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The Commoner
12
VOL. 17, NO. 6
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:
Hoover the Food Administrator
050
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J fl!ho Systoin of Food Control
Voluntary mobilization of
food producers and distrlb-
utorri for "intelligent control
of food consumption."
Full inquiry into existing
availablo food stocks, costs
and practices of food produc-
ing distributing trades.
Prevention of all food
hoarding and "corners."
Requisitioning of food sup-
plies and equipment for
handling them when neces-
0 sary.
Government establishment
of prices to guarantee farm-
ors tholr profits.
Prohibition of food waste. S)
Licensing of legitimate
mixtures and milling percent-
ages.
Control to oud Immediately
after the war.
A Washington dispatch, dated May
19, says: A food control for the
United States during the war, backed
up with plenary powers, but relying
mainly for success upon the volun
tary co-operation on the part of the
people, and especially the normal
peace time agencies of the grain and
foodstuffs trade, was outlined by
President Wilson tonight In formally
announcing the appointment of Her
bert Hoover of Belgian relief fame
as commissioner of food for the
'United-' Stfttoo.
f For Building 1
Up ftuicKly
probably the very
best food you can
select is
Grape-Nuts,
It contains the
mineral salts and
energy values all
the nutriment o
whole wheat and
barley digests
easily and quickly,
and the flavor is
delicious.
"There's a. Reason"
for
Grape-Nuts
Mr. Hoover, tho President ox
plained, took up tho work only on
condition that he would receive no
pay for his services and that he was
to name an entirely volunteer staff
of executives around him. In other
words, outside of tho routine cler
ical force practically every person
in this agency, which in a few weeks'
time will become one of the most
important war arms of the govern
ment, will be volunteers, giving their
services to the government, just as
Hoover organized the efficient Bel
gian relief commission.
Tho President in appealing for co
operation on the part of the people
and tho agencies of trade with Mr.
Hoover point out that it furnishes a
test for democracy to display its
efficiency without having to submit
to the introduction of anything re
sembling Prussian autocracy into the
food control in this country. He em
phasizes that the food control is to
be for the war only and will not be
built up into a permanent establishment.
To bo Given Dictatorial Power
While In general terms the Pres
ident's ideas on the food control have
been known through the various bills
pending before congress he outlines
his conception of the powers which he
asks to be conferred upon himself
and executed by Mr. Hoover as ex
tending to distribution, consumption,
exports, imports, prices, purchase
and requistlon of commodities and
storage. In other words, the Pres
ident's plan is that Hoover should
have the most drastic power ever
granted an individual, but with, the
idea that.it will have to be exercised
but little, but rather the whole food
control problems should be worked
out by voluntary co-operation.
To the farmers he points out that
the price fixing Is a protection In
these words:
"Authority Is asked also to estab
lish prices but not in order to limit
the profits of the farmers, but only
to guarantee to them, when neces
sary, a mimimum price which will
insure them a profit when they are
asked to attempt new crops and to
secure the consumer against extor
tion by breaking corners and at
tempts at speculation when they oc
cur by fixing temporarily a reason
able price at which the middleman
must sell."
PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION
Country is Asked for Fullest Co-operation
in Food Economy
A Washington dispatch, dated
May 19, says: The President's proc
lamation follows:
"It is very desirable, in nrrW t
prevent misunderstandings or alarms
find t.n fiRRiirn nn-nnorotinn n n ..iii
matter, that the country should un
derstand exactly the scone and nun.
pose of the very great powers which
I have thought It necessary In tho cir
cumstances to ask to congress to put
in my hands with- regard to our food
supplies.
"These powers are very great in
deed, but they are no greater than it
has proved necessary to lodge In oth
er governments which are conducting
this momentous war and their object
is stimulation and conservation, not
arbitrary restraint or injurious in
terference with the normal processes
of production. They are intended to
benefit and assist the farmer and all
those who play a legitimate part in
tho preparation, distribution and
marketing of foodstuffs.
