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Show PROBE OF HOARDING BEGINS IN INTERMOUNTAIN REGION A. Yissing and others. It was the Covey Investment company which was the lirst to announce material increases in rents. Coal has been held responsible for much of the price raising, not only in apartment houses but in industry g-enerally. Mr. "Worley took occasion yesterday to ask j why the rublic should continually regard coal companies with suspicion. He said ' his company operates its retail business on a margin of profit of 3 per cent, and j asked what other business can show such a slight profit. j Mr. Worley did not venture a predic- j tion as to what -direction the price of j coal may take this winter, saying there t are so many factors connected with the business, such as labor troubles, raiiroad j difficulties, possible car shortages and ' freight embargoes, that only the most venturesome would dare to foretell what j might arise. Favorable conditions, he said, mean favorable prices, and vice versa. At the meeting held yesterday by the stockholders in apartment houses control con-trol 1 ed by W . C. A. V i ss i n e. it w as decided de-cided to postpone action regarding rent increases for another month. it had j been generally rumored yesterday that the apartment houses involved would 1 have their rents raised. Mr. Vissine- last I night said that the interests he represents : j had taken the matter of higher rents un- ' der consideration and would postpone ac-I ac-I tion for the time. j j He would not forecast what action will , j be taken at the end of the month. The i apartment houses which Mr. Vi-sing , I' operates are the Knickerbocker, th Clutf. i the Fairmont, the Uintah, the Fiiimore. ' the Preston ar.d the Boulevard. ' XVESTIGATION of the possible T hoarding of foodstuffs, or dealer I combinations in restraint o: trade X si:d lor illegal prices, began in the intermountain country yesterday when V W. Ray, United States district attorney, received orders irom United States Attorney General Palmer to begin action here at once in connection connec-tion with the sweeping investigations be-iig be-iig carried on throughout the United States to combat the high living cost. Cities and towns of Utah, Idaho and portions por-tions cf Wyoming and Nevada will come under the eye of the government offices in the investigation. Immediate arrests will follow the uncovering un-covering of evidences that profiteering is being carried on, Mr. Ray said yesterday, and every resource of the government through local representation will be brought to bear m the inquiry, which will be the largest ever carried on in the western country. The department of justice will co-operate with the district attorney's office and as many men as are necessary to thoroughly investigate everv condition will be utilized. Mr. Fvay said." "The investigation has already begun. ' &aid Mr. Ray yesterday afternoon, "and the illegal hoarding of foodstuffs will be our first subject of inquiry. This will cover monopolization and the hoard. ng of foodstuffs i or the purpose of enhancing its price. A survey of the amount of foodstuffs in the state will be carried on and information obtained as regards the prices paid ar.d for the prices held, and immediate action will follow the report re-port where unreasonable prices are being be-ing asked. "The public can be of great benefit to the government in the investigation, and we are reiving to a certain extent upon individuals to furnish us information of illegal hoarding or storage. It wiil be of no benefit, however, to have persons reporting prices paid for merchandise, or foodstufig, for we are cognizant of those matters. Direct information regarding manifestly illegal acts will be of great value. "Tracing of all conspiracies to pool interests in-terests in favor oi holding up prices, or conspiracies to restrain traae in the ir.ter-.est ir.ter-.est of higher prices, or to withhold products prod-ucts from a legitimate market, will be one of the features of the inquiry. Agreements Agree-ments among jobbers, producers or retailers retail-ers to bold market levels about what they should rightfully be will be investigated. investi-gated. Conspiracies and illegal agreements agree-ments between manufacturers, canners, packers, millers, to regulate suprdy in or-cer or-cer to hold up prices, will come within the i j i q u i ry of t i i e department." The P'-nalties. provided for violations of section p of the food control act of August b.1. M7. is as fo'!ow&: "Hoarding necessaries: punishment Any person win wihi'uily hoards an necessaries nec-essaries shall, upon cor.vb-tion thereof, be imcd not exceeding J"'.'"0 or be im-pr.soned im-pr.soned lor not more than two y-ars. or both. Necessaries shad be deemed to be hoarded within the meaning of this act when either i a ) held, contracted lor. or arranged for by any person in a quantity quan-tity in excess of his reasonable requirements require-ments for use or consumption by himself him-self and dependents for a reasons ble time: ib'i held, contracted for. or arranged ar-ranged for by an manufacturer, wholesaler, whole-saler, retailer, r ether dealer in a quantity quan-tity in exi's of the reasonable requirements require-ments of his business for use or sa-e by him for a reasonable time, or reaonat'y required to furnish recess arb-j produced m surplus quantities seasonally throuzh-C'Ut throuzh-C'Ut the period of scant or no product ur; or 'c v. ithhebl. whether by possession or under anv contract or arrangement, from the market by any person for the purpose pur-pose of unreao.-nably increasing or di-mir.'shii.ir di-mir.'shii.ir the price: provided, that this section shall not incluUM or r-laie to transact ions of any ex-hani,'e. hoard of trade, or similar institution or place of business as der;b"d in: s'-.-non IT, of this r.t that ir. ay be permitted by th'- president, presi-dent, under th- authority co; ;f --rr-d upon him by said te ' ui 10: provided . "m w -ecr. thai an;.' a cm n :u a t : r.r or withholding withhold-ing by any farmer or trarden'-r. ro-r.i-r-ative nso.hi.TM:i or far:m-rsi or gardeners, inludmcr lb-eso.-V: farmers, or any oth-'-r person, of the products of ai.v farm, trm-or trm-or other land cened. Ic.sd on r ,:'!-vat-d by him. shall not b" de-me' tf b-hoarding b-hoarding with in ii'-1 meaning of this act.' |