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I l l y i fl l r Attorney General With Presidents President's nt's Backing B c ing aps aps Out Campaign on Food Profiteers WASHINGTON Aug 1 A 1 A resolution resolution reso reso- lution directing the federal trade commission commission commission com com- mission to inquire into the increase inthe ir it the price of shoes was reported out today by the house interstate commerce commerce commerce com com- merce committee e. e CHICAGO CHICAG bug Aug 1 Stoppage 1 of ol buying was was' carried to such an extent that prices in in the corn market today fell more than 7 cents a bushel in in addition to a drop yesterday of about 6 B cents The lack of demand was in ir large measure due to the drive against high living cost December delivery of corn the prin prin- principal principal principal cipal trading option closed at the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom figures figure's of the day 56 1 Provision prices also showed a mo ma ra material setback 9 ay fr V 7 1 ASHINGTON Aug L l.-A l. B V V sp special cial committee to jo c csider con consider sider ider means of reducing the high hig- higi i lost cost of living was appointed athe at atthe t. t the he meeting yesterday of mem- mem bers jers mers of President Wilsons Wilson's cabinet with Attorney General Palmer The committee ommittee will compile suggestions hus thus far tar made and report to the cabinet abinet Monday when further steps stepa will be taken One suggestion made Mr Palmer said aid was that the government sell his this years year's wheat crop at the market rice price to be determined by th the law lawf of f supply and demand and make up he the guarantee to the farmers out of ot he the dollar billion fund appropriated d I Iby by y congress CALLS ALLS MEETING Attorney General Palmer summoned he the heads of important government departments to confer with him yes yes- es- es erday on tho the high cost of living ando and to 0 o consider appropriate measures tg educe reduce prices to the average citizen Those requested to meet In the tho attorney generals general's office were Secre- Secre aries Glass Houston Redfield and Vilson Wilson Director General HInes Ash f Secretary of the tho Treasury and Chairman Murdock nd and W. W B B. Colver of the federal trade commission r LACKED JACKED BY PRESIDENT r rIt It was vas said that the attorney gen genral s Eren-s ie ral eral called caned the conference on his ow own native e and not at the suggestion the he president with whom it was w was S arned learned he conferred Wednesday night allowing presentation of o request for tor action by the Brotherhood Brother- Brother hood o of Locomotive Engineers The conference however was be- be be eyed to have the sanction of ot the resident president who has been been reported ported r as determined to effect some relief for forage wage rage earners INQUIRIES BEGUN The The department of Justice already already has as under way several Investigations bearing Baring on tho the cost of living but butt th ir nature has not been disclosed In 1 t addition tho the departments department's experts expert aro re ro examining evidence submitted by bye bythe the e federal trade commission on the tho packing asking industry and a n decision is 18 expected shortly as to wh whether ther or not prosecutions will bo be Instituted In response to questions Mr Palmer admitted there was vas vas' no law by which prices rises rices could be lowered directly directly- but buta buthe he a declined to say whether ne new v legis legis- tion was needed to enable the de de to punish punish- men who may be bo I guilty o of profiteering There Is a great deal of good l law w wi on i the statute books the attorney Glared declared When a course of action Is decided d commission it 1 upon jon on the federal trade l Continued on page l 7 Ii j r K J it f FI FIGHT HT IS BEGUN ON ONi i THE HIGH COST f I Continued from page 1 1 understood to be ready to supply the most extensive collection of industrial industrial industrial indus indus- trial Information ever gathered by any government Production cost figures figures figures fig fig- ures have been obtained by the commission commission commission com com- mission on industries representing worth of capital as the result of Its activities during the war in advising the government what prices to pay for the millions of dollars of purchases made by it The commissions commission's investigations during the war all of which dealt only with the most authoritative in information information information in- in formation derived from the books of companies involved are said to have shown that profiteering was at a minimum in the retail trades most of the exorbitant profits which are being made going to the manufacturers and wholesalers As a remedy the commission commission commission com com- mission Is understood to favor a licensing system for co corporations do- do 1 ling ng an interstate business the system tem to be applied first in those cases where the mulcting of the public has has- been most flagrant MILK GOES UP IN TACOMA i TACOMA rACO IA Wash Aug 1 Tacoma I.