Evening star., 1916-12-07
HIGH COST OF FOOD
| SUBJECT OF REPORT
Commerce Chamber Commit
tee Urges Legislation, But
Opposes Embargo.
PARCEL POST AS MEDIUM

y Ht1SII IOSI HS W1OlOW
That remedial action should be taken
by the United States government in
meeting the high cost Of food necessi-
ties. but that an embargo would not
be practical, is set forth in a report
which was adopted at a meeting of the
board of directors of the Chamber of
Commerce last night. The report.
made by a special committee headed by
John G. Capers. received high praise
from the directors. Copies of it are to
be sent members of Congress. a motion
to that effect having been made by
William T. Galliher.
The report was made after a great
volume of information had been pro-
cured from many sources, including the
Department of Agriculture and the
United States Chamber of Commerce.
Chairman Capers in urging the adop-
tion of the report declared that the
situation with regard to foods is one
(which is acute in every home in the
United States" He said the report was
one which showed conservatism and
{ explained that he had been astounded
to learn of some of the extreme meas
preparing to advocate.
Oliver Metzerott characterized the re-
port as "one of the best, if. indeed. not
the best. which has ever been presented
before this body"
Extract From Report.
The report says. in part:
THE government can now, without
the enactment of an additional federal
statute. relieve the situation to some
extent IL its Investigation discloses the
fact that the high cost of food is due
to the great storage and cold storage
plants of the country boarding neces-
sary food products and refusing sale
for the purpose of boosting prices
These general warehouses and cold
storage plants were originally sane
toned. organized and operated as
means of preventing waste and pre-
serving food, and it is quite as much
an abuse of their service to the public
as it would be for the railway compa-
nies to charge exorbitant or prohibi-
tive prices for the transportation of
food to the people.
The interstate cmmerce commission
government has equal power to see to
1t that prohibitive prices are not
charged for food before it starts to it's
destination. In cases where the states
CANNOT OF 40 not regulate the matter
the federal government can do SO by
prohibiting interstate commerce ship
ments of food under stated conditions
Committees Suggestion.
e''"- your committee suggests that
with some additions to existing law
the facilities incident to the great par
eel nost system Of the country can be
enlarged. the present postal rate zones
abolished and the general plan made
to serve as an even greater conven-
ience. usefulness and comfort to the
stufs
'Sir'ilarIy. the present powers of the
Secretaries of Agriculture and Com
niece could he enlarged IN the matter
vesti"ati"n of conditions, actual and
prospective.
"~o''-- committee docs NOT feel tha.
remedial efforts to meet the present
r~''"- and injustice as hetween the
agricultural and the labor or wage
- "'n" clements of TIE people. and for
that reason sees no wisdom in the r,ora
drastic suggestions made. in which 1t
3s urged that the government seize
foofstn~a cordemn them and resell
them to the public. and thus punish
both the farmer and the merchant nv
business
in the hope of selling food at cheaper
prices to the laboring man and all
wage earners.
TN this connection 1t is suggested
that even in Europe. where many of
the countries are now conserving thei-
food supplies. 1t is being done because
o IN "~istine crisis. and no one of
those countries expects to become the
p"-rsmert distrihuter Of food o.
clothing to its people or to continue
dictate DYjCae
dftions have beer restored. Nor does
your committee look favorably upon
the suggestion which hes been madn
that embargo should be declared
upon wheat and other things in a spirit
of retaliation against any other coun-
try. Such form of retaliation would
inevitably throw upon our government
not only the responsibilities incident to
diplomatic controversy, but the added
responsibility Of distributing to the
people the foodstus of our own coun-
try, thus kept within its borders.
Involves Federal Regulation.
'rhis. of course. would have to be
done under some form of government
regulation and contral of both supply
and prices which would affect the farm
er. the merchant and the wage Garner.
1t is suggested that these are but a
already been suggested. and others
will. no doubt be suggested during the
present session of Congress. as a re-
suit of the wide investigation into the
subject. which. 1t is understood, the
President himself is making before he
submits a plan of relief.
in conclusion, your committee sug-
gests that an embargo upon the ship
ment abroad of wheat or other food
stun would serve not only a brief pur-
pose fif, indeed, 1t served any purpose
at all). but such a proposition does
not seem to take into consideration the
many other very important reasons
which lie at the base of the present
high cost of food condition especially,
as IT has been very clearly demonstrat-
ed that the expectation to Europe of
food. clothing. and other things is
much less for the fiscal year 1916. just
ended. than it was for the prior fiscal
year. II has been demonstrated that
this is true, not only as to wheat, be-
cause we harvested only the proportion
of six bushels of wheat during the
past fiscal year to ten bushels the
prior crop year, but IT is true of beef.
potatoes. cattle. fruit and grain
Forwards Coast Survey Petition.
Secretary Redfeld has forwarded to
Congress a petition Of employees of
the coast and geodetic survey. setting