Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-10
PROTECTSPATR|0T
AGAINST Stacker
President to Require Handlers
of Fundamental FoodStuffS
to Procure Licenses.
WILL CITE 20 VARIETIES

With the object of protecting the
patriot against the Stacker in business"
President Wilson soon is to issue
proclamation requiring all persons en-
gagged in the import. manufacture. stor-
age and distribution of some twenty
fundamental foodstuffs to obtain a l.
cense from the food administration. of
which Herbert Hoover is the head.
Meat packers, cold storage ware
housemen, millers, Gamers. elevators.
grain dealers, wholesale distributors
and retailers doing a business of more
than 100000 year will be embraced
in the order. Two hundred conferences
have been held by the food administra
ties and on information thus obtained
the licensing order will be based.
Scope Of the Food Bill.
THE licensing provision in the food
bill is limited in operation to the chan
nels of trade which lie between the
farmer on the one hand and the re-
taller on the other says the announce
ment made by the food administration,
except as it extends to those few re-
tailers who do an annual business of
more than 100000. The food admins
tration has selected about twenty basic
commodities and their products. a
forming the prime basis of life. and has
limited its licensing control to these
commodities, and also, in SO far as
practicable, eliminated the smallest
units of business in these staples.
1T is the purpose of the food adj
ministration to effect conservation in
the commercial use of these commodi-
ties. and to keep them flowing toward
the consumer in direct lines through
the channels of trade in as economical
a manner as possible. The admins
tration does not wish to disturb the
normal and necessary activities of bust
ness. and no business factor who is
performing a useful function will be
expected to surrender that function.
Enumeration of Duties.
The administration is, however,
charged with several duties.
The producer must have free out
let and ready market.
There must be no manipulation or
speculation in foods.
There must be no boarding in foods
Unfair or unreasona BILE profits must
be eliminated
discriminatory and deceptive and
wasteful practices which In any way
restrict. supply or distribution must be
These are the provisions of the food
law; The licensing system which was
authorized by the law provides more
effective machinery for it's enforcement
1t must not be thought that these OPP
erations become Illegal only upon the
issue Of licenses. They have been il
legal since the 10th of August, when
the law was passed. and numerous cases
coming to the attention of the food ad-
ministration have been corrected.
Effect Of Licenses.
The licensing has the effect of giving
definition to the provisions of the bill
and the practices which the trades
should respectively follow in connec-
ton Herewith.
THE proclamation will require all of
those handling the commodities con-
cerned to apply for licenses before No
vember l. upon forms which will be
supplied on application to the food
administration.
Applicants will receive licenses with
out cost. and the regulations governing
those dealing with the commodities liz
censed will be issued in due course"