Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-23
NEW FOOD CONTROL BILL
PROVIDES WIDE POWERS
Mr. Hoover Gives Approval TO Re
rised Measure aS Introduced
i'm House.
PROVISIONS ARE DRASTIC
Gives Authority to Fix Prices, Pre-
vent Hoarding, Establish Stand
ards, Regulate Use of Grain for
Liquors and Compel Shipments.

WASHINGTON. May 22.-Thc revised
viding for the Office of administrator
to which President Wilson has an
nounccd he Will appoint Herbert c.
fioovcr. was introduced in the House
late to-day by Representative Lever.
AS revised. the bill retains the pro-
VISIONS for price fixing. for compelling
preferential shipment of foodstuffs, for
establishing milling standards, for
reputation of use OF grain in making
alcoholic liquors and for prevention of
boarding.
Mr.. Hoover has given his approval to
inc Dill after Il careful reading, saving:
Mr. Levers food administration bill
as now reported out of committee.
covers very ably and intelliEently the
powers necessary for the President to
possess to set up comietent food ad-
ministration.
These powers. combined with the
powers OF embargo proposed in other
legislation. sh ould make it possible to
eliminate hoardng. speculation and
waste in distributions
POWERS MORE MODERATE
THAN GIVEN IN EUROPE
They are more moderate than those
possessed by the various European food
ministries. but with the good will and
cooperation Of the distributing trades
should make success possible without
In any manner being burdensomc upon
legitimate trade"
While Mr.. Hoover was consideriur-
the Lever bill. which previously had
the approval of Secretary Of Agricul-
ture Houston. the Senate began the
revision of the Gore food bill This
bill was comb bination of the two
measures which had the approval of
the administration and had becn in
troduccd in the House
AS the Gore bill stands il combines
the functions of the Secretary of
Agriculture and the President for food
administration. The object of the ad-
mlhistraiion Is 10 separate these two
features in the Senate This task prob
ably VIII he accomplished by following
the lines of the two House bills which
assign 10 Secretary Houston the work
OF looking after production and sti,nu-
iation OF production. ana to President
wilson and the food administration the
task of keeping food prices down. and
seeing there is an equal distribution
or food commodities.
CoUNTRN-WIDES SURVEY
OF PRESSING: IMPuRTaSt,.
or most pressing Importance i'm tho
opinion of the administration, are the
provisions which call for Il food survey
of country-widc scope. Those who
nave been trying to solve the food
problem agree that while il may seem
TO indicate delay to take a food census.
this census is vital to the carrying out
OF any food-control program with
food-census figures the government can
determine at once whether prices are
excessive and ut once take measures
to rcuuisition certain crops or food
products.
This power would include the direct
control OF grain exchanges. and thus
prevent imitation OF prices through
speculation.
The House bill has bccn under con-
sidcra,ion for ten days The revised
draft provides for government control
during the war OF all Meccssarics. |
The President is authorized to subor- |
dinatc all instcGmentalitics so as to
insure promptncss. harmony and econ
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