Evening star. [volume], November 09, 1919, Page 10, Image 10

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
New Fair Price Committee's
Powers Are Misunderstood
Amended Act Gives Added, But Still Limited,
Authority?First List Expected in a
Few Days.
By I.KO\AKI> OHXKROI).
^ ith Its powers extended by the
amendment to the food control act,
recently approved by President Wil
ton the new ,OCal fair prie* com
littee for the Department of Agri
culture, which came into being last
veek, will, within the next few days.
Put out its first "fair price list.1' but
its powers cannot extend beyond the
provisions of the statute, and what
the committee may and may not do
s frequently misunderstood by the
Public.
?As a premise, it should be staled
that no such committee is specificallv
mentioned, either in the ori*l??i
"hrrtouVhnThedn,tnt- bUt "
?^ements? r?'lr>' arrangements or
?gene? or agencles '-11'H Uh ,T a"y
"insr n? tu ? >>itn the pass
t?on ,h he nationaj food administra
*,51" enforcement of the act wis
\tt ^ k>* the President to the
;ncerR ?V^7'eraI- ' h a i rm an C1 a r
-j " ?lson. who served as food
"he wTr ha"1'lin thp. 'Strict during
ar- hHS been eiven an office in
the Department of Justice building.
Powers Not Understood.
repMonal,is' ','hP ,'"?r comn'?? misc-on
Powerto r,J , ? ",e ''"'""lit tee has
war ?a= Prices. Kven when the
vond the Progress this was be
-epart. !ent ofW.hr ?f 'h" executive
a? ?? ~ he government, so far
as food stuff. were concerned exceDt
' ?case Of wheat and sugar price*
- ? ? oi
fun^ion of the fair price
oeemTo hax^?hhere are some who
Th. "?,e same conception of
baker h e?"tro."er's power as a local
,?, 7 l\ar1 during the early dafs of
M mav he StrKtion" Tf,e bakers,
SS., : . remembered, were under
i to reK"lation, being required
: on-m./ OU' 'engrthy reports as to the
and an* a" oontent of their product.
was the of irregularity
as the signal for an inspection bv a
, Hone too charitable government agent.
: Baker Feared Arrest.
? ,mornlng early in 1911! Food
i ?"|ministrator ?Wilson answered his
telephone and found himself talking
! Te.ft^i ? spoke with a strong
! C.ar.Cen and asked for a" im
mediate interview.
! < ertainly. but what do vou want
! to see me about r asked Mr. Wilson.
- 1 .wa.nt to 8hut "P m>- shop
and go out of town for two weeks "
?-k . I ? "?an- after some hesitation,
out I don t want to get arrested."
As long as a dealer makes onlv a
fair profit on the goods he hand'les
he need not consult the fair price list
though he may save himself some
trouble by so doing. The price at
?which he may sell depends entirely on
the price at which he buys, and if he
f handles fancy goods that cost more
at wholesale than the grade of the
same goods quoted in the fair price
Jist the government w-ill not object
to an increased retail price. But he
*?ay And himself in an embarrassing
position unless he keeps his invoices
handy to show- why his prices are
above the ordinary.
i The amended act makes it unlawful
to make an "unjust or unreasonable
. rate" in handling necessities or to
conspire "to exact excessive prices."
but the final analysis as to what con
1 atitutes unjust, unreasonable or ex
cessive prices must rest with a trial
i Jury acting in accordance -with in
structions from the court.
j Attorney General the Judge.
The discretion of the Attorney Gen
r eral or his assistants is the only
guide in determining what rate of
profit shall be deemed worthy of the
attention of a federal grand jury. No
such case has yet come up in the
! District of Columbia, but officials of
E the department will show no hesl
' tancy to act if they And an instance
that appears to them as a willful vio
lation of the act. The testimony of
one or more customers or a sales slip
?would be sufficient evidence of the
retail price, and the wholesale figure
! would be almost as easy to learn.
Members of the committee or other
dealers would be competent witnesses
fas to what constituted a fair and rea
sonable profit, and if the questions of
fact were established the question of
I 5 law- would be clear either to a grand
I ? Jury or a trial jury.
