii
find their flour supplies cut Off"
Officials Of the Philadelphia Bak-
ers' Club are quoted subsequently. as
saying the price increase - amount
ing 70 l cent a loaf retail - had
been virtually forced OF the bakers
BY the flour men.
New High IN Smugness
Several hundred employees Of the
ReSettlement Administration recent
" went from three to nine weeks
without their pay checks. which was
no fun at all. There was some local
publicity about il. SO RA gave a
statement saying the mess was due
TO a classification OF its employees.
The plain fact was that the works
became gummed up. RA's explana-
tory statement contained one para
graph which deserves particular at
tention:
There has been and will be no at
tempt TO investigate the identity OF
the Resettlement employees who adj
vised the press Of the payroll situa-
ton
Censorship and secret attempts TO
spot and punish employees who have
leaked" news To the embarrassment
Of their superiors have been frequent
in the New Deal. But the RA state
ment reaches a new high in its SNUG
magnanimity $50 and nerve.
dust the same, your correspond
ent doesn't mind denying a report
that RA is paying S275. 600 a year for
office space In the Walsh mansion
on Massachusetts avenue. It pays
$4,000. none too cheap
Some Mixed Figures
ENlLDI Eldlh CAlAllAlID OF Ine
Wharton Spectator, Wharton. Tex,
calls attention 70 q recent error In
this column which will be corrected
herewith.
Il was reported that PWA officials
were quite proud because Wharton
had obtained a reduction of 81 per
cent In the price or It's domestic cleo
tricity as a result Of its plan to build
a -unicipal plant with PWA money.
The 81 pei cent reduction in reali-
w had been cumulative over a 10
year period. The error was due TO a
full page advertisement BY the power
company which ballyhooed the fig
ure5 in such way as to cause PWA
officials who saw 1t to believe that
the cut had come all Of q sudden.
"A Gauge on n. III.
Generally speaking. for the next
year you'll be able to Judge the de-
gree TO which Roosevelt is worried
about reelection by the extent to
which he expands or contracts his
travelling and speaking engagements.