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Show CONGRESS DELVES INTO PROBLEM OF LIVING COST S, . a . . . "i - FOOD PRICES REMEDY ;IE DEBATED SI CAPITAL Nil!;1..: ' -Chairman Gronna Calls h Committee Meeting to lj: Consider Measure to Reduce Cost of Living. President, Cabinet and "I Congress Discussing u Situation Provoked by 'ir Agitation in Nation. Vai (Chicago Tribune Special Service.) mV WASHINGTON, Aug. 4. President preparing to make legislative recommendations to congress that will v force reduction in the cost of living, ho' Visited the federal trades commission sl 1 late today to inquire into evidence of :Iir profiteering on necessities. nJ The president conferred with Wil- as oli, lium B. Colver, chairman of the com-taV com-taV mission, and Commissioner Victor Mur-dock, Mur-dock, and was given an outline of the Sni production costs covering $39,000,000,-' $39,000,000,-' ih 000 worth of American industries, which the commission has been collecting col-lecting for many months. ,'.;, The commissioners insisted that these production costs, compared with 'j"'- prevailing prices to the consumer for eri the principal necessities of life, afford ample proof of wholesale profiteering ear, ly many manufacturers and dealers of ! the country. ned Neither of the commissioners would r.-t discuss the conference with the presi-e.y: presi-e.y: dent, and no statement was forthcoming forthcom-ing from the , White house, but the 'E n; president is known to be taking a deep ie interest in the deliberations of the spe-ifc-'' tMntt committee which has been mr in-est ig.-it ing the cost of living prob-m prob-m l '! w',n a v'ow to making a prelim-voir prelim-voir inarv report tomorrow to the cabinet '.conference, which is scheduled to meet ; ba in Attorney General Palmer's office before be-fore the regular cabinet meeting in the afternoon. PRESIDENT EXPECTED oi TO PROPOSE MEANS. tn:'- No hints have come from the White J'1' bouse ;is to what the president pro-"? pro-"? to recommend in his forthcom-'j'n forthcom-'j'n 1,1 g message to congress on the burning ,v.moslie issue of the hour, but some p, f his advisers insist that he will pro-rf pro-rf P"W definite forms of action which T snk 10 P"t an immediate end to rf nlmoniml prices. ' !f f 1 "'C c,'l,inot committee in the ,r; -"''Herat ions on the subject, Y. P. G. '"Ming, governor of the federal re-e re-e :. ve hoard, was called in todav, and h.T ne also win attend the meeting to-' to-' n'rv in Attorney General Palmer's lv. "lice. Hy tomorrow night, it was said, t '" "ministration may have a definite :;.. ' ot a line of action to be pursued. "''nil it is that conditions and remc-ffT remc-ffT WiU 1,0 thc Principal subject of rV I, l',"f"" when the cabinet meets at i;v - o clock. t ,0('0nK.rfS8 npiws still to be disposed ,,!.; '"lit recommendations for the pros-w pros-w the problem, and for that rea-jt;, rea-jt;, ; is slow in ,allins llp m.ly of (ho , ''lv considered bills that have been '; JAVORABLE REPORT UN' TINKKAM MATTER. rCw'1"' 1,owcv". the interstate com-renor, com-renor, C",n,i,u'! or'l"od a favorable r.',,i,.-" I!Pri's'Uitative Tinkham's k Providing for an investiga- : Vn,",1' Rnr situation. Thereto- & ".Usl J'00' ",e '" rl entin? , Wak0 nn """'cdiatc invosti-I invosti-I ': fn ' ' house its find- ';::ti , t "l:,m'f''"""K purposes, ;V"d re', IST Whlcsa, so,,,; ' tV'Ctl'" ,1,CS rricc are en-,. -llllJnn w (ContI"d on Page 2, Column 2.) " FOOD PRICES M REMEDY ME DEBATED (Continued from Paao One.l in the United States anil the causes of tho present sviar scarcity. Representative Igoe of Missouri, who sought vainly last week to obtain unanimous unani-mous consent for the consideration by the house of his resolution for an investigation in-vestigation by the federal trade commission com-mission into the price of shoes, said ho would make another effort fo bring ii ;up when the house meets tomorrow. iRedfield Urges Economy. I Secretary of Commerce Rei'fle'd thinks 1 that the American people could help them- selves a liKle in the crisis by the exercise nf more thrift, and he wrote a letter to 1 the president on the subject in which he ' supsested that a national call should be ! made to the people on the ground of an emergency. He ur.ed that people should i produce as much as possible and consume as little as possible. I Mr. Redfield also took occasion to point ! out that, while malefactors and profiteers : should he prosecuted, care should bo taken to see that the ripht persons were hit. This is a matter which the cabinet committee com-mittee is said to be investigating- very care:ully. Ways of meeting hifrh costs su exes ted by the secretary of commerce Included utilization of unused food fish, and also ureal er attention to the development of the new sources of leather supply. The bureau of fisheries of the department of commerce has worked on hot h of thee propositions, having sent out demonstrators demon-strators to show the possibilities of cook-inu cook-inu fish and having developed the use of fish leather tn a limited extent. Secretary R-:dfield said tonight that he haJ no present Intention of tecommend-inir tecommend-inir that the administration remove restrictions re-strictions on wheat prices, as urped In many quartt-rs. He had a hand in bring-inir bring-inir ahout the removal of restrictions on boss over the protest of the food administration. admin-istration. The result instead of n reduction reduc-tion In prices wad an Increase, which has het-n maintained ever since. It had heen ti'.e theory of the food administration that the restriction on hoss na- ncesj-ary to keep the price down. After that experiment experi-ment Secretary Redfield is hesitant ahout trying the experiment with wheat for fear, as believed hy many, prices would no above the guarantee instead of dropping b"Iow. The wa r department. Secreta ry pker said today, was ready to distribute surplus sur-plus army food to t he public throuqh municipalities, and city officials ffenerall have been urped to take a-i van tape of tins facility for furnishing r hen per food to the people as long as it Lasts. Surplus Food Supply. The parcel post plan of distribution, he said, would be-r'.dy to operate within a few days. In this connect :-jn. the surplus sur-plus property d ; .irtment o;' the war de-partn de-partn -rt aTmn';n"el that th" .'-rp!us fo'd on Jiand now Is valued at $132,137,700, nn i;.n-fn. S-l'iA"! .41': : beef, come.i, $2?. -4::.c,?,-; he; f. roast. S.'.l.sci.r: beef, fresh, frozen. $:?.' V., r': hash, .-orr.rd beof. $:.. 1 7" .!'"'-; to:na toes, J",, fii 7 ; Unnn, Vjnked. -42..".r,bl; corn, swft. canned. ?.'.b'7.ri-.4 ; pork, fresh. 5-."3.!42; nuear, pran ;la f-1, $ : .47 r.,:47 ; pean, canned, $.i.:'v2.4r:.: poultry. freh, frozen, f 1,136.-'j'M; 1,136.-'j'M; nusjellaneous, sr..S27.f.01. |