New-York tribune. [volume], May 25, 1918, Page 8, Image 8

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Says Emerson
Agent Told of
"Fixing" Case
Witness in Motors Co. Trial
Repeats Conversation
in Boston
Fear of Inquiry
Allayed by Matches
Prosecutor Tries to Show
Money Was Used to Pre?
vent Prosecution
As the fourteen men and four cor?
porations indicted for their alleged
participation in the vast stock-selling
schemes of the Emerson Motors Com?
pany, Inc., rame up yesterday for the !
second day oi their trial before Judge
Martin T. Mant?n, in the United State..
District Court here, the prosecution
proceeded promptly to offer testimony
to substantiate its charges of the pre?
vious day that Emerson/ money was'
used for th< purpose of preventing
prosecution by the District Attorney '
?it Ro-?ton. Mass.
As tho first witness in this effort to1
establish the existence of bribery]
operated through Emerson Motors;
agents. J. J. Mahoney, formerly sales
manager for Robert P. Matches & Co.. '
selling agents for the Emerson stock1
in Boston, was called to the. stand
in reply to the queries of Assistant
United States Attorney James AV. us-?
borne, 2d, who is prosecuting for the
government, Mahoney told Tiow the .
proposition, which.was heralded as the I
rival of the Ford among cheap auto-1
mobiles, had first been brought to his
attention through correspondence with
the firm of C. R- Berry & Co., of thisj
city; how he hud then been referred i
to Mr. Mutches in Boston, had gone!
?o work for Mr.?'Matches and subse-1
quently became his -ales manager, and?
how gradually his suspicions had been,?
aroused as to the soundness of the!
stock he was handling.
Tells of Inspector's. Visit
The trail which Mahoney declared led
into the office of Joseph C. Pelletier,
Boston's District Attorney, began, so ?
far as he was concerned, he said, with
a visit to the Emerson show rooms on .
Boylston Street by Police Inspector]
Farrell, of Boston.
This occurred, the witness testified,'
"ii September 23, t!H6. At the time
The newspapers were tilled with appeals
to the public to buy?buy?buy Emer?
son Motors stock. The mails were
laden with circular letters, many of
which Mr. Osborne marked for exhibit
yesterday, all emphasizing the. fact,
that it was the time to get aboard the
unparalleled Emersonian band-wagon.
Apparently the public was eager to
.i.ail itself of this opportunity. Ap?
parently Robert P. Matches & Co. were
_ oing a land office business. And then
came Farrell to the show rooms with
the information, so the witness stated,
that the plethora of stock and paucity
of automobiles had combined to excite
the curiosity of certain Boston officials
with the result that a grand jury in
\estigation into the affairs oi the con
( t in impended.
Mahoney determined to come to New
York and investigate for himself. On
his return. Matches, who at first, ac?
cording 'to his former sales manager,
had been Inclined to pooh-pooh the
whole notion of grand jury proceed?
ings, informed him that ;;uch an in?
vestigation was in fact under way.
Repeats Talk With Matches
"The following day," said Mahoney.
"that is to s; y, October 4, 1916, Matches
told me that he had been to Pelletier's
office that is, the office of the Dis?
trict Attorney in Boston and had of?
fered to show him all the books and
records and balance sheets of the com?
pany. He also offered, he said, to de?
fray tlie expenses of any delegate Pel?
letier cared to select to come 'to Xew
York and investigate the entire propo
ition at headquarters for himself.
"But Pelletier, so Matches said.
treated him very roughly, replied that
there was 'nothing doing.' and lhat
there wer.'? too many of these stock
selling schemes anyway."
"And did you," asked Mr Osborne,
-.<?? 'he witness came to a pause, "have
any subsequent conversation with the
defendant Matches as to his negotia?
tions with the ('?strict attorney's office
at Boston?"
"Subsequently," returned Mahoney,
"Mr. Matches told rac he had found a
new way to stop the District Attorney's
investigation, which was to go to a
friend of ?the District Attorney's and
dangle a bunch of money before him on
a string, and then cut the string with
a pair of shears so that the money ,
would fall into their laps."
