Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-16
Food and Fuel Sole
Features of NeIU Bill

Continued from Page One
had meat once a day for the boy and girl
Of the family who worked. When meat
got beyond their reach they turned to onions
and potatoes. Then onions and potatoes
began to rise and they lived on yellow len
tils and macaroni without cheese. Now
these things have advanced and they are
living on bread--bread, half alum and half
holes-and weak tea. The children are un-
dernourlshed, sleepy and stupid and the
mothers are fearful that new outbreak
Of infantle paralysis NAV add to their
suferings.
THE CHINESE WALL
Between these hungry people and the
Government which should protect them,
there has grown up a Chinese wall" Miss
Todd continued. The women who will
come to Washington will be messengers
behind the wall asking that It be battered
down--from the inside. If it cannot be
throwp down from within it must be at
tackled from without. This Government
must be humanized. The people are not
prepared to suffer much more than they
have suffered already.
"Yet the faith these women have, in tho
face of their bitter oppression, is appalling
They believe that down here in Washington
there is some great heart that is tender,
some one who loves them, some one who
could correct II he only knew the things
they suffered The one man in America
they trust with all their souls is President
Wilson they want to tell him they trust
him and to tell him they are hungry He
must see them; he must tell them he has
not forgotten them. He must renew their
faith-and through them his faith may be
renewed.
ITO the Agriculture Committee they will
appeal for the immediate passage of the
food-control bill" Miss Todd went on They
will tell the urgent need and will give
solemn warning the measure must entail
real control II must be designed not only
to help our allies, but to help our people
at home as well. They will seek, too, while
in Washington to have one of their number
given membership on the woman's commit
tee of the Council of Defense.
zone year ago, when the suffering became
acute the women of the East Side were
told the Mayor would help them" Miss Todd
continued.
SOUGHT RELIEF IN VAIN
They went to the Mayor. He told them
to go to Albany. Albany told them the
wicks bill would bring relief II didn't
Then came Mr.. Perkins with his rice and
smelts--which never appeared--as the new
saviour. Then they were told when Hoover
came ana lne 1000 Dill was paSSeu lueTe
would be relief They pinned their faith
to Hoover of Belgium. Hoover came two
months ago. The food bill was introduced
a month ago. Still they are suffering. The
only result they saw of Hoover's coming
was that a lot OF domestic scientists came
down to the East side to show them how
| to cook. They know how to cook far
| better and far more economically than the
| domestic scientists. What they need is food,
not domestic science teachers
THE women are growing bitter Hoover
| seems to them TO have been only another
| mirage. l saw Mr.. Hoover and / told him
| the women were losing faith, and were COM
| ing to feel that he was like the rest and
didn't care. The faith of the East Side
| Is not misplaced in Hoover of Belgium,
| Miss Todd concluded
WILL OPEN PROBE TOMORROW
Joseph L. Davies, member of the Federal
| Trade Commission, tomorrow will hold the
first important hearing in the new Federal
| food-price investigation, in which the body
of which he is a member the Department
| of Agriculture and the food administration
| are cooperating. The hearing will be held
| in Chicago and will be devoted wholly to
| meat. Stock growers, meat packers, butch.
| ers jobbers, wholesalers and commission
| merchants dealing in meat will be confront.
| ed with an array of evidence prepared by
| field agents Of the commission.
While there have been numerous Federal
| food-price Investigations in the last two
| years. the Administration plans to make
| this one more effective than any heretofore
| with far-reachng powers, the Adiminstra,
| tion intends now to see to II, definitely, that
| middlemen no longer prey on the American
consumer using war conditions as a cloak