The midland journal., 1917-05-11
FOR FULL CONTROL
OF FOOD SUPPLY
Bill in Congress Provides For
Regulation BY President.
PROMPT ACTION EXPECTED
Power Sought To Regulate Exchanges
and Transportation and Prohibit
Use OF Grain In Making
Liquor.

WaSh1ng ngt0n.-AOSOl auLnOfdty w
regulate in its discretion the produc-
ton, distribution and prices of food
and other necessities during the war
was asked of Congress by the admins
tration.
In sweeping bill introduced with
administration approval by Chairman
Lever, of the House Agriculture Com
mittee, it is proposed to empower the
President, under the war clause OF the
Constitution, to take these measures
whenever, in his opinion, the national
emergency shall require:
To fix maximum and minimum
prices for food, clothing, fuel and
other necessities and the articles re-
quired for their production;
To prescribe regulations to govern
the production of these commodities
and, if necessary, to requisition the
producing factories, mines or other
establishments
To compel holders of necessities to
release them in amounts insuring
equitable distribution; ...
To regulate exchanges in such
way as to eliminate market manipula-
ton;
To compel railroads to give prefer
ence TO the movement of necessities;
To levy such import duties as he
finds necessary to prevent excessive
dumping" of foreign products; and
To impose limitations or prohibl-
tions upon the use of grain in the
manufacture of liquor.
May Order War Bread.
In addition, the Secretary of Agri-
culture would be empowered TO es-
tablish standard food grades; to IL
cense and control the manufacture,
storage and distribution of foods; to
prescribe the percentage of flour to
be milled from wheat, and to regu-
late the mixing of wheat -four with
other -four in the making of bread and
other food.
In statement Mr.. Lever declared
there was nothing in the measure to
disturb legitimate business activities
because "it is hoped that the mere
comforting Of the more extreme new
powers will be sufficient without 1t
becoming necessary to exercise
them" 1t Is known officials of the
executive branches of the government
hold the same view, believing that
with such effective weapons In their
possession they will encounter no diff
ficulty in lining up on the side OF the
public interest without legal action all
recalcitrant private agencies.
The bill is supplemental to the ad-
ministration food measure introduced
in the House last week, providing for
survey of the country's food re-
sources and comforting certain powers
to prevent food speculation. This
measure was ordered favorably report
ed from the Agricultural Committee
after the committee had reduced the
appropriation carried from S25,00O,0OO
to approximately $20,000,000 and had
eliminated a section authorizing the
Secretary of Agriculture to order the
immediate sale of any food in sucn
condition that unless promptly dis
posed of will become unfit for use.
S6CLfOLl WILL pC lnOSA POA e"SSN A1A ~
coming third measure which is to con-
fer broad powers ON the Council of
National Defense.
"The purposes Of the bill are to
stimulate production, to reduce waste,
to clear the channels of distribution,
to prevent boarding, to assure fair
prices, to eliminate injurious specula-
ton, to prohibit evil practices on ex-
changes and to protect the public
against extortion. The suggested leg
islation recognizes that t:>s war will
disturb the normal courses of trade.
Accordingly 1t provides machinery,
first for stimulating production and
regulating distribution so as to assure
a fair profit to those entitled to 1t;
secondly, for preventing the exploita-
ton of neceAsares of life by those
who aim to take advantage of the war
emergency to amass unearned for
tunes"