'And wa. that the last conversation
you had with Mr. Matches on this sub.
ject ?" persisted Mr. Osborne.
"No," the witness replied. "On Oc'.o- .
her ? or 6, during the same week, which
f know was the time the matter was
scheduled to come up before the grand
jury, f spoke to Mr. Matches about it,
and he said that ?t didn't matter now,
that everything was fixed up."
Later the witness declared that on
another occasion Matches had said to
him that if the Emerson motors propo?
sition should come to be investigated
all they had to do was go into the mar?
ket short and clean up several millier.
dollar?.
Subscribers Testify.
After Mahoney left' the stand thp
government called several of the sub- ;
?cribers who had put mency into the |
scheme -folk of small means from
New Hampshire. Massachusetts, Geor?
gia, Ohio. All of them testified in hav
ing read advertisements of the Emer?
son stock and having been subse?
quently bombarded with circular let?
ters and appeal.; to buy, until ulti?
mately t.hey c''d buy.
In the cross-examination of these
witnesses the defending attorneys gave
pretty clear indications as to what one
of their main lines of defence would
be, as they put one question after an
other seeking to show what has become
of these stocks.
The contention was that the stock in
question has been taken over by a new
firm, known as the C'amnbell Company,
which fir?.. is held to be a going con?
cern at the present time. At every
effort to pursue this line of question?
ing, however. Mr. Osborne was on his
feet with strenuous objections.
"If you're going to allow such testi?
mony, your honor," he protested, "you ?
might as well go into the whole history
and finances of the Campbell company.
In fact, it would be necevsary to.
That is what this is opening the door
to; and I submit that the Campbell.
company is not on trial, in this case."
"But I submit, your honor," broke in i
George Gordon Battle, counsel for the
defendant Wilson, "that it is relevant
to the question of whether or not these '
defendants are guilty of fraud?which
is the question that we are here to de- :
cide -to show what disposition has i
been made of the securities thc-y sold >
these people. 1 submit if we can prove ;
they have made provision, since the ?
bankruptcy of the Emerson company, i
for these securities, and that these se- i
curities are to-day worth something?I
submit that that has a very direct bear
ing on the general motives and inten- ?
tions of the defendants in this matter." '
.May Offer Direct Testimony
Several of the other defending at-,
torneys rose to voice the same view,
and an argument, in whichjfthe judge1
took part, developed, lasting nearly half !
an hour. In the end Judge Mant?n '
ruled that if such evidence could later
be shown to have direct bearing on the
case it might be introduced in direct
testimony.
But for the present he held that any
efforts the defendants might have made
to extricate themselves from their diffi?
culties after the collapse of the Emer?
son company had no bearing on their]
original intentions. He accordingly
ruled against this line of questioning,
to which ruling the defence filed objec?
tions..
Another incident yesterday was the
mention by Mr. Mahoney of a $50,000
? check he swore to having seen on Mr.
Matches'? desk in proposed payment
for 200,000 shares of Emerson stock.
At this time, Mahoney said, the stock
was selling for $G a share. AVith so
large an order in view, however. Mr
Matches, he testified, got Mr, Wilson,
in New York, on the long distance tel?
ephone to see if the latter would sanc?
tion the sale. Mr. Wilson, however,
the witness declared, ruled against it.
For whom the stock was intended Mr.
Mahoney did not pretend to know, but
the check, he testified, came through
the banking firm of Hornblower &
Weeks.
It was held, however, that the firm of
Hornblower & Weeks was no more on
trial than was the Campbell Motor Com?
pany, so that line of exploration had to
| be abruptly abandoned.
Visit to Investigate
.Aside rrom this and the story rc
; ported of Matches & Co.'s dealings
I with the 'District Attorney's office in
j Boston, chief interest yesterday cen
, tred around Mr. Mahor.ey's visit of in
? vestigation to the Emerson Motors of
fce in this city.
Arriving here on October 1, 1916,
Mahoney said that he afterward saw
both George "Campbell and Nicholas F.
