Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-28
IS TWO JOBS RATHER
THAN ONE
Work OF Food Administrator. Mr..
Hoover Il Not Frsing To In
iiict Hardshps Penalty
For Hnarding


The end Of last summer saw
Cadorna's army on the point Of MAX
ing hs long hoped for break in the
Teutonic lines But Italy ran short
or wheas In September the all i'm
portant bread ration OF the Italian
soldier had TO be cut from $50 grams
day to 600 grams. The next month
the Germans attacked. and the Ital-
ian line crumpled
The United States Food Admins
tration had not been created by Con-
gress until August 10. There is no
particular reason why it should no.
have been created two months
earlier lis work Is to prevent just
such contingencies as the cutting OF
the Italian ration
The work Of the Food Administra-
ton is two jobs rather than one. The
/ first task is to see that food in the
more concentrated forms is saved
from unnecessary consumption here
in order that 1t may be shipped to
Europe
AS part of this task Mr.. Hoover
asks every American to eat each day
one ounce less OF sugar than he
usually eats Is he trying to infiict
hardship when he asks that? Amer
leans who do as he requests will still
eat three-fourths of their normal
consumption of sugar. But the Eng
lish are getting only little over one
fourth as much sugar as they used
TO eat.
American confectioners have been
cutting 100000 tons of sugar a year
into candy. That amount of sugar
would all but supply the entire Eng
lish demand at the present rate OF
consumption. Recently the admins
tration has cut the candy makers
down to 100000 tons year. The
money value of the sugar so saved is
enough TO feed oil of Belgium for one
year
In restricting the candy makers
the Administration was performing
the second part of its task-that Of
controlling the distribution Of food
supplies. In its conservation work
the Administration deals directly
with producer and consumer. On
the side of control it deals with the
manufacturer and the wholesaler.
Food control is saving money for the
American household week by week
In May. wheat was at $3.50 bhshel
and -four at S1710. Congress brought
wheat down to 1920 for this years
crop. and Hooyer's organization had
reduced the price Of -four to S1O.25.
On every barrel of flour bought the
purchaser has been enabled to save
at least $685.. As America consumes
ten million barrsl OF -four in a month
the total monthly saving affected by
the administration at this one point
is $6S,500,O0O.
But keeping down the cost OF liv-
ing Is not the primary object of the
Administration. It opposes boarding.
not so much because boarding raises
prices. as because it keeps food out
OF the market at the very times when
It is most seriously needed. The
Administration licensing system has
practically eliminated boarding. job
bers, wholesalers, and big retailers
can do business only If they have
license If they are caught hoard
ing, a forfeiture of their license puts
them out of business forthwith. Pub
lie opinion keeps the small retailers
in line where patriotism doesn't dc
it. The worlds food situation is bad
but in four months fighting the
United States Food Administrator
has got it pretty well under control