"It is proposed to draw a sharp
line of distinction between the nor
mal activities of the government rep
resented in the department of agri
culture in reference to food produc
tion, conservation and marketing on
the one hand and the emergency ac
tivities necessitated by the war in
reference to the regulation of food
distribution and consumption on the
other. All measures intended direct
ly to extend the normal activities of
the department of agriculture, in ref
erence to tho production, conserva
tion and the marketing of farm
crops will be administered, as in
normal 'times, through that depart
ment, and the powers asked for over
distribution and consumption, over
exports imports, prices, purchase and
requisition of commodities, storing
and the like, which may require reg
ulation during the war, will be placed
in the hands of a food commissioner
appointed by the President and di
rectly responsible to him.
"The objects sought to be served
by the legislation asked for are: Full
inquiry into the existing- available
stocks of foodstuffs and into the
costs and practices of tho various food
producing and distributing trades
the prevention of all unwarranted
hoarding of every kind and of the
control of the foodstuffs by the per
sons who are not in any legitimate
sense producers, dealers or traders;
the requisitioning when necessary for
the public use of food supplies and
of the equipment necessary for
handling them properly; the licens
ing of- wholesome and legitimate
mixtures and milling percentages;
and the prohibition of the unneces
sary or wasteful use of foods.
"Authority is asked also to estab-,
lish prices but not in order to limit
the profits of the farmers, but only
to guarantee to them when neces
sary a minimum price which will in
sure them a profit where they are
asked to attempt new crpps and to
secure the consumer against extor
tion by breaking up corners and at'
tempts at speculation when they- oc
cur by fixing temporarily a reason
able price at which middle men must
sell.
"Although it is absolutely neces
sary that unquestionable powers shall
nlaced in my hands in order to in
sure the success of this administra
tion of the food supplies of the coun
try, I am confident that the exercise
of those powers wljl be necessary,
only in the few cases where some
small and selfish minority proves un
willing to put the nation's interests
above personal advantage and that
the whole country will heartily sup
port Mr. Hoover's efforts by supply
ing the necessary volunteer agencies
throughout the country for the intel
ligent control of fopd. consumption
and spoiir'nec the co-operation of the
most on nable leaders of the very in
terests most directly affected, that
the exercise-of the powers deputed
to htm will rest very successfully
upon the good will and co-operation
of the people themselves and that
the ordinary economic machinery of
the country will be left substantially
undisturbed.
"The proposed food administration
is intended, of course, only to meet
a manifest emergency and to con
tinue only while the war lasts.
"Since it will be composed for
the most part of volunteers there
need be no fear of the possibility of
a permanent bureaucracy arising out
of it. All control of consumption
will disappear when the emergency
has passed. It is with that object in
view that tho administration consid
ers it to bo of pre-eminent Won.
ance that the existing assoc laft
producers and distributors of ?l?
stuffs should bo mobiiizea ana Sat
use of on a volunteer basis
"This successful conduct' of n..
projected food administration j!
such means will be the finest possih
demonstration of the willingness th
ability and the efficiency of deDa0!
racy and of its justified reliance uZ
the freedom of individual initiative
"The last thing that any' Aman
could contemplate with equanimitv
would be the introduction of anything
resembling Prussian autocracy into
the food control of this country
"It is of vital interest and import
ance to every man who produces food
and to every man who takes part In
its distribution that these policies
thus liberally administered should
succeed and succeed altogether, it is
only in that way that we can prove
it to be absolutely unnecessary to re
sort to tho rigorous and drastic meas
ures which have proved to be neces
sary in some of the European countries."
HOOVER TELLS HIS PLANS
A Washington dispatch, dated May
19, says: A statement given out by
Herbert C. Hoover, after the White
house announcement of ins appoint
ment as food controller, gave his
plans for food administration and
called on the country to render vol
untary assistance in carrying it out.
-Mr. Hoover's statement closes with
this appeal to the country:
. "Probably more seriously than
anyone else in the country, I recog
nize the difficulties and possibility of
failure in this work and I appeal to
the patriotism of my countrymen for
their support.
"I have no instinct to be a food
LIBERTY
LOAN
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to become the owner of a
Liberty
Bond
The Guaranty State Bank
will take your subscription
and procure the bonds for .
you in -such amount as you
may desire without charge j
for their services. I
GUARANTY
STATE BANK
MUSKOGEE OKLAHOMA
M. G. HASKELL, President
H. B. DAVIS, Cakier
-f