The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-08-23
HOOVER TELLS AMERICAN PEOPLE OF
THE FOOD PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION
Shows Absolute Necessity Of Increased Production and Elimination
of Waste Backing Up His Statements With Facts and
Figures Of the Supply and Demand.

munity to whom we owe the most pro-
lection. We must try to impose the
burden equally upon all.
Action Must Be Voluntary.
There is no royal road to food con-
| servetion. We can only accomplish
this by the voluntary action Of our
whole people, each element in proper
ton to its means. 1t is a matter of
equality of burden; matter of min
ute saving and substitution at every
point in the 2O,OOO,OOO kitchens. on the
2O,OOO,OOO dinner tables and in the
100000 manufacturing, wholesale and
retail establishments of the country.
The task is thus In its essence the daily
individual service of all the people.
Every group can substitute and even
the great majority of thrifty people
can save n little-and the more luxuri-
GUS elements of the population can by
reduction to simple living save much.
| The final result of substituting other
| products and saving one pound OF
| wheat flour, two ounces of fats, seven
| ounces Of sugar and seven ounces of
meat weekly, by each person, will,
when we have multiplied this by one
hundred million, have increased our
exports to the amounts absolutely re-
Quired by our allies. This means no
| more than that we should eat plenty,
but eat wisely and without waste.
Food conservation has other aspects
of utmost Importance. Wars must be
paid for by savings. We must save
In the consumption in commodities and
| the consumption of unproductive la
Dor In order that we may divert our
manhood to the army and to the shops
The whole of Europe has been en-
gagged ever since the war began in the
elimination Of waste. the simplification
of life, and the increase of Its indus
trial capacity. When the war is over
the consuming power of the world will
be reduced by the loss of prosperity
and man power, and we shall enter a
period Of competition without parallel
in ferocity. After the war. we must
maintain our foreign markets II our
working people are to be employed.
The impact of the food shortage Of
Europe has knocked at every door Of
the United States during the past three
years. The prices of foodstuffs have
nearly doubled, and the reverberatiOns
OF Europe's increasing shortage would
have thundered twice as loudly dur
ing the coming year even had we not
entered the war. and 1t can now only
be mitigated II we can exert n strong
control and this in many directions.
| We are today in an era Of high
! prices. We must maintain prices at
| ,oh ,,,tll
ton, for we are faced by starving
world and the value of commodity to
the hungry Is greater than Its price.
AS result of the world shortage of
supplies. our consumers have suffered
from speculation and extortion. While
| wages for some kinds of labor have
increased with the rise in food prices,
in others. 1t has been difficult to main
tain our high standard OF nutrition.
BY the elimination of waste in all
classes. by the reduction in the con-
sumption Of foodstuffs by the more for
tunate, we shall increase our supplies
not only for export but for home and
by increased supplies we can help IN
the amelioration Of prices.
For Better Distribution.
Beyond this the duty has been laid
upon the food administration to coop
! crate with the patriotic men in trades
and commerce, that we may eliminate
| the evils which have grown into our
| system of distribution, that the bur-
den may fall eQuitably upon all by res
toration, SO Ear as may be, of the nor
NAL course of trade. 1t is the purpose
of the food administration to use its
utmost power and the utmost ability
| that patriotism can assemble to ameli-
crate this situation to such degree as
may be possible.
The food administration Is assem-
| bling the best expert advice in the
country on home economics, on food
utilization, on trade practices and
trade wastes, and on the conduct of
public eating places, and we shall out
line from time to time detailed sugges-
tions, which II honestly carried out by
such individuals in the country, we be-
lieve will effect the result which we
must attain. We are asking every
home, every public eating place and
many trades. to sign n pledge card
to accept these directions, so far as
tleiI SliSuhistubSSs pSi hiit, anu we ute |
organizing various instrumentalities to |
ameliorate speculation. We are ask
ing the men Of the country who are
not actually engaged in the handling |
OF food to sign similar pledges that |
they shall see to 1t, so far as they are |
able, that these directions are followed |
| In ~ fhn to hoIx