Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-18
SAY FOOD COMMISSION
SHOULD END WITH WAR
Representatives of the Grain Ex-
changes of Country Hold Confer
ences With Herbert G. Hoover.

IHe CONSERVATION OF the 1000 supply
of this country calls for the creation OF
a food administration clothed with the
necessary powers to work out the I'M
usual problem resulting from the world
war and the existence of such food ad-
ministration should be limited to the
duration of the war in the opinion of
representatives of the big grain ex-
changes. who today had a conference
with Herbert C. Hoover. They included
a special committee of the Council OF
Grain Exchanges and committee from
the Western Grain Exchange. and
statement which they issued at the con-
clusion of the conference says in con-
clusion:
"The representatives of the grain
trade are convinced that with elimlna-
tion of waste and proper conservation
in this country an ample supply of
grain will be available for domestic
consumption, as well as to provide for
the requirements of our allies. and that
the problem therefore is one of admin
istration.''
Predictions Of social upheava1 un-
less the rising prices Of food are
checked. were made by George w. An
derson, United States attorney at Bos-
ton and special assistant to Attorney
General Gregory in co-ordinating food
investigations, today before the House
agriculture committee in connection
with the administration food control
bill.
Sees Danger to the Country.
Mr.. Anderson, with great emphasis.
made this statement:
Something must be done That social
and political upheaval is threatened can
not be denied or disregarded. I see the
signs of it. Any one with his ear to the
ground knows It, There will be a phe-
nomenon in America inconsistent with law
and order unless something Is done TO
prevent it"
Mr.. Anderson and Prof. Vernon Kel-
logg of Stanford University, member
of the Belgian relief commission, were
among the witnesses before the COM
mittee. Mr.. Kellogg told of the CEN
tralization and control of the milling
interests in Belgian and northern
France. Mr.. Anderson advocated legis-
lation to authorize the fixing of maxi
mum at liberal range above what
might be called reasonable price, in
order to allow play for supply and de-
mand. He said his mind was open as to
the fixing of minimum guarantee to the
producer He said the government
should be empowered to break up
corners in potatoes. eggs, onions and
other markets by authority to seize and
market a portion OF the products nelO
by hoarders or unfair traders.
Mr.. Anderson complained that the
is powerless under present
law to ascertain just what is held In
the storage reservoirs of the food sup
ply.
Definite Information Lacking.
He said his assistants could not as
certain what was being held in stor-
age in New York. Chicago, Boston. Du-
luth and other cities until the wit
nesses were brought before the grand
jury and examined, and that the delay
of shifting stocks or other
wise getting rid of the evidence of vio-
lation of the law.
He urged as absolutely necessary
that Congress give the Department OF
authority to ascertain what
a large part of his work had been
wasted because of lack of any such au-
thority. 1t is perfectly futile, he said.
to chase those engaged in cornering
until you arm the Department
Of Agriculture with the right to imme-
diately ascertain what is in the storage
Chairman Lever explained that his
bill, now the pending unfinished business
of the House. provides that authority.
MI. AnQeTSOH Sdlu lhO outIiA f1hlf-
trust law should be amended SO as to
empower the Attorney General to
seize articles that are being manipu-
lated in violation of the law. and to
authorize him to market portion OF
the articles so seized-not all of them.
because that would be so drastic that
juries might hesitate to convict.
"When potatoes. eggs and onions are
being held in the large quantities and
there probably is a combination in re-
straint of trade" he said, "the Attor-
ney General should seize and market
The mere threat to so act
would be enough to make the
hoarder or cornerer not to repeat the Of
fense With that authority the govern
ment can break any corner.
Prices of Potatoes and Onions.
Mr.. Anderson pointed to large profits
made recently in the potato region of
Aroostook county. Me, which supplies
dealers in handling these potatoes re-
sorted to speculative prices. He said
onion prices also went up. He pointed
,ut the difficulty of getting evidence,
and how those entering into combina-
lions nowadays do not meet or write or
telegraph, but do their combining by
Referring to the coal supply, Mr..
Anderson said that bituminous coal
probably had been produced in large
quantities at too low a price at the
mines for many years. He said that
lnless something is done to regulate
raffic facilities and enable use of more
.ars and to prevent the seller from ar
,itrarily making the price what he
,leases, the cost of bituminous coal.
he kind used almost exclusively by
.ailroads and Industrial plants, will run
Up to from two to three times what it
vas during last year.
Former Gov. A. .. Eberhart Of Min
,esota urged the committee to author
ze the federal government to lease
1000, 900 acres of state school lands in
he northwest-Minneso the Dakotas
md Montana-and to put that acreage
nto cultivation of crops by draft of
arm labor from the cities. the states
O be paid a rental and the manage
nent to be in. the hands of the state
colleges and stations. His
cheme contemplated purchase of 5000
ractors and host of other equipment.