'? Wilson, said to be the chief promoter
of the whole scheme, at the offices of
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U_ wrmes I'arU. ?ionx. illr,N.T.
At? 0. Gallup. VUa.PrS-tfacit.
the Emerson company, at the Mar
bridge Building. Asked if he could '
identify ?hese men, he replied that lie
was not sure, since he had seen them
only once, and that nearly two years
ago.
Upon the test being: put, he failed
to recognize IMr. Campbell, but imme?
diately singled out Mr Wilson where
far at the rear of the enclosure, he was
sitting.
Mr. Mahonev told them of Farrell's
visit to the Boston showroom-, and,
asked for particulars as to the actual ;
status of the company. Mr. Wilson, he j
said, replied that no cars were beinK ;
pro'duccd just then, but that they ;
would be within six month..
Aftorward Mr. Mahoney .?id he was ?
taken to the company's "plant" ?t Long ?
Island City?which, he testified, con- ?
sistod of a single floor in a four story
building. Here the only evidences of i
automobile manufacture that Mahoney
remembered seeing were three or four
chassis and soma wheels, rear axles, '
rims. etc.
"Did you see any workmen?" asked?
Mr. Osborne.
"Three or four," was the answer.
Mr. Matches'? attorney subjected;
Mahoney .to a long cross-examination,!
but without in any way shaking the i
body of hi. story. Owing to the time !
consumed by this, though Judge Man-'
ton ordered an evening session of the
trial.
Here several other purchaser., of
Emerson stock told of how the pro- j
moters' advertisements had attracted
them to the proposition.
Judge in Prager
Lynching Trial
Charges Perjury
Declares Veniremen Fear,
to Try 11 Defendants in
Illinois Town
imperial Dispatch, to The Tribune)
EDWARDSVILLE, 111., May 24.?Cow?
ardice on the part of Madison County
citizens was charged to-day by Judg_? ;
Bernreuter, in the case of eleven men \
accused of lynching Robert Prager.
According to the-court, man after i
man has perjured himself to escape
jury duty because he fears the antag- |
onistic factions into .which the case >
has split the community. At the close i
of the tenth day's session of the ;
circuit court. 648 prospective talesmen !
have been examined by opposing attor- j
neys and only eight have been definitely !
accepted.
Since Monday, when a second pane!
of four was chosen, no juro? has.
admitted himself competent, to serve.
In adjourning court until Monday,
Judge Bernreuter summoned the eicht
jurors, who have been held under
armed guard.
"I regret to tell you gentlemen,"
said the court, "that of almost a thou- ?
sand of your fellow citizens you eight
seem to be almost the only ones who ]
have the nerve to fulfil a constitu- \
tional duty. The others?a big lot of
them, anyhow?are afraid to sit here ?
and help us get at the truth of this
Prager killing." ?
Earlier in the clay four veniremen,
all employ?s of one of the Edwards
ville dry goods stores, were subpeenaed.
'1 heir replies convinced the court that ;
they had rehearsed beforehand. "I'm j
going to excuse you men for cause," i
said Judge Bernreuter at the finish.
"I don't care to have men of your type
sitting on this jury, but if any of you i
ever come back into my court and
show me that you've learned your
piece in advance to escape a solemn
duty I'll make an example of you for
the whole, county to study."
The State of Illinois, which has no
hesitancy in contending with the War
Department for men in the draft call, !
to-day sidestepped an encounter with |
Mr. Hooker's army of agriculture- H.
Prague, a Madison County farmer, was
summoned and- declared his ability to !
serve on the jury. State's Attorney ?
Streuber accepted him and tendered
him to the defence as a member of the !
final hard won panel of four.
"Is there any reason you can't I
serve?" asked J. M. Bandy, counsel for)
the defence.
I've got a h und re! acres jf corr.
to plough to-morrow," was the answer, j
"If I don't -get at it right away that i
patch is a goner." '
The state's attorney threw up his ;
hands. "That smashes the panel," he ?
said. "But we're not interfering with '
the ?crops this year?let the gentleman !
go ITome and plough."