Consumer Considered.
* It becomes apparent, then, that the
i ? fair price list is issued for the con
- ?venlence of the householder, the ulti
* mate consumer, to acquaint him with
I t normal prices he \should pay, and pre
; vent him from being an easy victim
< for the profiteer. He is asked to send
> to the committee any sales slip or
other information where prices exceed
| ? those of the list, and this will be made
f the subject of immediate investiga
tlon.Vlf the dealer cannot explain the
...high figure to the satisfaction of the
1 fair price committee chairman or other
* representative of the Department of
; Justice, he may find himself under the
necessity of explaining it to the satis
5 faction of a federal court.
Many Articles Included in Act.
Unjler the act of Congress the juris
diction of the Department of Justice
. and the interest of the fair price com
? mittee are not confined to the articles
. enumerated in the fair price list. The
a<~* takes in as "necessaries"
J all "foods, feeds, wearing apparel, con
tainers primarily designed or intended
Tor containing foods, teeds. or ferti
I Users; fuel, including fuel oil and
natural gas, and fertilizer and ferti
, User ingredients, tools, utensils, imple
ments, machinery and equipment re
' quired for the actual production of
t foods, feeds and fuel."
* T.hf fair pri,'e l'st includes only such
, articles as are universally used and
- "lake up the principal items in the
t J?"1!'1", budget. For convenience the
t list is kept as short as possible, as the
only means of publication is through
j the press, which has limited space
1 vegetables are not generally
' irrin as 'he law of supply and de
1 wand and the perishable nature of
such foods operate against profiteer
ing- But if a dealer were making an
excessive profit on potatoes or cab
bage, It would bring him within the
scope of the law as surely as if he
were profiteering in meat or lard or
flour.
Committee Guards Purses.
It is the idea of Chairman Wilson,
acting in co-operation with officials of
the Department of Justice, to make
the fair price committee the watch
i dog of the consumer's purse. Kvery
! branch of trade affected lias a repre
i sentative on the committee qualified
j to give expert advice as to trade and
| price conditions respecting his par
I ticular line, but the consumer's inter
! eats are well guarded, and any case
j that appears to merit the attention of
i a grand jury can be brought befi>|*o
the local district attorney on short
notice.
T.'nder the original act profiteering
and speculating were declared to be
"unlawful," but no penalty was pro
vided for those who disregarded I he
law. All manufacturers and whole
salers and all retailers doing a busi
ness of $100,000 a year or more were
compelled to take out a license to do
business, but the small retailer could
be reached only by ordering the
wholesaler not to sell him any goods
Finding it impossible to get the small
profiteer into the courts, either civil
or criminal. Attorney tleneral Palmer
asked for an act "with teeth in it."
and a full set of dental organs are
now a part of the act.
Things Forbidden.
Things that are specifically forbidden
by the law as it now stands include the
following: "Willfully to destroy any
necessaries for the purpose of en
hancing the price or restricting the
supply thereof; knowingly to commit
waste or willfully to permit prevent
able deterioration of any necessaries;
to hoard, as defined in the act. any
necessaries; to monopolize locally or
; generally any necessaries: to engage
| in any discriminatory, unfair decep
tive or wasteful practice; or to make
I any unjust or unreasonable rate of
! charge in handling or dealing in or
I with any necessaries, or to conspire
I w'th others to accomplish such an
j end.
"Teeth" Are Provided.
The "teeth" are found in the pro
j vision which reads: "Any person vio
j iating any of the provisions of this
; section upon conviction thereof shall
: be fined not exceeding $3,000 or be
I imprisoned for not more than two
j Pa"'. or " Farmers or growers
handling products raised on their own
I land or leased lands are not included
? in the provisions of the foregoing
| section.
I
Advertising Pages Give Data.
As a rule the retailers of Washing
ton have shown every willingness to
co-operate with the fair price com
mittee. and little difficulty has been
I experienced in keeping track of the
I Prices. Any store
j which shows a disinclination to r?
|Spond to questions as to its selling
! agent in b/ 3 dePart'nent.
