The evening world. Newspaper, August 14, 1914, Page 3

. WHITMAN CALLS PACKERS: - DEALERS DECLARE PRICES WILL’ NEVER BE REDUCED! Slight Reductions Came When the Investigations Were Ordered, but “Normal” Prices, They Say, Will Never Be Restored. The forces set in motion, at the instance of The Evening World, by Mayor Mitchel and District-Attorney Whitman to check the food piracy on & false war scare excuse began promptly to act this afternoon when s meeting between representatives of the packers and those appointed to in- vestigate the manipulation of food prices was held in Assistant District- Attorney De Ford's office. Every day there will be issued from the office of Borough President Marks & price lst of foods sold at retail In the Borough of Manhattan. This lst will show just how much you ought to pay for a pound of steak, how much potatoes should cost you by the peck, hw canned goods are selling and what you ought to hand up for butter, sugar, salt, pepper and fruits. ‘Those in attendance, besides De Ford and District-Attorney Whitman, were representatives from the Mayor's committees on food prices, Borough President Marks's markets committee, President J. Ward Werner of the Pro- duce Exchange and the managers of the local branches of Swift & Co., Nelson Morris & Co., Armour & Co., the Cudahy Packing Company and Bulsberger & Sons Co. Mrs. Julian Heath, President of the Housewives’ League, was also present. As @ preliminary to the investiga- tiom, the packers’ representatives were asked details of price fixing and to give suggestions concerning the re- lations between the wholesalers and the retall butchers, which will assist in the investigation. ‘To-day thirty subpoenas to appear before Assistant District-Attorney De Ford on Monday were served on flour brokers and on a like number of butchers to appear Thesday. Despite slight reductions to-day in the price of beef and lamb, follow- tng national and local investigations ’ and the promise of criminal prosecu- toms ff conspiracy to juggle the price of foodstuffs could be shown, the prediction was made to-day by the Sayles, Zahn Company that meat prices would never recede to what hag been considered normal. In a letter sent out to customers, the pack- re stated: * “We fully anticipate that, not only will present prices hold, but we expect an increase of 10 to 80 per cent. in all meat food prod- wots before the end of the war. ‘We believe that the unusual prices now experienced will prevail for @ long time after the war. We think that the market will never again be as low as in the past three or four years, except in short and very unusual periods.” Swift & Co. quoted beef at a fall- fag off of one cent; Armour & Co. dropped the price half a cent and the Company reduced price three-quarters of @ cent. lack of uniformity in reduo- interested all the investigators geeking evidence of con- has been an axiom butchers that to ask of more than one packer of time, Always the To-day, however, no ¢we packers listed the same prices. ‘The reduction made no difference, however, among the retail butchers in ‘Washington Market. They ex- plained that they did not buy meat after Thursday 80 as not to have to keep it over Sunday, and conse- queatly had not yet felt the benefit of the reduction. Their price ts atill about four cents higher than last week's rates, Some of the wholesalers apparently convicted themselves to-day of is- suing ti price lists when they an- nownced that lamb had dropped alx cents since Monday, to 12% cents a pound. On Monday, It was recalled, they insisted that the price was only 18 1-3 cents, though retailers declared it had gone to 17 and 18. HOGS AND POULTRY GO SLIGHT- LY LOWER TO-DAY. Hogs and poultry were slightly lower to-day, and it was said there might be further reductions, though the beef market 1s not expected to change. The refusal of the public to buy beef at the higher rates forced all the reduction possible, the packers said, explaining that Argentine beef had risen $2.60 a hundred pounds in the last week, with the additional tax of 76 cents freightage. Butter and cheese dropped half a cent, but eggs Went up the seme amount, deal ers insisting that there was still a shortage. Tho produce market only partly reflected the downward tendency ex- hibited in meat prices. However, cof- fee dropped off a cent and a half, while flour fell 25 cente @ barrel to $6.50. Raw sugar climbed half a cent to 6 1-2 cents @ pound, but deal- ere sald to-day would probably see a reduction, Granulated sugar held at 11-2 cents, with fow new orders, and cancellations of old orders being re- celved. ‘Tea and rice held their prices, with an increase anticipated. Green vege- tables showed a downward tendency, but marrow beans rose 60 cents per hundred-pound box to 67.75, a tutal increase since the war began of $8.50, Other beans moved up % cents a hundred weight. Raisins went up 15 cents per ten-pound box, while sal- mon rose 60 cents a case, though the raw product