Two men who were supposed to go .
to camp in the recent draft call are I
beld indefinitely for jury service and, i
by arrangement of the exemption!
i board, will be permitted to report to |
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Insult Led Her to Shoot
Mrs. Roberts, Says Grace Lusk
WAUKESHA, Wis.. May 24.?Grace
Lusk, after testifying that she could \
remember nothing about the killing of
Mrs. Mary Newman Roberts, for which
she is now on trial, was forced to ad
mit on cross-examination to-day. that ;
she had sought to keep her relations
with Dr. David Roberts.secret for more
than two years.
During this period she admitted that
she had warned the veterinary to be ;
careful in talking with her on the tele?
phone; that she had sent him letters in ?
care of his secretary; that she had
urged him to register under a fictitious
name with her at a Chicago hotel, and .
that they had n mutual agreement that?
their letters should be unsigned, and :
destroyed as soon as they were read. i
Although she con!.! remember noth?
ing regarding the actual shooting of
Mrs. Roberts, and declared that she'
"never intent-fed" to do it, she admitted j
that she had a clear recollection of j
events immediately before and after j
the tragedy. She declared that Mrs. !
Roberts hud threatened to have her
driven oui of' town and had likened her
to a dog and n woman of the streets. :
Alter the tragedy, Miss Lusk told of
going to her room and examining lier '?
pistol with the intention later of using !
it to take her own life. She had no I
recollection of firing the first shot into ;
her body, hu? remembered the second. ;
.Miss Lusk testified on cross-exanii
nation that the first time she had i
urged that Mrs. Roberts be told the !
truth was May 38, 191". a little more i
than a month before the tragedy.
"You wanted the affair disclosed to !
Mrs. Roberts in the expectation that
she would step aside?" she was asked.
"I did not know," .he answered.
"Did you think she ought to have
done sq'."l
"If she did not care for him arid he
did not caro for her that would be the
logical thing."
Mr. Corrigan then read a section of
a letter from Miss Lusk to Mrs. Rob?
erts, which Dr. Roberts intercepted
as follows:
"I have lost my reputation while :
you have kept your 'throne.' It really ?
isn't quite fair, is it?"
"You thought it fair that she give
Up the doctor?" he asked.
"Yes. if she understood Hie situa?
tion," Miss Lusk replied.
Another letter declared that Miss
Lusk had not taken Dr. Roberta's pur- ?
suit seriously until she was slighted
by Mrs. Roberts a. a church affair
and "vowed to get even." In answer
to questions, she said she had not
meant this and had done nothing to
"get oveit;"
She also admitted several statements j
made in the letter regarding her in?
timacies with Dr. Roberts were not
true.
"In the eternal triangle,' tho letter
read, "the only solution is the elimina?
tion of one of the members. The two I
remaining being those whoso affection?
is mutual." i
"Did you mean the elimination of'
Mr... Roberts?" she was asked.
"Xo, I meant at that time to kill
myself," she replied. ?
Miss Lusk will take the stand for!
the continuation of her cross-examina?
tion to-morrow.
their commands later. But, by the
court's statement to-day, no farmers
will be held.
Prager, whose alleged disloyal re?
marks led to his lynching, tried to en?
list in the United States navy at the
outbreak of the war, it was stated by
si witness who offered to testify for the
prosecution. A story of the dead man's ;
past activities was received by the^
state in a letter written by Charles!
Specht, treasurer of a St. Louis Lodge;
of Odd Fellows.
"The statement that Prager was j
driven out of Nebraska for refusing to !
stand up for the 'Star.Spangled ban- ;
ner' is untrue," the leader said in part. |
"At the time he was said to be in
Nebraska he lived in Missouri and the
proof is easily obtained. In May, 1917,;
he tried to enlist in the American1
navy."
Decision on
New War Tax
Delayed by Wilson
Continued from page I
out of the war business will have to!
pay their share of the taxation that!
the bill will carry.
