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Show F000 INQUIRY DEVELOPMENTS PLEMS0I Will Continue Examination of Facts Collected by the Various Departments Before Acting. PLANS FOR RELIEF BEING OUTLINED Additional Grand Jury Investigations In-vestigations Are Contemplated; Contem-plated; Work Will Go on Secretly. WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. General ! approval of the investigation conducted' by the department of justice into the increased cost of living was given by President Wilson today at a conference with District Attorney Anderson of Boston, in charge of the inquiry. The president will continue the examination of facts collected by various departments depart-ments before deciding what remedial legislation shall be recommended to congress. Consider Plans. It was said tonight by officials connected con-nected with the investigation that their chief hope for the ultimate lowering of the cost of living lies in simplifying the means of transportation of foodstuffs, food-stuffs, the practice of economy by the public, increases in production by farmers farm-ers aud through other such methods rather than by the prosecution of lawbreakers. law-breakers. Indications, however, are that the programme for the immediate action little modilicatiou. This includes general gen-eral investigation of the activities of alleged coal and food speculators and a closer inquiry into the relation betweeu the high cost of living aud the shortage of freight cars. Officials Reticent. Officials declined to say what other grand jury investigations than those already al-ready announced are contemplated. Virtually Vir-tually theentiro day, except for the half hour conference at the White house, was spent by Mr. Anderson in digesting digest-ing and co-ordinating the mass of information infor-mation placed at his disposal by various governmental agencies. Department of iustico officials let it be known tonight that their work would be continued with a greater degree de-gree of secrecy than heretofore. In the meantime it was suggested that the public pub-lic could co-operate in lowering prices of specific foodstuffs bv purchasing as little as possible and by buving sub-1 stitutcs. WANT PETITIONS FOR EMBARGO PUT IN ALL GROCERIES CHICAGO. Dec. 11. Petitions demanding demand-ing that an embargo he placed on flour, supar. canned milks, tomatoes and wheat will be posted in every grocery in forty-one forty-one states for housewives to sign if a resolution presented today to the executive ex-ecutive boarr of the National Association Associa-tion of Retail. iGrocers and Merchants is adopted. Tho petition was presented bv Frank B. Connolly of San Francisco, vice president pres-ident of the association, who asserted j that retail grocers are losing money on 60 per cent of the products thej' sell. Mr. Connolly paid that a similar resolution reso-lution adopted by the California Retail Grocers' association was placed on the counter in every grocery in the state, and almost in every instance it was signed by customers. Tho resolution calls upon President VTil- i son to plae the embargo "in order to reduce re-duce the present high cost of living.' John H. Srhaefer of Davenport, Ta i president of the Grocers' association, said' the retail grocers welcome federal in- i vestigation into the high cost of living. "If the government can aid us in solv- ' ing this problem we will be thankful " he said. The executive board of the probers alo is expected to take action abolishing trading trad-ing stamps. Federal and state legislation will be sought to this end. "Eventually the housewife pavs for ne trading stamps." said Sol West field of Chicago, a member of the hoard. "We plan to co-operate with the housewife to abolish them." While the sroers executive board was in session federal officers pursued their inquiry into the relationship existing between be-tween wholesale and retail growers and its effect upon the cost of living Since the beginning of their food inquiry in-quiry federal officials declare they have received a number of trade letters" issued by large wholesale firms in whfrh "the retailers were advised to raise the price I of various articles, regardless of the cot ' SOCIALISTS ASK FOR SEIZURE OF STORED FOODS NEW YOF.K. Dec. 11. Seizure bv the city of all food? ruffs and coal declare to be locked up here by speculators was demanded by a delegation of Socialists whii-h called today on Mn.vor Mitchel Establishment of municipal markets fre lunche? for s.-hool children. rMa) and stare proserin ions of "food pirates and famine manufacturers." and th elimination elim-ination of tho middleman, with a sale or" commodities in the people at cost, were som of the other demands. John P. rannon of the Western Federation Fed-eration of Miners, one of the delegation's (Continued on Pae Ttvo.) J WILSON IS PLEASED WITH FODO S1TH10H j (Continued From Page One.) ; leaders, told the mayor the Socialists' i sln-ran was "Feed America first and do j what you will with the rest of the coun- try's products." i Governor Whitman's food committee. ! headed by George W. Perkins, held a emi-i emi-i fernce on the situation today, in connect' con-nect' on with the mayor's food commit-j commit-j tee. and announcements were made both by county and federal attorneys that i prosecutions against timse- responsible fur ; unduly huh prices for fond and other necessities ne-cessities would be visrorousiy pushed. Mr. Ferkins snid that the producing, j distributing and consumption of food, both i state and interstate, in so far as New I York is concerned, were beir.sr studied, but tb.Mt the investigation was thus far preliminary. pre-liminary. K'.ud ence in t'ne federal investigation. 1 whioh is con'-errin? itself first wit.T the price of con, will he ready for presentation presenta-tion to the srand j-trv probaMy on Wednesday. Frank T,. Swackr. tiie special spe-cial government pros ecu tor, said today. |