The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-12-08
A FOOD QUESTION

The present session of Congress
will doubtless endeavor' to get at the
facts of the high costs of living and
to find some remedy that will put a
check to speculative methods that are
in no small measure responsible in
withholding foodstuffs from the mar
kets as means of raising prices. The
continual increase on the cost of sta
pie foods to the consumer has aroused
the Indignation of the public, and the
excuse so frequently advanced that
the European war is altogether to
blame is for from being accepted as
true. Facts have recently been
brought to light that discredit to a
large extent that theory; that have
developed a suspicion that there is o
systematic plan among certain food
spectators for "cornering" special
articles of food, storing and holding
them off the market until the prices
soar sufficiently to satisfy speculative
greed
The boycott started by consumers in
the large cities on the eve of Thanks
giving on eggs and poultry pulled
down prices few cents, but the boy
cot is only a passing incident and not
a remedy for deep-lying cause.
People may refuse to buy and eat
certain articles to which they have
been accustomed for while, but this
could not be persisted in even if
there were a more or less concerted
action. But in a land of productive
ness and plenty, the people ought not
to be compelled to resort to such
measures in order to protect them
selves against food imposition. The
Spectators are the ones who should
be made to conduct their business
along the lines of honest methods ev-
en- If drastic laws are necessary to
compel them. 1t is no small sin
against the public to speculate on the
necessities of rich and poor alike,
many of the latter having hard
enough time under the most favora-
BILE conditions to feed themselves.
There is at least circumstantial ev-
idence that systematic combinations,
partaking of an interstate character,
have been formed for holding and
shifting foods, not only to keep up
prices, but to exact more and more.
A searching Federal inquiry should
be instituted Of the conditions and
methods practiced to get at the real
facts, and conducted with all the
thoroughness and determination of
which the government is capable.
Congress will doubtless take up for
consideration measures with view of
restricting the storage of foodstuffs.
If this is done and laws enacted suf
ficiently restrictive with heavy pen
alties for their violation, the gam
bling in food may be effectively
stopped, and healthy condition of
supply and demand be restored that
would regulate prices and bring them
within reasonable bounds. AIRY sys-
tenn or combination that has for its
purpose speculation in the necessi-
ties of the people ought to be prohib-
tied and made as disreputable as any
other crime. 9e ff
Another plan that has been spg-
gested, which strikes us as, more
thoughtless and impulsive than rea-
sonable, is to place an embargo on
the expectation of foodstufs.. Ours is
one of the most favored food produc-
ing countries in the world. Even with
the partial failure of crops this year,
we have a surplus; just how much we
have no statistics at hand to draw ur-
on, but more than enough to feed our
people. In ordinary crop years our
sprnlus runs into the millions. This
fact, however, has not initiated
against "Napoleons of finance" cor
nering even our grain crops, when
there was no war as an excuse, and