"We will not get money into the
treasury any earlier by passing the,
bill at this session than we would byi
).a..cing it, say, on February 1. The
tax would be payable in June or July
and there would be time to enact the
legislation at the December session."
President Wilson. Secretary McAdoo
and Congressional leaders spent most
of the morning in telephone con- '
1'erence.s with Senator Simmons, as i
spokesman for the Congressional con?
tingent in an eleventh hour effort te
have the legislation delayed.
The President telephoned Senator
Simmons early, and was said to be anx?
ious for (?clay if it should be deemed by
Secretary McAdoo at all possible. The
Secretary conferred with his? principal I
Treasury advisers for a final survey o. '
the Treasury's condition and' needs be- i
fore making known his decision.
These Congressional leaders were in?
formed by Secretary McAdoo late to?
day that the legislation was imperative.
The Secretary's decision was made
after a day of conferences with mem?
bers of his staff and after he again had
consulted President Wilson.
Mr. Kitchin then said arrangements
would be made immediately for hear?
ings on a bill, that every non-essential
industry would be considered for tax?
ation, and that after the two weeks of
open hearings there probably would be
six weeks of executive consideration
in committee.
"The Ways and Means Committee."
Mr. Kitchin said, "will frame this bill
itself. Eighty per cent of the amount
it produces will come from income,
taxes and excess profits taxes. There
will be increases in the excise taxes.
Luxuries will be taxed. There probab?
ly will be, or possibly, a tax on auto?
mobiles, on jewelry and on phono?
graphs. There will be a large increase
in the income tax."
Mr. Kitchen said the bill would be
a "wise, righteous and just bill," that
it would prov.ide from three to four
billion dollars additional revenue, and
that it would be. based on the calendar
year 1918, although the revenue would
not be coming in until next June or
July. He predicted there would be no
adjournment of Congress until some
time between the middle of October
and November. Present tax laws pro?
duce a revenue from all sources of
S4.OO0.OOO.OOO, he said, and this would
be increased so as to make a total
revenue to come in next, year between
seven billion and eight billion dollars. ;
The basis of the bill desire I by Sec- j
rotary McAdoo will be to provide for
one-third the revenues of the govern- I
ment from taxation.
"We will collect," said Representa- |
tive Garner, of Texas, a member of the j
Ways and Means Committee, "33 1-??"
per cent of the expense of the war
from the taxes. It is estimated the
expense for the next fiscal year will be
$24,000,000,000. One-third of this
would be $8,000,000,000, which will
come from taxes, and the other two
thirds will come from loans." ?
Representative Garner'said all busi?
ness should get ready for the .oming >
legislation.
"Business," he said, "had better get
ready its arguments to show why any
individual industry should not be
taxed. One billion dollars must be
taken out of business alone, and that
is more than any country has ever got?
ten before .in such a way from business
channels. There will be at least fifty
or sixty propositions as to lines of
business to be taxed. Every non
essential business will be considered
as to the advisability of taxing it."
The Republican attitude toward rev?
enue legislation was set forth to-day
by Republican Leader Gillett of the
House, who announced that if a new
revenue bill were necessary the Re?
publicans would cooperate in.its enact?
ment.
s? ? ?
29 Steel Ships Is
Record Output for
Three Weeks in May
With Vessels Built by Allies,
Construction for Month
Will Exceed Losses
WASHINGTON, May 24.--Steel ships
completed thus far in May exceed the
output of any previous month in the
history of the Shipbuilding Board. The
total output up to and including May
23 was twenty-nine vessels of 174,661
tons. Four steel steamships, totalling
28.200 tons, weife delivered yesterday.
With the showing of the first three
weeks officials believe that the out?
put of the month, together with the
ships built in the yards of the Allies,
again will exceed the tonnage lost.
In the race with the submarine it
begins to appear that the lead taken
by the Allies in April as revealed in
Premier Lloyd George's speech to-day
at Edinburgh, is certain to be main?
tained and increased from now on.
! Only some unforeseen and disastrous
interruption of work can retard the
output of hulls. Workmen in the
| American yards are giving their best
?efforts and lead the world in work
(""done. Shortages of material are being
! overcome. Lack of engines and boilers
| apparently will be remedied by the sur
j vey of manufacturing resources being
made from Chicago.