in the West was reduced @ cent a pound. Lemons leaped again, this time 7 cents, making @ total increase of $3. New Orleans molasses had a four- cent rise to 43 cents, and all spices rose 10 per cent. Canned fruits were reduced slightly, but canned toma- toes inereased a quarter of a cent Macaroni was increased from 7 tu 10 cents a pound. Butter and eggs dropped half a cent each to-day. Some 3,000 cases of eggs were received from the West and dealers said another half cent cut might result. Starvation has come to the lower east wide because of the excessive in- creases in the prices of foodstuffs. From Europe come reports of German soldiers surfendering so that they may obtain food from their captors. They are men. 4n the lower east side women and children are going bun- ery, actually approaching starvation, and they cannot surrende! Joseph Hartigan, Commissioner of Weights and Measures, and an Eve- ning World reporter, made @ tour o: these sections yesterday afternoon and last night. What they saw in- creased, if possible, Mr. Hartigan's determination somehow to put an end to the advance in prices and to bring to punishment the men responsible for it. “AMERICAN PIRACY” THE REAL CA SAYS HARTIGAN. ‘There is no lon~-» any pretense ex. cept in scattered instance; that the war in Europe is re: responsible for the higher prices here, American piravy—the phrase is Mr. Hartigan's —Iis distracting the poor of the city who eee even the ordinary staples, the Aecessities of life, stowly rising be- yond their reach, “Twelve daye of investigation,” said Mr. Hartigan, “have convince! me that the jobbers are primarily to blamie for conditions. In anticipation ef high prices for export they loaded heavily with food products and, balked by lack of shipping in their plans to feed the world from this city, they are now jacking up the local price," But retailers, too, have sought to Profit unfairly by the situation abroad. The Evening World to-day supplied Commissioner Hartigan with the names of two large retail houses in the downtown section which quoted prices in excess of the normal with the explanation that their whole- saler had raised the price to them. In each instance the wholesaler oxbibited price Hats to show that in these par- ticular staples there had been no in- crease whatever. Two cents more was charged for oatmeal by the retailers with no in- crease by the wholesalers, an extra cent for dried fruits and @ cent for salmon, though the wholesale market actually dropped off a cent. Cheese was sold at four cents advance In an- swer to a penny increase wholesale, Commissioner Hartigan sent twen- ty inspectors to various parts of the city to-day, “If we can verify the evidence ob- tained by an Evening World report- er and myself during our trip last night,” said he, “a number of ar- reste will be made and the begin- ning of the conspiracy behind the jacking up of food prices will be laid bare. ‘ “We are not after the poor little bakers, butchers and grocers of the VN : @ THE EVENING WORLD, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1914. GERMANS IN TRENCHES AND METHOD OF WATCHING ENEMY RMANS IN THE TRENCHES though they will have to toe the mark. Instead, it is our intention to run down the rapacious jobberg and wholesalers. Before we are through we expect to unearth some very startling information and perhaps a few business men high in the esti- mation of this community will make @ sudden trip to the office of the District-Attorney.” MAYOR'S PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL FOOD CENTRES. Long before prices began to rise here Mr. Hartigan, in anticipation of an increase, presented a. plan to Mayor Mitchel by which excessive ad- vances might be prevented or met. Parts of this plan have been put into effect alroady and Mayor Mitchel is even now considering a step which will be taken if the situation becomes more acute. This is the establishment of # mu- nicipal slaughter house, a municipal market and a municipal dairy. ‘The plan has been worked out to the last detail. Producers, the farm- er, and dairyman have been consulted and, at practically a moment's notice, the city can step into the field as a competitor not only of the rétall man but of the jobber and wholesaler as well. ‘With the credit of the citf behind such & movement, Mr. Hartigan has satisfied himself that there would be Ro difficulty in getting all foodstuffs | desired at prices comparing favorably with those which obtained before the war. Only an appropriation by the Estimate Board is necessary to begin the work, though there are various ways, through the Aldermen, or, if necessary, the Legislature, by which authority could be obtained should it be legally needed. Six hundred and fifty farmers from @ radius within fifty milea of New York met recently in the Council room at City Hall and assured Mr. Hartigan that there was no lack of @reen vegetables, but actually an over supply. Food was rotting on the ground, he was told, and only facilities for bringing it into the city were needed. As yet there has been Mttle increase in the price of vege- tables, though potatoes rose 75 cents and dropped only 60. Should it be necessary, however, the city could Provide transportation of these crops, @nd no wholesaler or jobber could keep the price advanced. But no such radical move as the Sstablishment of municipal food bu- Feaus will be made until all other courses have failed, FOOD COMMITTEE ORGANIZES TOFICHT INCREASED PIES Decides to Appoint Sub-Com.