I aSent in the guise of a customer. Hut
i orf Spendable criterion is the
I n rt ?ing pages of the daily ne-.vs
. papers, and these are scanned daily
i nfflc?/iPartment of agents or
officials in every city in the country.
i i i? ? Profiteering and hoarding
, come in almost daily and all of them
I are investigated but few are found to
i any foundat'<>n Recently a
I i,. !! grocer who spoke very little
: i-nglish was found to have bought
' ^"a a case at a time from
i the Army store at Libertv Hut at the
Th!e * 9 Cen.ts a can' and was ofTering
tnem for sale at from 16 to 20 cents
a can. Summoned to Mr. Wilson's of
fice he pleaded ignorance of the regu
lations, and as he surrendered the
i goods to the Army that same uav no
prosecution was attempted.
Kuch Hoarded Sugar Not Found.
j Rumor has had hoards of sugar in
i a dozen places in Washington. Vt
, none of them has resulted in any ab
! normal supply being found in resi
' dences or warehouses. It has not
been necessary here to resort to the
| method followed in New York, where
I members of the fire department were
i ordered to make an inspection of all
I warehouses as provided for in the fire
I prevention ordinance, but to keep an
eye out for sugar supplies and report
I ajl stores of sugar they found.
.
To the writer of scandals there is a
secret satisfaction about being anonv
mous that is far sweeter than fame. '
Said the one: "Each cloud 1
Has a silver lining;
So let us brace up
And stop our repining."
Said the other: "No cloud
Has a silver lining.
When the sun has set
And the moon isn't shining."
A New Book by
Ridgwell Cullum
I A mane the Soldier* Id France Rldic
wrll ('ullum proved by actui vote to
be the moot popular living writer of
I Wentern stories. For those who love
a red-blooded story
The Law of the Gun
ind Are of "The
will have a pow
i with all the dash and lire of "The
| Way of the Strong," ^
erfnl appeal.
3 Colored Illustrations. J1.60 net.
Every bookseller has it.
George W. Jacobs & Co.
Publishers Philadelphia
One of the Most Sanitary Dental Offices in Town
Suffer No Longer With
Aching Teeth
I-ct our expert specialists restore your
teeth to their former beauty and utility
atid know real freedom from dental
troubles. Charges moderate.
EASY PAYMENT TERMS CAN BE
ARRANGED
We Guarantee AM Our Work.
A T?ry rood set
I for only ????????
SETS OF TEETH THAT FIT
$15
' anvwhrr* a t . ^ w
A better set
made of b?*t
material*
Fillings That Stay in
Gold, Alloy, Enamel, $1
Silver, Amalgam, Cement, 50c
Gold Crowns and Brldgework
! made of the very highest /t? m*
; quality of gold?22-carat.
Our price la. per tooth....
DR.WHITE,- 407 7th St.
OapMita Woclwarth'a Se h< lOe atore. Hours 1 Dally, SiSO aJb to 8
Saadaya, 10 to 1. Pfcoae Mala IS.
I Dr. J. K. Freiot,
All Layer
Mattresses, at
.75
STORE HOURS: Open 9:15 A. M.; Close 6 P. U.
IT PAYS TO
DEAL AT
LL Layer Felt
Mattr esses,
finished with im
1 perial rolled edge,
covered with woven
ticking of durable
grade. 50 lbs.
weight.
BOTH SIDES OF 7? ATKST. *THE DEPENDABLE STORE* ?
Upholstered Bed- $1 Q.00
rnnm RnrlfPr A ?/
room Rocker,
THE unusual grace and
charm of this upholstered
Rocker must be seen to be ap
preciated. Artistically orna
mented with cane sides and up
holstered in tapestry of selected
patterns.
IpingYou
Jke Ae Horn
ore
Between You and Higher Costs Stands This Furniture Store, with Im
mense Assortments of Well-Bought Furniture at Money-Saving Prices
'"pHK season is now here when we will spend long hours indoors. The more attractive the home the
* greater will be the enjoyment. We call your attention to the many helpful items to be found here?
special prices are an incentive for immediate buying. Since we placed the orders for our present stock,
wholesale furniture prices have advanced by leaps and bounds?our foresight in anticipating market con
' s means pronounced savings to you, for we are giving our customers the benefit of prices based on the
costs of months ago. Need we say more to show you the profitableness of buying Furniture now?
ditions
lower
Quartered OakBuffet,$55
MAHOGANY finish Library Table, in oval
shape; size 4 2x26 inches; ha*hd rubbed
finish, and very substantially made.
