The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-10-10
U. s. TO control.
ALL FOOD FIRMS
President Acts to Stop Hoarding
and Profiteering in
Staples.
UNDER LICENSE NOVEMBER |
twenty Articles Named for Regulation
Purpose of Food Administration
Is to Protect Patriot Against
Stacker in Business.

Washington, Oct. 1O.-VirtualIy all
the staple foods consumed bv the
American seople will be put under gov
ernment control November 1.
Ihe food administration announced
tnat within a few days President Will
son will issue an executive order re-
curing that manufacturers and dis
trlbutors of some 20 fundamental foods
operate under license restrictions de-
signed to prevent unreasonable profits
ana to stop speculation and boarding.
regulations will be prescribed for
meat packers, cold storage houses,
mlllers, Gamers, elevators, grain deal
ers and wholesale dealers and retailers
doing business of more than 100000
annually in the commodities to be
! named
The prime purpose of the food ad-
m1nistration," the announcement said,
sis to protect the patriot against the
Stacker in business.
Debt to Our Soldiers.
1T has generally been recognized
that the enormous obligation imposed
On the American people to feed our
soldiers at the front and the allies
creates a disturbing factor in trade
which allows opportunity to a few to
impose burdens upon the many, and
that 1t Is Of vital national importance
that such control should be exerted as
Will remedy, so far as may be, the
economic disturbances incident to the
war;"
To Issue Proclamation.
Issuance of the presidents procla-
nation has been delayed, the announce
| ment said, that the food administration
might complete conferences with rep
resentatives Of trades and producers
| and consumers. Already about 200 con-
ferences have been held, at which were
planned regulations and constructive
| methods of control.
ut has been the desire of the food
administration" the announcement con-
tinued, "to secure the cooperation of
all patriotic men in the various trades
to eliminate speculation, boarding, un-
reasonable profits, wasteful practices,
ETC., in the great distribution system of
the country"
Speculation Is Barred.
''The administration is, however,
charged with several duties.
1.-THE producer must have a free
outlet and ready market.
''There must be no manipulation or
speculation in foods.
There must be no boarding in
foods.
unfair or unreasonable profits
must be eliminated.
discriminatory and deceptive and
wasteful practices which in any way
restrict supply or distribution must
be stopped.
"These are the provisions of the
food law. The licensing system which
was authorized by the law provides
more effective machinery for its
enforcement. 1t must not be thought
that these operations become illegal
only upon the issue of licenses.
"They have been Illegal since the
10th Of August, when the law was
passed, and numerous cases coming
to the attention of the food admin
istration have been corrected.
Date Set Is November 1.
1.-The proclamation will require all of
those handling the commodities con-
cerned to apply for licenses before No
vember 1, upon forms which will be
supplied on application to the food ad-
ministration.
applicants will receive licenses
without cost.
"After November 1 no unlicensed
persons will be permitted to trade in
the commodities enumerated in the
proclamation.
"While authority is vested in the
food administration to suspend any
license and to impose penalties for Vi
Olation of the food law or special regu-
lationS, it is the purpose of the food
administration to accomplish these
ends of public service and war service,
so far as possible, not by coercion but
by patriotic cooperation"