-| mittees and Adjourns for a Week. Sixty-four members of the Mayor's committee of one hundred and thirty- seven, selected to suggest ways and means open to the city to relieve the people of the burden of high prices which have come with the European war, met to-day in the Council Cham- ber of the City Hall, discussed the ap- pointment of sub-committees for twenty-five minutes and then ad- journed subject to the call of the Chairman, George W. Perkins. The meeting was opened by Mayor Mitchel himself. The Mayor ex- plained his reasons for calling the meeting, saying: ‘‘We have been told that prices of| foods have risen sharply within the, last few days, particularly, of course, | since the beginning of the European war. How the city can deal with! this question best—whether the rise! {taelf ip due to natural causes or tu! INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERMC LONDON, Aug. 14.—The German army investing Liege underestimated the fighting qualities of the Belgians and paid a terrible penalty for their daring, in the opinion of Victor H. Duras, American Vice-Consul at Liege, as quoted by the Brussels cor- respondent of the Times. The correspondent saya that Mr. Duras was an eye witness of the first two days of the siege which he deagribes, The Belgians permitted the forces of Gen. von Emmich to actually pass the forts in their march ttacked them in the rear from the forts and on their front with the infantry. Mr. Wurag estimated the German casual- ties five to ten times as Great as those of the defenders. “Speaking as @ neutral,” says Mr. Duras, according to the Times corre- spondent, “it ms to be @ part of the new milit tactics of the Ger- mans to Aight 4o much as possible in the night time. Comparatively little at this time, It was in order to get an answer to these questions that I have ed you to become a citizens’ committee to consider the matter. Mr. Perkins recommended that the various departments of the city gov- ernment procure the wholesale prices before and after the war and that sub-committees endeavor to learn if large supplies of foodstuffs are be- ing held to force a rise, ‘At the close of Mr. Perkins’: speech B, J. Greenhut moved that an executive committee be appoint- ed. This was seconded and Mr, Per- kins stated that he would confer with the Mayor as to its personnel. The following Executive Committee of the Mayor's Committee on Food Supplies was announced at the Mayor's office to-day: Perkins, Chairman; L. J. P Carl A, Koelsch, John Buckel, Louis Plaut, George Dressler, Mr. Minder, Cyrus W. Miller, H. P. Davison, Louls Wiley, Timothy Healy, EB. C. Blum, Robert F. Wagner, Mra. Julian Heath, Michael J. Scanlan, Frederick D. wood, Haley Fiske, Herman A. Metz, Cornelius N. Bliss, W. C. Muschenheim and Minor C. Kelth. Perkins announced that the first meeting of the Executive Committee would be held at his office, No, 71 Broadway, at 11 A..M. Monday. —_—— GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION INTO JUGGLING OF PRICES IS PROCEEDING RAPIDLY. WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.—The move- ment of the Federal Government to investigate increases in food prices, with a view to possible criminal prose- cutions, was under full headway to-day. Attorney-General McReynolds has sent to every United States District Attorney this circular; “The department, by its special agents in various parts of the country, has unnatural causes, whether it can be controlled by the city government or) not, are all questions which we are, ‘Bot 1a @ position to anewes defaitely, tuted an investigation into the ‘ked increase in ices of foodstuffs he outbreak of the European war, ies An a at: as COLLAPSIBLE SERVAL'ION Fighting Around Liege Described by an American Sighting occurred at Liege during the lay. “The scheme of the Belgian defenso seemed to be not to make any serious resistance to the attack until the Ger- man troops were actually past the forts, Then when they were close up to the town and their several bodies trying to effect a juncture fire wis ‘opened upon them from the forts be- hind and from rifles and machine guns in front, so they were caught in @ trap and retreat war cut off, There was nothing for them to do but to be shot down or surrender. “The amount of svffering on both sides owing to an inability to deal promptly with the wounded was very great but especially to the Germans, whose casualties were from five to ten times as numerous as