It. % hoped also that the American
output of ships in May will set a new
world's record. Of the twenty-nine
' vessels delivered ready for sea, twenty
! four had been requisitioned en the
I stocks and five were built on contract.
! The average daily output of completed
; ships has been 7,594 tons.
\ Evidence of the energetic work being
i done on the Pacific Coast was given in
! the following telegram from the Skin
j ner & Eddy Co., of Seattle:
] "West Apaum launched fifty-five days
? from laying of keel. This makes three
i vessels launched within last five weeks,
j two of them in fifty-five days, one in
' fifty-seven o'ays. Will launcn another
vessel about June 6."
Phone that
ADVERTISEMENT
/or TOMORROW'S
SUNDAY TRIBUNE
non. .0
Beekman 3000
Socialist Leaders
Assail Conviction
Of Mrs, Stokes
She Was Tried in an At?
mosphere of Prejudice,
Hillquit Declares
Julius Gerber, Morris Hillquit and
Crystal Eastman agreed yesterday that
the conviction of Mrs. Rose Pastor
Stokes was. to say the least, a mis?
take. Mi Gerber characterized it a.
.in outrage, _ickr.owlcdgin2 in the same
breath that .1 would be hard to get
twelve men together who would return
any other verdict.
Morris Hillquit said Mrs. Stokes was .
tried in an atmosphere of prejudice
and declaicd that until the United
States recovers from the hysteria char- ,
acteristic of the early stagy of the war,
''honest di_scnler. from the established
government policy will suffer."
"I consider the conviction of Mrs. \
?t?kes an outrage," said Mr. Gerber, I
who is executive secretary of the New
York local of the Socialist party. "But :
it would be hard to find a jury broad
minded enough to give any other ver- !
diet. i
"The conviction of Mrs. Stokes will j
increase- the Socialist vote in this :
country in the same ratio as socinlism j
in Germany was increased by the ;
measures tuken by Bismarck against
the Socialists there.
"I consider the conviction of Mrs.
Stokes a crave miscarriage of justice."
said Mr. Hillquit.
"I have made a thorough study of the
law and the history of its enactment,
and am convinced it was intended pure?
ly as a measure against agents of the
enemy governments actively and delib?
erately engaged in plots to interfere
with the military and naval operations
of the United States or to convey mili?
tary secrets to the. enemy. The law was,
in my opinion, never intended to pre?
vent, or even curtail, the expression of
criticism of the government in its war
policy or conduct, no matter how em?
phatic, violent or even unfounded such,
criticism might be.
"From the newspaper accounts of
Mrs. Stokes's trial it seems clear she
was not tried for obstructing recruit?
ing or causing insubordination in th_
army or for any other crime under the
espionage law, but for her op'lnions on
the war and on economic and social
conditions in the United States.
"She was triad in an atmosphere of
prejudice and hysteria, which, unfortu?
nately, at this time beclouds the cus
tomery sense of American fairness and
justice. Such a state of mind is not
unnatural in the early stages of the
war. In the mean time honest dissent
ors from the established govtrpment
policy will suffer."
Miss Eastman's statement follows:
"The extremity of this conviction
demonstrates the danger of weakening
the constitutional provisions for free
speech, even in war time. While I
recognize the danger of permitting un?
restricted free speech during war, I be?
lieve this'danger is not so great as
that of tampering with constitutional
rights. Mrs. Stokes is not regarded as
an extreme'radical, but rather as a?
thoughtful-party Socialist."
. - ???-;
Joke by "Spirit"
Convicts a Pastor
Not all spirits are angelic, John Hill,
pastor of the Spiritual Church of Ad
, vanced Thought, 20 West Ninety-first
Street, sadly acknowledged yesterday
1 when he was found guilty as a dis?
orderly person in the West Side po?
lice court.
He intimated that, it must have been
an un-angelic disembodied jokester that
directed his attention to Mrs. Mary A.
