Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-05-11

" h'iitNtl suCl course may De 0eCeS-
sary in the public interest.
"(4) To require the preference
movement by the common carriers of
the United States of seeds, fertilizers,
insecticides, fungicides, and farm
implements or machinery. or the ma
terials required in their manufacture.
900 To enlarge the existing tele-
graphic market news service of the
department, which now covers live
stock and meats and certain foods,
vegetables, and other perishables, in
order to assist, by securing comprc-
hensive information from all shipping
areas, in the distribution of products
according to the proportionate re-
quirements of the consuming centers.
Would Organize Markets.
Enlargement of this service would
also tend to prevent undue shortage
in any consuming center and provide
against wastes due to temporary over
supply of perishables in particular
communities. The service would fur
Their assist in securing direct routings
and thereby relieve, to some extent at
least, congestion of transportation
lines. 1t would also directly aid
farmers by furnishing information
which would put them on an equality
with buyers and enable them to con-
sign unsold products to points where
there is the greatest need for them.
"(6) In case of extreme emer-
gency. the government should have
power to purchase, store, and subse-
quently dispose of food products to
groups of people or communities or
ganized in some form, and to fix max
imum or minimum prices. Perhaps
the exercise of this power should be
lodged in the council of national de-
Tense, to be used only when directed
by the president. 1t ( possible that
the mere existence of the power would
make action unnecessary.
''The government should have full
discretion in the matter 1t might be
wise to fix a minimum price to pro-
ducers for only one important com.
modify, just as it might be wise to fix
maximum price which consumers
might be expected to pay for only one
or several products.
Asks More Assistants.
"(7) I greatly need one, possibly
two, more assistant secretaries, and
such number of assistants to the Sec
rotary as the circumstances demand
AT present there is only one assistant
secretary. The work of the depart
ment has increased enormously in
the last few years. 1t had greatly ex-
tended before the European war
broke out and within the last three
years it has been charged with the
duty of administering a number of
very important laws, including the
following: CD Cooperative agricul-
tural extension act; ca cotton
futures act; co United States grain
standards act; Cd United States
warehouse act; 60 federal aid road
act.
81 need not set forth the burdens
which have been placed upon the GEN.
trail Office because of the present
emergency. They are vast and COM
pick and it is urgently essential that
additional assistance be provided.
Furthermore the appeals from differ
ent sections Of the Union for respon-
sible representatives who can keep
intimately in touch with them and
furnish advice and suggestions are
numerous and growing"
DR.. s. A. Pearson. president Of
Iowa State College, and DR.. Alonzo
E. Taylor Of the University Of Penn
sylvania, assistants to Secretary
Houston, gave the committee opinions
on economic conditions and food
prices.
DR.. Pearson told the committee
that IL minimum prices are to be fixed
on products of agriculture, an aver
age Of the prices obtained for prod
ucts in peace years should be taken,
and then add a percentage to cover
the increased cost of seed and labor
DR.. Taylor said fixing of mini
mum price would hold down the
prices to the consumer because it
tended to bring the producer and con-
sumner closer together. eliminating
the middleman and his profits.