those among the Belgians. “The Germans pald a terrible pen- alty for the boldness of their scheme of attack, which, from a military point of view, could be justified only by a conviction on the part of the German officers that they would meet with only the feeblest rest: ance. The mistake they made wi in underrating the fighting qualiti of the peaceful Belgt tion or combinations tm restraint of trado or other unlawful action. Please co-operate by communicating to the department any information which you can obtain on the subject, together with you opinion in ect of the appropriat. action to be taken.” ssi ¢ responses are already beginnin, to come Into the Department, ene The Department has been’ inquirin, for several months into the question o increased prices prior to the European war. It has had under way an inquiry into’ the increase in the cost of meats, with special reference to the Argentine situation; the ine cost of eggs, sugar, canteloupe other com: modities. ane and aaa WAR ON HIGH PRICES BEGUN IN CHICAGO. CHICAGO, Aug. 14.—Special agents *|under orders of James H. Wilkersun, United States District-Attorney, were at work here to-day tracing Increased food prices to their sources, Mr. Wilk- erson arranged to cut short his vacation and to take personal charge of the in- veatigation to-merrow. Sugar at retail went to 8 and 10 cents a pound in re- tall stores here yesterday, and the amount that might be purchased by single customer waa limited In most of vlesalers have put @ limit on will boll to single customers, women's organizations and provisions was Constipation use ‘ The Delicious Laxative Chocolate Ex-Lax relieves constipation, regulates | jomachrand ulates ie oy prendeoingg el and old. 100 260 end 50 ot Sierveniony at GERMAN THER PE. LASEBVATION ONAL he 5) AUSTRIA PASSES “LIE” TO ENGLISH DIPLOMATS OVER REASONS FOR WAR. VIENNA, Aug. 14.—The Austrian For- eign Office to-nikht passed the lie to England. In an offictal tement re- viewing the ovehts culminating in the present general war Austria says: “The effort on the part of England and France to place the responsibility for the war at Austria's door will fail. ‘The war with Servia was not even the contributing cause, just war, undertaken by a peopl were compelled to defend their national honor. “The charge made by France Austrian troops had been sent t French frontier to ald the German army fe utterly unfounded. No such move- ment of Austrian troops ever took pla Therefore England's alleged reasons declaring war on Austria are deliberate Tt that jo the |FRENCH GOVERNMENT | DIDN'T ASK LOAN FROM J. P. MORGAN & CO. J. P. Morgan & Co, announced this afternoon that they had not been re- quested by the French Goyernment to negotiate a loan here, but had been approached on the subject by private interests, and that they \ Id not care to entertain the matter should there be the slightest doubt on the part of the Btate Department to the propriety of negotiating such a loan, Should such a loan be floated here, the firm, anonunced, it would be used to create @ credit for France in the United States and al the proceeds would be ex- in paying for Au None of the credit, ucts, would be used f GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE DAILY NEWS BULLETIN TO FRENCH SOLDIERS PARIS, Aug. 14.—The French Govern- ment, it was stated to-day has decided to Issue @ daily news bulletin tribution among the F would be composed of reports of field operations and of important events in France. the object being to create @ strong link between the French soldiers in the field and their relatives ‘The decision to Issue this bulletin wan reached as a result of correspondence between Adolphe Measimy, French Min- ister of War, and Premier’ Rene Viviant eae Bee SAY GERMAN GENERAL KILLED HIMSELF AFTER REBUKE FROM SUPERICRS. BRUSSELS, Aug. 14.—Brussela newn- papers to-night print rumors, #ald to be attributable to German prisoners, that Gen. von Emmich, the commander, whose atten to t th dey forts Tailed, killed himself, following receipt of rebukes from the general staff. NO ADVAN COFFEE In anticipation of the pre | the war we laid’ in a suff if YOU CA 35* QUALITY Py I | DO ornee RY: 5 It he Mt 0, jal blend is made from sm 10 Ibs. high- pric oF Those who have not bought fr partake of this offer, which ¢ consumer all go-between p protit vailing conditions cau Forti ux before are particularly rom the wholesaler dire GERMAN CRUISER KARLSRUHE FLEES SUFFOLK AND BRISTOL. ie IN TWO RUNNING SEAFIGHTS © Kaiser’s Ship, Caught Coaling From Liner Kronprinz Wilhelm, Shows | Her Heels, After Exchanging Shots With Her Foes. HALIFAX, N. S., Aug. 14.