] Sullivan, one of his "congregation," on
May 3 and impelled him to suggest to
her that she was worried over the loss
: of jewels.
For, as it turned out. Mrs. Mary A.
't Sullivan wasn't bothering about jewels
! at all; in fact, she owned none, and
i the expression of strain and concen?
tration on her countenance was due
simply to the fact that this was one
| of her first jobs as policewoman on
| Deputy Commissioner Ellen O'Grady's
i staff. All of which must have 'been
' known to the impish spirit that caused
j Mr. Hill to present to PoliceworAan
j Sullivan just the evidence she wanted.
I Or, perhaps, as Policewoman Sullivan
i suggested, the spirit was a feminist.
'' Anybow, Mr. Hill will be sentenced on
? June 3, unless the appeal he intends to
; take interferes,
Garfield Lowers Soft
Coal Price 10 Cents
I WASHINGTON'. May 24.?A reduc
? tion of 10 cents a ton in government
; fixed prices for bituminous coal was
. announced to-night by the fuel admin
. istration as a result of the agreement
; under which the railroads will pay the
j fixed price for coal and abandon the
l practice of giving preferential car ser?
vice to mines furnishing railroad fuel.
1
pod Prices
1 r/^~>-to ike
(onsumor
^L j Wholesale market prices and conditions art based
^^. ?S primarily on report? of the New York Office of
th** Eure?u of Market?, United State? Department of Agriculture.
The discussion of tfce retail market, It? prices and ?peeia!
war conditions are prepared in collaboration with the New York
Federal Food Board.
Edited by
ANNE LEWIS PIERCE, Director of the Tribune Institute
Saturday, May 25, 1918
THREE FOODS THAT MUST BE EATEN
THE leaders on the patriotic bill of fare are fish, cornmeal
and potatoes. After we have eaten our war allowance
of these (though there is no hardship attached to eating
any of them, especially the fresh fish that are coming in) we can
turn to the fresh vegetables and fruit and lay aside conscience
and eat what we will, for all of the perishable products are plen?
tiful and in the wholesale market there has been a downward
trend of prices for the most part.
New potatoes have recovered from their competition with
the old potato and prices are higher. The Floridas and Ber?
mudas are bringing 4 to 6 cents a pound in the downtown mar?
ket, while the old potatoes are bringing about 2.5 cents, f
The cornmeal prices have been cut to encourage the de?
mand and prevent spoilage of the oversupply. Six and on-.
half to seven cents a pound is all that should be asked.
FISH
Fish is getting cheaper and more abundant all the time.
Flounder is wholesaling for 2 to 6 cents and retailing for 15 cents
in the Washington Market. The Federal Food Board's suggested
price is 11' 2 cents. The Western shad is about gone and the na?
tive shad is scarce and high?20 cents a pound wholesale and 35
cents retail. Mackerel continues to be plentiful, fine and cheap;
15 cents wholesale and 20 to 25 cents retail, a little higher than
the Federal Food Board price of 18 to 23 U cents. The best and
cheapest of the pan fish are the weakfish and butterfish, for
about 15 cents.
There are about forty different varieties of fish available,
varying from 6 to 40 cents a pound in price. Here is a chanco
for an adventure in fish eating. The whiting are still going
begging at 6 to 8 cents a pound. One reason that the margin
between the wholesale and the retail prices on fish is high is the
fact that the demand is not general and your fish merchant
must make a living on the few days in the week when fish is
bought and sold. More fish days would mean cheaper fish, and
the buying of more kinds of fish would help in the same direc?
tion.
Since ham and bacon are taboo, meat should be eaten
sparingly ; cereals are scarce and the weather is getting warmer;
we can well fall back on fish and fruit for breakfast. The
menus suggested represent economy, patriotism and the
best the market affords at the lowest prices.
Three Fish Breakfasts for Four
Strawberries and cream (strawberries 20 cents a box) : cornmeal muf?
fins; pan-broiled butterfish (15 cents pound); fried potato cakes, radishe?.
Total, 83 cents.
