The Washington times., 1917-02-25
INQUIRY INTO FOOD
DECLARED BELATED
Congressman Fitzgerald SCOTS
At Administration Policy on
Cost of Living.

Unless the House shall rescind its
action on a roll call vote when the
sundry civil bill is put on final pas
sage. that measure will go to the
Senate with an appropriation of
S4OO,OO for an investigation of the
food situation by the Federal Trade
Commission.
The House late last night adopted
the Borland amendment to the bill ap-
propriating this sum and directing
| the committee to proceed with the In
quiry already authorized by the Pres
idept into the production. distribution
and sale of foodstuffs and alleged VIC
| lations of the antitrust laws by food
manlpulators.
The Appropriations Committee had
refused to include this amendment in
the. bill when IL was reported, but the
committee was overridden and the
Borland plan adopted. The amend.
ment carried in Committee of the
Whole by vote Of So to 81 following
spirited debate.
Plea for Embargo.
The vote was taken after Chairman
Fitzgerald, of the Appropriations Com
mittee, had made an eloquent plea
for embargo legislation in lieu of "a
useless investigation"
With food riots in the large cities
Mr.. Fitzgerald argued, the time for
Investigations has passed and drastic
steps should be takeen.
Members from the ruraf districts
lnnnngad he har
which went out on a point of order,
/ on the theory that II initiated against
| the producer and limited freedom OF
sale.
In defense OF embargo legislation
and In opposition to the Borland
amendment for an investigation OF
the food situation, Mr.. Fitzgerald de-
livered what Congressman Good, an
Iowa Republican, subsequently de-
| scribed as zone of the greatest
speeches ever delivered in this
House." ..r -.- .
Mr.. Fitzgerald was bitter in his
criticism OF the plan ito hold an
eight-months' investigation while
people are starving in this country
for food"
Reviews Food Inquiry.
what is the remedy proposed ?"
asked Mr.. Fitzgerald, referring to the
Administrations request for funds for
an inquiry by the Federal Trade Com
mission. what is proposed when
people are rioting and struggling for
food? When l suggested last No
vember that we put an embargo on
fOodstuffs, the President directed the
Attorney General to start an investi-
cation through the Department OF
Justice. The district attorney at Bos-
ton was put in charge Of the inquiry
Within a few weeks that investiga-
tion was concluded. A report. was
made that there was no evidence
that the laws had been violated.
And now when the people are CON-
PEELED to struggle and become disorder
ly for food 1t Is suggested that we
spend $4OO.0 and take eight months
time to find out what the trouble Is
and why they are hungry.
Can there be any greater indict
ment Of the incapacity OF a Govern
ment than that when the people are
dying for food we should give them
an investigation?
when food is needed now. when lit.
tie children are crying for help. we say
to them that at the end OF eight month.
we will tell them why the prices OF food
are 30 high.
81 am opposed to this amendment be.
cause II will be taken and used as ar
excuse to defer action upon some posi-.
Bile method Of relief. ] am opposed &c
any legislation which will not afford re.
lief. but the result Of which will be tc
mislead the country"
Prices and Excuses.
/ Mr.. Fitzgerald said that last October
member Of the British Parliament as.
serted nothing had so angered the peo,
pie OF that nation ''as the enormous
profits made on the supplies of food
except It had been the shameless excuse.
put up for them by the government
spokesmen."
That statement can not only be re
peated as to the situation in this coun
try today" declared Mr. Fitzgerald. "bu
We can add that Te have shown the in
capacity OF Congress to deal with tn,
most vital problem before the American
people.
That there would be food riots in New
York was not unknown until a day ol
two ago predicted last November
that such a situation would occur.
said then that unless drastic steps were
taken the suffering poor people OF thi!
country, for want OF food and the in
ability to purchase it because OF excess
prices. was bound TO result in disorder.
THE riots that have taken place arr
not the riots OF the thriftless and tn,
worthless II Is the indignant and out
ragged protest OF the thrifty. the Indus
trious and frugal who cannot meet tn,
demand for prices that now exist"
Mr.. Fitzgerald referred to 9Th,
: ridicuIe" that had met his two bills
one to establish an absolute embar
go on foodstuffs, the other to estab
Iish a provision embargo.
"GuardIans of Producers"
The seIfappointed guardians o
the producers OF the country" he add
ed, would not permit that class t,
4 be interfered with even IL 1t wer
necessary to prevent the masses from
suffering and starvation.
81 was also met with the chsrg
that to stop the expectation OF food
stuffs necessary for our own peOpl
would be taken as an Offense b.
some powerful nation now engaged II
deadly war" said Mr. Fitzgerald. ''
have never gotten over my indigna
fion that the Congress Of the Unite,
E States changed the Panama cana
tolls because we had displeased