—Her from sensational adventures in the Fritish cruiser Suffolk arrived in Halifax late yesterday. decks stripped for action, and fresh Atlantic during the last week, the Thousands of peop lined the waterfront to give the sailors a royal welcome. The Suffolk steamed to the dockyard, and immediately coaling opera- tions began. Everything was in readiness at the dockyard, and about 400 men started the task of piling in 1,600 tons into the warship. To the de- Might of the sailors 200 men of the Sixty-third Regiment had volunteered to carty the coal, thus giving the tars a well-earned afternoon off. The Suffolk reports fighting the 27-knot German cruiser Karlsruhe last Friday night 200 miles south of Bermuda. It is only due to the suzerior speed of the German cruiser that she escaped. The details of the fight are as follows: The Suffolk surprined the German cruiser about 11 o'clock on Friday, coaling from the North German Lloyd liner Kronpring Wilhelm, which fled from New York, coal laden, and at once started in chase. The Karlsruhe headed north, with the Suffolk hard after, the passenger linor running off to the eastward. Aa soon as thi enemy was sighted Admiral Cradock wirelessed the Bristol, which was sev- eral hundred miles north, and the Rerwick, which was south of his po- sition, and ordered them to help in the chase. The Karlsruhe, which had an advantage of several knots over the Suffolk, gradually drew ahead, and by 5 o'clock waa out of sight. BRISTOL WIRELESSES THAT SHE HAD SEEN KARLSRUHE. At 9 o'clock a wireless from the Briatol announced that she was in sight of the Karlsruhe, and twenty minutes later there flashed through the wireless the message: “We are engaging the enemy.” Apparently the Karlsruhe doubled back, and when next heard of was at San Juan, having run south, The nearest the Suffolk got to the Karls- ruhe was 19,000 yards, that the guns from reached tho Karlsruhe, from the latter fell short. The flag captain of the Suffolk, in giving his version of the fight, sald: “An soon as the Germans sighted they took to their hegis. The Karis- ruhe did not even atop to pick up her boats. Her men clambered aboard as best they could, and she hustled away. We knew, of course, that she had the best of us in speed, Our only hope was that she was short of fuel and could not keep up her steam, but this hope proved fruitless. “Although we were fully a hundred miles astern when the news came that the little cruiller Bristol was engag- ing the German, we raced on for all wo were worth, We had no fear of the the Bristol, for we were all sure that our fellows could whip the Karlsruhe easily at close quarters, but we want- ed to be in at the finish ourselves. the but those “KARLSRUHE RAN FROM THE) BRISTOL. “The Karlsruhe had the heels of the Bristol, too. They were tn action for Just about half an hour, For a few minutes the German stood up and the ships fought broadside to broadside, the Bristol using her two six-inchers and the five four-inchers on her broadside against the Karis- ruhe's five four-point ones. After a few minute wever, the Karisru: turned and ran. ‘the Bristol chased her, firing her forward six-inchers It was difficult to make anythin, like good practice, It was dark ai the sea win heavy. Not one of the ells landed anywhere near the Bristol, but our chaps think they got some shots aboard the Karlsruhe, However, in long range fighting under those conditions, It is pretty dim. to do much, and the Karlsruhe’ speed saved her again, ‘The Suffolk, Berwick and Bristol CEIN OUR PRICES d by ient supply of coffee to | protect our patrons from an_immediate raise “Hole STILL BUY OUR C OICE BUY NOW 5) URE VIE PER LB null and broken beans separated from invited to » Saving the round medium, fine or pulverized if desired. | GILLIES COFFEE CO., 330 Washington St., New York a Betwe Park Place. Bare! ‘Street, frit yiet- It was stated Or Bristol | result if the German stood up to! crutsed together for several days, could get no trace of the Karl or “her consort, the Dresden, and finally we heard that ehe had pat Into Porto Rico for cot i next day (Saturday) the Suf- folk heard the German tak steamer Leda and the German cruisers talke ing. The Suffolk broke in*with her Wireless and told the Leda that ish warships were in the vicinit: an} to stand by so that she could convoyed by a German cruiser. The me up on the When within a short | Suffolk, by the ruse, | Leda at nivht. | distance of her the British crulger | turned on her searchlight and de ;Manded the Leda’s surrender. The j Leda at once capitulated, a beter \crow. was sent aboard, and headed for Bermuda, ‘ ‘ ‘The Good Hope, 14,100 tons, a sister ship of the Drake, in expected here jto-day to coal, and the Aboukir and Euryalus, 12,600-to1. cruisers, are due Saturday mornin: The German cruiser Dresden te supposed to be at Curacoa, > -- War Riske % transporte attle and Europe have been advanced Japproximatély 2% per cent. ‘The Pacific » | Oriental tariff bureau, in whieh tween ‘seatve Tepresented, in col it. increase of rat Iced or hot, just as you say; This tea’s delicious either way. PERSONALS. EDWARD ADAMKO—Your brother Amd Imother are ache Some home, Sa BR oh LOST, FOUND AND REWARDS, Scan on i POCKETBOOK, i te & Going out of to mer may have The World sent to cod ie Ws World, Ge per week. 4, Be