The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-05-23
SECOND OF The
FOOD BILLS is
BEFORE HOUSE
Creates Emergency Agency
To Control Distribution
And Sale
GIVES POWER
TO FIX PRICES
May Restrict Use of Grain
in Making of
Liquors

Washington, May 22,-The second of
the administrations food bills, revised
to create an emergency agency to con-
troll under the presidents direction
distribution and sale of the neces-
saries of life. was introduced in the
house yesterday by Chairman Lever Of
the agriculture committee. The first
bill aims at stimulation of production
and calls for general survey Of the
country's food resources.
The regulatory measure was re-
drawn after President Wilson had held
a series Of conferences with Herbert
G. Hoover, who is to be food admin
istrator under the. bill, and with Sec
retary Houston and members of the
agricultural committee of both houses.
1t places the widest powers of control
ing ice-fixing, in the hands of the
executive.
Consideration of the food measures
will be hurried as much as possible in
congress. The senate will take up the
first bill today and the senate COM
mittee is expected to report out a bill
similar to the one introduced yester-
day within a short time. The house
will take up the food question as soon
as the revenue bill is out of the way.
Summary of Measure.
Briefly the measure would do these
things:
Declare the production, rnanufac-
ture, storage, distribution and sale of
necessaries to be effected with pub
lie interest.
Make it unlawful to commit or per-
init preventable waste or deterioration
of necessaries; to restrict supply or
distribution or to enhance prices to
excessive levels.
Authorize the president to establish
standards and grades of foods to es-
tablish their quality and value.
Authorize licensing Of storage and
distribution of food to prevent un-
economical manufacture or unequita-
BILE distribution; empower the presi-
dent to direct the disposition of
boarded stocks.
To Prevent Hoarding.
Authorize the president to prevent
boarding, monopolizing or the charg-
ing of excessive profits, by having
the government either manufacture or
deal in necessities; authorize the TAX
ing over of factories or plants for
government operation If necessary to
provide proper distribution at fair
prices.
Authorize the president to prescribe
rules for the conduct of exchanges
and boards Of trade, or to prohibit en-
tirely their operations if in the public
interest.
Authorize the fixing of minimum
prices to the producer to stimulate
production; authorize import duties If
importations threaten operation of
guaranteed minimum prices; author
ize purchase by the American gov
ernment at the prescribed minimum
prices supplies for allies of the United
States. .,
Establishment by the president of
maximum prices to break food corners
or to prevent boarding and specula-
ton.
Authorize the changing of milling
grades or the mixing of grains in maxi
ing flour.
Authorize the president to prescribe
restrictions on the use Of the mill
stuffs in the manufacture Of alcoholic
liquors.
This provision operates throughout
the country irrespective of state lines.
Would Avoid Amendments.
To expedite the legislation compris-
ing steps only for, increasing food
hopes to exclude all extraneouS
amendments, especially those propos-
ing to prohibit manufacture of grain
or other foodstuffs into Intoxicating
beverages, or other prohibition pro-
posals. Confinements of such amend
mentss and the protracted debate they
are certain to provoke, to the house
bill dealing with provisions for regu
lating and conserving food supplies,
is desired by the dealers.
Senator Gore is now writing a pro-
hibition amendment to be offered to
the war revenue bill after it passes
the house. Various other prohibition
proposals are being considered by the
senate finance committee, in which
sentiment is reported strong for some
action along prohibition lines. Sen
ator Gore proposes a heavy tax, vir-
tually prohibitory upon grains used
for manufacture of intoxicating bev
erages and remission of taxes on dis
titled spirits withdrawn from bonded
warehouses for Redistribution into al
cohol or commercial PURPOSES.