-Tacoma Tacoma milk companies companies' yesterday gave no- no 1 in the price of milk ce otan increase I next week from 12 2 to 15 cents a ai i quart It was said the raise Is due dueI I to the higher prices being paid by the condensers I and the increased charges i 1 of milk producers The milk producers producers pro- pro i In turn ascribe the rise to toI 1 I shortage of pasturage and high grain prices Eight weeks of dry weather l II that seriously affected pasturage was wasI broken by a shower this morning I EXTRAORDINARY SESSION LINCOLN Neb Aug 1 The I.-The The lower lowerhouse i house of the Nebraska legislature last evening by a vote of 53 to 34 34 adopted I a resolution requesting Governor Mc- Mc Ie- Ie I Kelvie Immediately at the close of the present special session to ca call an I extraordinary session Of the legislature I 1 to find means for dealing with food profiteers and to devise means for lowering lowering lowering low low- ering high living costs The present present pres pres- ent session will close Saturday GovI Governor Gov- Gov I I McKelvIe has not indicated what action he will take I AMAZED AT SUPPLY BALTIMORE Aug State I.-State 1 State and andI city officials were amazed yesterday I to learn that hundreds of thousands I of pounds of butter more than 12 eggs and corresponding quanI quantities quantities quan quan- of other fresh foods are aio in storage storage storage stor stor- I age in Baltimore alone and that the quantities stored have been Increasing of late 1 Governor Harrington will tomorrow committee of Investigation name a a. I which will avail itself of every pose possible possible pos pos- sible method of bringing violators to trial I BUYERS EAGER SAN FRANCISCO Aug 1 Smoked I.-Smoked Smoked t bacon acon at 34 cents a n pound and canned tomatoes at 13 13 cents a can found scores of ready buyers y yesterday when I excess army my supplies purchased purchased by bythe Y toe lov sale at a the thES city it ww large department store The supplies were told sold at prices paid by the government gov gov- Hundreds of persons who crowded the section of the store where the supplies were on sale cheered ered the an announcement announcement announcement an- an that another carload of bacon was expected to reach the city tomorrow DAY 30 CONSIGNMENT PLAN NEW V YORK Aug 1 1 Surplus I.-Surplus Surplus army food will be sold to municipalities on ona ona ona a thirty-day thirty consignment plan according according according ac ac- cording to a a. message received last night by Mayor l Hylan from Deputy Commissioner of Markets l who went to Washington to urge upon the war department a scheme suggested suggested suggested sug sug- I by the mayor which would enable enable enable en en- able food I city officials to place army within reach leach of the the people people without I paying for It In advance Secretary J 1 Baker said the message settled the I difficult question which has divided both factions of the house by acceptIng accepting accept accept- I ing lag your proposition W WASHINGTON Aug 1 A i. A resolution resolution I tion lion requesting the attorney general to take immediate steps to stop speculation speculation I lation and gambling on the stock ex exchanges exchanges exchanges ex- ex changes of the country In food products products products prod prod- and other necessities of life was Introduced yesterday by Representative tive Fitzgerald Dem of Massachusetts I Representative Fitzgerald also in introduced introduced introduced in- in a resolution declaring It the sense of the house that the United States sell this years year's wheat crop at market prices making up the difference difference difference differ differ- ence out of the dollar billion-dollar wheat guarantee surplus fund The resolution resolution resolution tion said any market reduction would mean cheaper flour and a drop in other commodities thus making possible possible possible pos pos- sible the beginning of a movement to tor r reduce duce the cost of living |
