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Show PALMER STARTS HIGH PRICE PROBE PUBLIC SENTIMENT IS TO BE DIRECTED AGAINST THOSE GUILTY OF EXPLOITING. Attorney General Palmer Wires Food Administrators to Probe Retailers and Publish Costs as Guide. Congress to Investigate. Washington Food administrators in every stale in the union will begin Monday the formation of fair price commissions to answer questions directed di-rected to Ihem by Attorney General Palmer. His telegram to the food administrations administra-tions witli this request murks another step in the government's fight, against the high cost of living and Is in accordance ac-cordance with the desires expressed by the president in bis message to congress. con-gress. When fair prices are arrived at und posted by t lie food administrators, administra-tors, all of the strength of tin; department depart-ment of justice will he used tu maintain main-tain observance of these prices by wholesalers and retailers of foodstuffs. food-stuffs. Any violations of the fail-price fail-price lists will be reported immediately immediate-ly to the nearest, district attorney anil he will bo vested with authority to proceed at once against the profiteer. Meantime Investigators of the department de-partment of Justice have reported that large quantities of foodstuffs have been stored In various sections of the country and United Stales authorities are investigating these vast accumulations accumu-lations of supplies to determine whether wheth-er prosecution under the food act shall be begun under Attorney General Gen-eral Palmer's instructions. The general instructions issued by the attorney general to the United States district attorneys and the cooperating co-operating department agents also cover cov-er (he destruction of foodstuffs by holders who purpose by this method to hold up prices to the present high levels. lev-els. Reports are being received that foodstuffs are thus being destroyed, and the full machinery of the law will be invoked to reach the persons guilty. In this connection It has been proposed that congress enact legislation specially special-ly designed to cope with profiteers who go so far as to destroy foodstuffs to maintain prices. |