The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-07-13
NHISEEI IND BEER !.
DEBATE ONLY TAKE:
Congres Betrays People Into
Hands Of Food
Sharks
u b n. RICKEY.

ltte mas 0een presenting u Ine
people cof this country and the world
a spectacle which If 1t were not so
tragic might be described as the most
I utterly ridiculous in the history Of
national and legislative bodies.
ton the date named, the Lever bill,
popplarly known as the food bill, was
Introduced in the House.
Thelpurpose of this bill was to re-
4 lieve the hundred and ten million
people Of the United States from the
an but unbearable burden OF the high
cost Of living.
1T provided for giving the Presi-
dent authority to name food admin
tstrator charged with the vitality inn
portant task OF stimulating the pro-
4 duction, regulating the distribution
Of and stopping the speculation in
food.
This bill was prepared with great
care as the result of the best thought
Of the greatest experts in the govern
ment service.
Before 1t was introduced 1t was
Q, KID by President Wilson and by
Herbert G. Hoover, who had hurried
from London to volunteer his great
abilities as food administrator
President Wilson had accepted
Hooyer's services by cable in the be-
Hef-whlch was shared by every man
who had followed Hooyer's career
dnce the beginning of the European
War+that he was the best fitted man
In the world for the job.
There was absolutely no good rea-
son why the food bill should not have
been passed by Congress and become
q law by the Presidents signature
within week from the day it was
Introduced,
There is not the shadow of doubt
that II this had been done. every fam
lily in the United States would have
felt the effects almost Immediately,
In the reduced cost Of food necessi-
ties.
That is precisely why the food bill
was not passed within a week; why
4uIod sql o. papusmg ueeq sBq "
where it is scarcely recognizable;
why 1t is still being buffeted about in
Congress; why for the past month,
4 the debate has degenerated into a cat
and dog fight on the liquor question.
AT the time the liquor issue was in
teriected into the discussion, 1t seem
ed as il the food bill was about to be
passed.
That was why the liquor fight
y started. The food spectators and
hoarders, knowing that the moment
the bill was passed, they would be
forced to stop picking the pockets of
the American people, saved them
selves by subtly starting the fight
over whiskey and beer.
Everyone who has sat in the gal
lery Of either the senate or the house
and listened to the drool about whis-
key and beer which is miscalled de
bate, cannot but have been impressed
by the utter lack Of sincerity OF so
per cent Of it.
| am willing to admit that there
may be a few senators and represen-
Z tRtiyes who have shouted and waved
their arms about the demon rum who
are SO unintelligent that they can't
appreciate what monkeys the food
marks are making Of them.
1 But the great majority Of those in
both houses who have delayed and
are delaying the passage of the food
idll by prolongnig the debate about
Nuuor are deliberately and willfully
betraying the people of the United
States in the interest of the rapacious
food speculators and hoarders!
n Every days delay has added mil
Hons to the profits of the great con-
Germs which handle the food from the
dine it leaves the producer until 1t
reaches the retailer and the consum-
O..
And what is more, every days de-
y Inv has fastened the grip Of these
great concerns on the nations food
reserves and made it increasingly diff
flcult, II not impossible, to release 1t
\ without resorting to the most desper-
ate measures
About the middle of June, Hoover,
after most careful survey OF the
whole food situation, told the leaders
in congress and issued a statement to
Che public that July / was the outside
limit when he must have authority to
take necessary steps to control the
{ prices of this years harvest If the
consumer was to get the protection
hewas entitled to-.
Congress paid no more attention to
Hoover's statement, which was really
- eloquent plea for action than
though he had talked in strange
language which they did not under
utand.
July / came and went, and the
vhiskey and beer debate continued
Iithout interruption.
In the meantime the greater part
~ this years harvest has fallen into
the foul laws of the food sharks and
She rest Of it will be there before the
food bill becomes q law. If 1t ever
does.
ns hard to catch the sharks and get
lie food out of their bellies as it
would have been to keep it from get
aing there.
That is why congress is still debat-
ang about whiskey and beer; why it
Will continue to do so until the
marks bellies are full.
There is no such lack OF food in
Ghis country as to justify the high
prices, in many cases prohibltive to
Families Of small incomes. This is
proved by a statement on cold stor-
y age holdings given out by the Depart