Sliced pineapple (25 cents apiece) ; codfish and potato balls (codfUh
25 cents pound) ; tomato sauce . 10 cents can i ; corn flour and tempered
oat muffins. Total, 60 cents.
Stewed raisins and rhubarb; fried whiting (8 cents pound) : ha?h
brojvued potatoes; cress; corn pone. Total, 55 cents.
MEATS
Meat prices' have been higher this week purely because the
shipments have been lighter. Despite the fact that people are
not eating much meat, prices have advanced in the wholesale
market. Veal still remains the best buy. Even the stewing
beef and lamb retail for 30 cents a pound, while veal is only
18 to 20 cents, and round steak continues to bring 40 cents.
The increase in price in the wholesale market is often not
reflected for several days or a week in the retail prices because
meat is purchased ahead and kept. It is rumored that even
the retail prices quoted are due to increase within the next two
weeks. The answer is, eat fish, and you will produce a healthy
effect on both markets, save money and be eating a more sea?
sonable and more perishable and a more wholesome food for
warmer weather. There is every reason for eating fish in?
stead of meat just now.
Chickens stand first on the list of meats we are not to
? eat if economically minded ? thirty-eight to forty cents a
: pound for fricassee, and 42 to 45 for roasting fowl. When wt
! hark back to the days when the Hoover protection of the laying
: hen was withdrawn and we expected the market to be flooded
with cheap fowl, there is nothing to do but smile a rueful smile
and keep on eating fish and veal.
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Among the arrivals, new potatoes, Texas onions, cabbage
, and tomatoes, asparagus, peas, strawberries and peaches are
! mentioned as plentiful, with string beans and cucumbers fairly
; heavy.
It is a relief to know that the old onion crop is practica'ly
| eaten up ; we no ionger have any duty toward it. J
Lettuce and new spinach, peppers and eggplant, sweet
i potatoes, celery, ?artichokes and old potatoes are only moderate
> ly supplied. June will do better for us as far as these ,vege
I tables are concerned.
The strawberries, the peaches, the string beans and the
peas need to be purchased with care, as there is a wide range in
! quality and condition of the shipments coming in. Some are
I very good and others very poor.
i THE TRIBUNE INSTITUTE CONSUMERS' CO-OPERATIVE
CLUBS
United States Food Administration License G 0733J.
THE price of extra quality eggs to the members of the
Consumers' Clubs is 40 cents. This means that these egff1
have been candled for quality and that the second seler
I tion offered for 35 cents are perfectly wholesome and suitable
| for cooking purposes. The market eggs described as "straight
: candled" are not graded for quality, only the badly broken
i eggs and the "rots" being rejected. This grade of "straight
! candled" eggs could be offered to the Consumers' Clubs for 3?
I cents, which would show a saving, as compared with market
i eggs of the same grading, of 6 to 7 cents a dozen.
TELEPHONE Morningside, 7794, 7795 or 8775
if you want to save at least a Thrift Stamp on every five dozen
eggs you eat, and know that you are getting the best quality of
I one of the most wholesome spring foods you can buy at aW
! price.
?Comparison of Pi-ices in Cents per Pound on Products Handled **
! Consumers' Clubs.
Federal
I'ood Board Club
Product. price. price. Sari??
Egg? (fancy quality)... ?? ? ~
Egg. (straight candled). ?-44 37 ? *
Egga, second? (cooking).. ?? *? TT .
Butter (print) (a). Jf ?;? :
.-earn? (navy) (b). ?f J? <P?^>
Beans (lima) (b)....,. J? 15 ?
Raisins (seeded) (c). \* H *
Prunes, large (40-50) (c). 19 15 ?
Prunes, small (60-70) (c). *<_H_?_._
(a) Pasteurized butter higher grade than other quotations.
(b) FiTe-pouud packsfca only. _*ii_?
(c) ?S-pound lot?. (Ralsiua also ?n lo-oum-e carton. 12 cent*: stt?**?*;.
raisins, in 5-pound bags, 12 cents.)
The regular market column will appear cvi Suturdey.