A Phone Outfit for $5.50
UNUSUAL value?Table and Chair: very con
venient, occupying but very little space?
finished in fumed oak. Offered tomorrow at a
price sure to interest those seeking practical
Christmas gifts.
DRESS up the dining room for Thanksgiving
with one of these handsome Buffets. Made
of Quartered Oak. with plank top; 54 inches
long, with plate mirror back.
Library Table at $24.00
Special Values in
Dining Room Suites for Thanksgiving
The Day of all the year?when the family circle is complete?and we fully realize just
what a wonderful place HOME is. To cooperate in making your home what you want it to
be on this big day. we have arranged a number of special values in home-making furniture
for the dining room?each one a genuine value, characteristic of this store.
Four-piece Dining Room Suite, in mahogany finish, comprising 48-inch Extension
Table. Buffet with one-piece plate glass mirror, large elegant China Cabinet "and Serving
Table of new design. Finished with ornaments and handles that enhance the beauty. Sale|
price
Four-piece Dining Room Suite, in Queen Anne period design; beautiful mahogany
finish; consisting of Buffet with plate mirror: 6-foot Extension Table. Serving Table and
double door China Cabinet. A most unusual value, and worth a great deal more than the,
sale price
Ten-piece Dining Room Suite, built of American Walnut and Mohogany; in the
charming Louis XVI period design. All ten pieces perfectly proportioned, and the Chairs(
upholstered In tapestry. Sale price ..
Ten-piece Dining Room Suite, of splendid design and excellent workmanship; in?
a faithful reproduction of the Tudor design. Comprising Buffet, Extension Table, Serving
Table, China Cabinet. Five Armchairs anil One Side Chair. Sale price
Mahogany Dining Room Suite, in beautiful Louis XIV period design, possessing
artistic beauty and high character: ten pieces, comprising Buffet, Cabinet. Serving Table
square Extension Table with shaped rorn-rs and beautiful China Cabinet, one Arm and
five Side Chairs, all pieces perfectly proportioned and matched. Sale price
Mahogany Dining Room Suite of ten perfectly proportioned pieces, in Louis XVI
period design, possessing unusual charm and elegance. China Cabinet in three panel
front style: 54-inch Extension Table, unique Serving Table, beautiful Buffet, five Sid?i
and one Armchair upholstered in blue leather. Sale price
Four-piece Dining Room Suite, in Louis XIV period uesign. 01 American wainui;i
comprising oblong Extension Table, with round ends. China Cabinet with lower inclosedf
design, of American Walnut;
ounil ends. Chii
case containing trays and upper part single center door, f'abinet Server with linen trays and|
60-inch Buffet, built on new and novel construction ideas. Sale price..
Four-piece Dining Room Suite, in Chippendale period design, of Burl Walnut; com
prising semi-swell front Buffet. 72 inches long, with most unique drawer arrangement, 54
inch Extension Table, double door China Closet with center and end drawers, and Serving
Table with cabinet effect. Sale price
Ten-piece Dining Room Suite of American Walnut, in Renaissance period design;\
carefully and uniformly proportioned; each piece is a masterpiece of the furniture craft-f
man's art. The oblong Table, the large Buffet, the Cabinet Serving Table and the China)
< abinet with unique drawer^arrangement-?even the Chairs are out of the ordinarv. Bichlyl
upholstered in blue haircloth. Sale price" ;
Ten-piece Dining Room Suite, William and Mary period design in Jacobean
finish. Buffet with full length drawers. 48-inch Extension Table, triple front China Closet
and massive Serving Table with extra shelf, five Side Chairs and one Armchair upholstered
in leather. Sale price
I $295.00
| $220.00
I $350.00
| $275.00
| $485.00
| $395.00
$345.00
i $495.00
$545.00
| $248.00
A Handsome
at $34.00
THE manufacturers are
creating some new
attractive designs in
Poster Beds: one of which
we feature tomorrow.
