Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-11
Wants TO Eliminate Gam
bling, Extortion and
Other Wasteful
Practices.
Try Associated Press

Hoover's statement outlining the gov
ernment's purposes in administering the
food legislation follows:
The hopes of the food administra-
tton are threefold. First. to so guide
, the trade in the fundamental food conf
| moditieS as TO eliminate vicious specu-
lation. extortion and wasteful practices.
and to stabilize prices in the essential
staples: second. to guard our exports
SO that against the worlds shortage we
retain sufficient supplies for our own
people. and to cooperate with the al
lies to prevent imitation OF prices. and
third. that we stimulate in every man
ner within our power the saving OF our
food in order that wa may increase ex
ports to our allies to point which will
enable them TO properly provision their
| armies, and to feed their peoples dur
| ing the coming winter.
| The food administration Is called
into being to stabilize. and not to dis
turb conditions. and to defend honest
enterprise against illeEitimate compe-
tition. II has been devised TO correct
the abnormalities andsabuses that have
crept into trade by reason of the world
disturbance and to restore business as
| far as may be to a reasonable basis.
THE business men Of this country,
| am convinced. result Of many
! hundreds OF conferences with repre-
| sentativcs of the great forces OF food
| supply, realize their own patriotic OBJ
! legation and the solemnity Of the situa-
| tion. and will fairly and generously CO.
! operate In meeting the national emerE-
ency. do not believe that drastic force
need he applied to maintain economic
| distribution and use of supplieI by the
! great majority OF American people.
| Rut II there be those who expec to eS-
rloit this hour Of sacrifice. II there are
| men or organizations scheminG to in
crease the. trials Of this country. We
shalt not hesitate to apply to the fun
drastic. coercive powers that Congress-
| has conferred on US,
I MIST .HXyE CORRECTIVE
Jtr;s l'Nt'25 TOWERS : IN RESERVE;
I'm enforcing the measures of the act.
| 1t Is not our intention to proceed with
"A host OF punitive measures. but rather
/ by coordination with the various
| trades to effect such constructive r,Eu
| lations as will render gambling. eX
| tortion and other wasteful practices i'm
| possible. | am convinced that while we
must have ready in reserve the correc
| tive powers given us. we shall by these
| powers free the great majority OF our
business people from necessity to COM
pete with operators whose sole effort
| Is to initiate prices and bring into dis
| repute the majority OF honest traders.
We hope within the next few days to
announce the method Of wheat and -four
control.
The deep obligations IS upon us to
food the armies and the peoples asso-
ciated with us in this struggle. Tie
| diversion Of fn.n0n.00O of their men to
war or war work: the additional mil
| lions of women drafted to the place" OF
their husha nds and brothers; the toll
| OF the submarine. have all conspired to
80 reduce production that their har-
vests this autumn will fall below their
| normal production
| "Therefore whereas we exported be-
fore the war but S0.0o0.000 bushels OF
wheat per annum, this year. by one
means Dr another must find for
them o25oo0.000 bushels. and this in
the face OF short crop. Our hest
will he partly to meet their needs. for
ever then they must reduce their bread
consumption o5 per cent, and il will be
var bread they must eat. Of which a
,ar~e portion consists of other cereals.
ALLIES ARE STIFLISG
ANIMAL PRODUCTION
Already the greater call for meat
and animal products has compelled the
allies TO Kill upwards of $4,000. 900 head
OF their stock animals. They are thus
stiflling their animal production. There
fore, rot only must we increase their
supplies OF meat and dairy products.
but must prepare as war goes on to
meet an even greater demand for these
necessary commodities
Because Of the shortage of shipping
only the most concentrated foods
wheat. grain. beef. pork and dairy pro-
ducts and sugar--can be sert across the
seas. Fortunately, we have for our
own use a superabundance of foodstuffs
OF other kinds--the perishabie3. fish.
corn and other cereals. and surely our
first manifest duty is to substitute
these for those other products which
are of greater use to our fellow
h-hters.
"our second is to eliminate wastes
tn the last degree.
Every ounce OF waste is a contribu-
tion toward starvation. Our allies have
reduced consumption by the most dras-
TIC HcdSuISS' puI " is lTnpOHSlOIe 10 re-
duce consumption to those in war work
and engaged in other physical work
Therefore. the Incidence OF this
drastic reduction among our allies falls
upon the old people and the women
and children. and any shortage in the
supplies wa may send them Will fall
upon this class only.
This war is struggle to assure the
dominance OF democracy. Every nag
that flies against the central powers is
by proxy the American nag. Every
man In the ranks Of the allies. every
woman and child In Europe sacrificing
in the maintenance Of these men, arc
lighting In our defense.
I'VE have in our abundance and In
|, our waste an ample supply to carry
them and ourselves over this next win.
Continued on Fifth Page.I