The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-06-01
HOOVER TELLS
HIS PLAN FOR
FOOD CONTROL
Northwestern FarmersH Have
Interview With New
Food Director
SERIES OF GREAT
CORPORATIONS
Uncle Sam As Middleman
and Distributor OF All
Crops

Washington, ID. c., June 1.--(Special
no The Fargo Forum. members of
the delegation of northwest farmers,
who are here to appear before COM
mittees of congress in regard to food
regulation, had an interview with
Herbert C. Hoover last evening. DUR
ing his talk with the farmers. Mr..
Hoover quite frankly outlined the
plans of the administration in regard
to food control. These have already
been made public, but Mr.. Hoover
went into them in detail, showing how
the government plans to virtually
eliminate the grain exchanges during
the war; establish minimum prices to
stimulate productions; and act as mid
dleman for the allies in war purchases.
and control elevators and storage
facilities.
Mr.. Hoover came to the conference
directly from an interview with Presi-
dent Wilson, arriving at his apart
ments about 10 a. M. to find the farm
ers waiting for him.
Outlines His Plans.
After questioning the visitors, Mr..
Hoover briefly outlined the govern
ment's plans to act as middleman. He
stated that the allies have asked the
United States to buy for them all the
grain that this country can spare. The
government will not only buy the
1t may be decided to take over the en-
tire American wheat crop, decide what
percentage of it is available for export,
and then deal out the remainder for
home consumption.
Mr.. Hoover made it clear that this
plan had not yet been fully decided
upon, but that 1t was being considered.
Slues of Corporations.
Mr.. Hooyer's plan, it is understood,
is for handling the food supply of this
country by series of great corpora
tions.
There may be a corn company, for
example, and a wheat company, and
pork products company, and so on.
In operation they will be immense
trusts. Each may, if it seems desir-
able, corner the entire supply of the
particular commodity with which it
1t formed to deal.
Except that these corporations will
be backed by the government finan-
cially and will have the autocratic.
power which the government has to-
day-and which will be specifically COM
ferred on 1t by Legislation, to COM
naandeer foodstuffs at price fixed
by themselves, they will be operated
precisely as oth@R. great corporations
are. Each win have its president and
secretary and treasurer and subordin-i
ate officers.
DeaHnps WfSn Neutralss
1t viii be Hoover's corporations
that will actually manage the COM
merciaI relations with neutral coun-
tries. If an embargo is declared
Hoover's corporations win declare it,
in effect. There may be no declaration
of an embargo. A Hoover corporation
will simply refuse to sell goods
These Hoover corporations will not
take over the entire supply of food
stuffs, or OF given foodstuff, unless
there is reason for it. The Individual
will not be interfered with unless the
welfare Of the country demands it.
But If the bill now pending becomes
a law the Hoover corporations can
take every ear of corn and every po-
tato If they desire. No one will suf-
fer unless it be the speculator who
has loaded his warehouses against
the day of high prices. He will be
compelled to take the governments |
price.
May Eliminate Middleman.
It is even possible that at the next
harvest time the mIddleman's profit
will be eliminated. The farmer may
be told not to sell his wheat until /
he gets the order-and when he gets |
the order sell it direct to the govern
ment The warehouse men will be
paid rent for the warehousing of the |
&Idlus Eltu tlAett 10 dlls n6 AAOONGI
corporations will pay high prices, as |
compared with the standards of oth-
er years, but Uncle Sam will not be |
made to pay through the nose.
Mr.. Hoover was asked If his plan
did not mean the elimination of the
grain exchanges? He smiled and adj
mitted that there probably would not |
be much left for the grain exchanges |
to do. i
He asked his visitors about the size |
OF crops being raised. and was assured |
that the farmers had been making |
every effort to increase their acreage |
this year.
He advised the farmers to make a |
specially of hog raising.
''At the close of the war;" he said, |
there will be tremendous demand |
for fats and oils from the central |
empires and pork and pork products /
are going to command very high |
price for some time to come.'