The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-17
REFORMS NAY CONE TO
REDUCE LIVING COST
oREAT Dns1AND, SUPPLY sxAIx'

RI FOO04DonSs
0aREAT DEMAND, SUPPLY sAxAIkA
World Conditions Such, says Chief 81
Virginia Market D1vfsaon, As Would
Have OAased High Prices, Even
Though Supply Had Been Normal.
*The condition Of unusual shortage
~ foodstufYs, brought about by cir
0umstances over which there was no
human control. coupled with ire
mendous demand, are the Causes or
the extremely high cost of the neces-
stiles Of life, according to the opinion
81 B. c. Moomaw, Jr.. chief of the
Division of Markets, within the State
department Of Agriculture. In a state
ment issued by him 1t II pointed out
Chat there has been an enormous de-
grease in the production OF eggs, po-
Atoes. wheat, butter and other food
atuffs. and with the peculiar oondi-
lions now obtaining. the prices have
Seen strong. He states. however,
-tAat the prices would have been
equally high had the year been one
Of normal production. on account OF
Che demand here and abroad. Mr..
Moomaw's statement Is as follows:
Mr. MOCmaw's Statement
The present unusually high prices
~ food products 10 causing q wide
spread and energetic protest from the
great consuming public, and in view
or the seriousness OF the present stu
alton 1t Is proper that the public
should be given an account OF the
causes and conditions that operate to
raise food prices to the present
heights.
I've must realize. in the beginning.
<tat the high prices are primarily
0ssed on an actual shortage in the
countrys food supply. Potatoes arc
70. 900, 900 bushels short OF last year 5
crop; the apple crop Is 100000 bar
sels short: the wheat crop - over
100000 bushels less than that
Noducsd In 1915. and many other
crops show a decided failing of.
The United States government re-
ports that 1913 cold storagea reporting
their holdings Of eggs show million
a ses less in storage on December i,
1ale. than on December /. 1913.
which means that in those storaEes
there were this year thirty million
dozen eggs less than on the CORES
ponding date last year.
Reports from 2o3 storages on
cffeese snow \ decrease of over 5000
coo pounds under the corresponding
dafe 2of last year. and 50 storagcs re-
porting on creamery butter show a
decrease in holdings OF over 1900
e0O pounds.
A Tremendous Demand.
.Thiss condition of unusual short
ayr. which was brought about by cir
cunstances beyond human control.
HIS been coupled with condition
that would have made prices strong
even in year OF normal production
-4he condition OF a tremendous de-
mand Never have the people OF the
United States seen period OF such
general prosperity. The great masses
of the people have had money to
spend and have spent 1t lavishiy. Not
only this. but never was there such
demand for foodstuffs abroad as
there has been during the past year.
and vast quantities of wheat, meat,
appes and other food supplies have
been exported.
This created a situation made for The
spectators hand. and sharp. keen bus
mess mem we're quick to take advan-
tage of II and buy up quantities OF
such food products as showed ten
dency to fac In price. 1t must not be
forgotten that the cold storages prob
nbly do more 10 regulate the supply
of foodstu1s than any other factor, be-
cause they make il possible to take
the oversul,ply of the big producing
season aud hold 1t until the period OF
non production arrives. II liz more
thap probable. however. that the own
ersSof stored foods have charged in
many cases an undue and speculative
prof. that has resulted in an unwar-
ran;ed raise In prices,
II should b. borne in mind that In
% far as the producer Is concerned he
10 getting now only legitimate proft
Tor his product. Whatever crimes the
farmer may have been guilty OF In
the past, he has not been guilty of get
ting TOO much for the products Of his
The Middiemen.
We naturally turn then to the mid
dleman a.. the great factor who has
caused foodstun prices to soar. There
are three middlemen between the pro-
dueer and consumer who render actual
eSrviee in the distribution OF foods
the transportation companies. tbs
wholesaler and the retallsr--And where
fcodstuYfs are shipped into a market
III quantity each OF the above agencies
are necessary to proper distribution
and where the last two named agencies
40 not y1el0 10 tno temptation TO apoo-
uiate they receive in general no more
than their services are actually worth
.pas-of- primo factora- In tbs
steady increase in the cost Of living
however, has been the tremendous de-
mand on the distributors for unnscss-
sary service. both from the producer
and consumer. The farmer has In tins
past been unwilling TO properly prepare
his stun for market. and has called on
the middleman to take his products IN
crude form and properly prepare and
pack them for the consumer. Then thu
buying public has demanded great
deal Of service that 1t can probably
render itself. We must have our gro
caries put up in small. expensive pack.
ages; must have our coffee ground. our
meats cut: we insist on buying In very
small quantities and force the dealer
to make frequent and expensive de-
liveries Of small purchases. often al
such distance as to make the expense
OF delivering cover tho entire profit on
the article delivered. This IL service
that must be paid for. and X we in
~t.& ~ halp~ %hua aarvAd Wa should