Gilpin observer., 1917-10-04
HALT FOOD SAVING
PURPOSE OF PLOT
Housewives Told Government
Will Seize Provisions.
FEDERAL ACTION TO FOLLOW
Propaganda Takes Form Of Word-of-
Mouth Reports AsslduousIy Spread
In Every Part Of country-Thou-
sands Of Housewives Influenced to
Cut Down on Canning.

Effort to discount the governments
food conservation campaign. upon the
heels Of widespread attempt to dis
courage farmers from growing larger
crops, have become so general and
persistent that the department OF juss
tice probably will be asked to inves-
tigate this form of anti-war activity.
This propaganda has taken the
form of word-of-mouth reports, as
siduously spread in every part of the
country, that the government intends
to cOnfiscate all canned, dried and
preserved goods, conserved for home
use this winter. 1t is believed that
thousands Of housewives already
have been persuaded not to put up
more than small amount of fruits
and vegetables on this account.
Pose as Government Agents.
Most finished and spectacular work
of this sort has been going on In st.
Louis, according to reports received
from a grain supervisor of the office
Of markets and rural organization in
Missouri. There men posing as agents
from home to home and after obtain
ing exact Information about the
amount of canned goods on hand,
they have seized portions Of the sup
ply, leaving only the quantity they
told housewives, allowed by the gov
ernment for family of their size.
To obtain the information they in
formed the women that they were
federal agents assigned to make the
food survey, now being carried on by
the department of agriculture, and
they displayed the buttons Of the food
administration, which anyone may
buy for ten cents, as voucher for
their right to confiscate the goods.
At first 1t was thought this was a
flim-flam game, but the manner of the
operation of these agents has led to
ing to confirm the suspicion spread
by other agents that 1t is useless to
put up vegetables or fruits for home
use, since the government will seize
any abnormal surplus. The st. Louis
reports, it was stated, probably will
be turned over to the department of
justice shortly.
st. Louis so far is the only place in
which food actually has been seized.
But reports from patriotic men and
women and from the department of
| agriculture county agents show that
in many states there has been con-
certed effort to discount the conser-
walton work they have been trying to
perform. Similar reports have come
from independent sources to the food
administration.
One case close to Washington was
in western Pennsylvania. A man in.
| terested in food conservation was
touring that region In an automobile
ana noticed food in fields and fruit
on trees left to rot. He stopped at
a farmhouse and asked why this food
was not being conserved.
Thought Hundred Jars Limit.
"Ain't no use," he was informed
"rve got my hundred Jars and If
put up any more the government will
| take 1t to help feed the army"
Down in Virginia the same stories
have been spread so widely that
agents down there, as we'll as officers
Of civic patriotic bodies, reported tC
the food administration that the ef
feet of the canning and drying cam
paign has been largely discounted.
Knowledge Of these efforts have led
: both the department and the food ad
ministration to issue denials from
time to time that any seizure Of food
on farms or In homes is cOntemplat
ed. But these have not reached the
rural districts and the department OF
agriculture is In possession Of clip
pings from rural papers which fore
cast the probable seizure by the gov
ernment Of foOdstuffs to feed ths
army.