The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-14
PATRIOTISM FOOD
 DEALERS IN TEST
GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED NOVEL PLAN AS FIRST STEP
 IN PRICE CUTTING
Hamp Williams Leaves Today for New Orleans for Conference With Southern Food Administrators.

Uncle sam has taken the initial step in campaign to eliminate al ieged high pri es He is going to put wholesale and retail food dealers on 6 high patriotic plane and give them an opportunity to go on record through the medium of the signed pledge card system, that they are willing 10 do business on a fair margin Of profit
 From the success of the pledge card campaign in the food conservation project it is evident that this method has met with favor and will be tried in connection with other features that demand an eXemplification of one patriotic intentions, and the details of the plan, which have been received by Hamp Williams, federal food ad- ministrator for Arkansas, are most in terestine The government will first go to the wholesale houses and put them on record Tine wholesale house that signs a pledge card, promising the government to do business on a fair margin of profit and cut any high prices that may be in existence vii receive q beautiful poster to be placed in that particular establishment. After the wholesale houses have been lined up Uncle sam will get in touch with the wholesale agents and to them he will say:
 information relative to you gentle men is that you can mobollze a force of 10000 men, which is an important factor in the campaign l am going to use you in ! want you to carry these pledge cards to the retailers you do business with l want you to ask every retail merchant of food to sign one of these cards, the same as the wholesale houses have done. l want you to let them know that, like the wholesae places, they, too, will receive a poster, provided they sign a pledge card to eliminate high prices and do business on a fair margin of profit.
 T want to know who signs and who do not l will also be able 10 learn hy system all my own. whether or not after signing, the wholesale ana retail men are keeping their pledge
 f they make pledge of that kind and violate it-weI. they will be taken care of, make no mistake about that And if they refuse to sign pledge Of that kind in these times, when every one should do his and her utmost to assist in winning the war, I want the facts"
 The foregoing is just about what "Cncle Sam" intends to say to the wholesale and retail dealers of all food products.
 "A great many persons imagined after the food administration was or sanized," said Mr. Williams, that the government would immediately begin a campaign against bushes, generally. where alleged high prices were concerned The public has not the slightest idea of the many other things that had to be taken care oI first. of the steps in organization tha had to be carefully thought out an( of the many many details that de manded attention The high price issue is one that has not escaped tho l government Officials in Washington know what is going on, and sooner o' later definite action, l believe, vii | ee taken in this matter
 In the previous pledge card cam paign the signatures of wholesale anC | retail food dealers appear If thos'
 men were patriotic enough to willing l ly sign for the conservation of food, | know they will be equally patriotic il this instance, for the government doe rot ask any man to do business at joss. so why not assist the govern ment in characteristic patriotic spiri
 of true Ameri ans by supporting tn | government in this new pledge care
 campaign
 Mir. Williams will leave today fo | New Orleans, where he will attend
 meeting of federal food commissioner
 of the southern states.
 The meeting is regarded by official