Beautiful mahogany fin
ish, in Colonial design.
These beds will harmon
ise well with any type of
bedroom furniture, and
are exceptional values ?t
*34.00.
Sale of
Dressers
$21-00
A Very
Special
? Value
WHITE Enamel-finish D.-essers, with plate
glass mirror and three deep drawers. A
special purchase made before the recent advance
enables us to offer these splendid .dressers great
ly under regular value.
Mahogany Finish
Day Bed, $44.00
MAKES a bedroom or your living room?
most comfortable, sanitary and practical.
Invaluable to occupants of small apartments
where space is limited. Mahogany finish Day
Bed. with tufted box springs. Pillow and roll
not included.
Simmons Steel Bed, $27
SQUARE tube Steel Bed. in a variety of the
new art designs and finishes for which Sim
mons Beds are noted. Choice of ivory. French
gray, white enamel, oak, mahogany or walnut
finishes; of all-steel construction, very strong
and serviceable. See window display.
Cane Back Library Suites at the
Height of I (JJOQr A A
Popularity j
Four-Piece Bedroom Suite Very
Ka?ly! $285.00
Overstuffed Bed Davenport Suite
of Three Luxu- |$1 QQ A A
rious Pieces at (tpAJ/0?UU
tariHuJisuijsi j.
? 67rai-i?.\A.. ;sizj?v* *?-??.- -o**n ?Tc?*<fi. >??i
'MO TYPE of furniture ever introduced to the American public lias
ever had the name popularity as these cane back suites for living:
rooms, and no type of furniture more fully merited this popularity. We
ofTer a particularly fine example in a Three-piece Library Suite, with
cane back and sides: upholstered in damask or velour, several designs to
choose from; has loose cushions, spring frame construction: two sun
burst pillows and roll. Consists of Settee, Chair and Rocker?the em
bodiment of luxury and comfort.
AS AN example of this store's superior value-giving we invite your
attention to this splendid Bedroom Suite. Old Ivory enamel
finish, in Louis XVI period design. The well proportioned pieces
consist of Dresser with large plate glass mirror, artistic Dressing
Table, Bow-end Bed and Chifforette with double door cabinet, four
spacious trays, two small drawers at top and one large drawer at
b6ttom.
Simmons
Bachelor Bed
At $14.50
Comfortable Rocker
At Only $29.00
ANOTHER of the popular prod
ucts of this nationally known
maker. Simmons Bachelor Beds
are in olive enameled finish, with
twin link springs. Made of con
tinuous steel tubing, in size 3 ft.
6 in.
IT IS made of serviceable l??c.,. r
substitute that will withstand the
hardest usage. Has wing sides that
rest the head at any angle, also ?
arm rests, deep cushion seat and re
silient springs?features that as
sure the greatest ease and comfort.
Sale of $14.50 to $21.00
Odd Armchairs
At $10.00
A GROUPING of odd Armchairs, left
from dining room suites and styles we
cannot' reorder. Styles that can be used
to advantage in the living room or about
the house. Choice of a number of desir
able styles, In mahogany and walnut finish,
period and plain designs; upholstered In
genuine leather, tapestry or leather sub
stitute. This sale offers an unusual op
portunity to supply the home with new
chairs at savings of one-third to one-half
regular prices.
ORTHFIELD Overstuffed Bed Davenport Suite, up
l^N holstered in tapestry?a perfect suite for the living
room. The Davenport can be converted into a full-size bed
at a moment's notice, and is easy to open and close. 78
inches long. A large, comfortable Rocker and Chair com
pletes the suite.
Queen Anne Bedroom Suite (tOCQ
Exceptionally Low Priced atv^j
A BEAUTIFUL Bedroom Suite that combines careful
workmanship and splendid finish with moderate price.
Queen Anne period design, shown in mahogany finish?the
four attractive pieces comprising Dresser, Chifforette, Toi
let Table and full-size Bed.
iMIMIMIUM