Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-02
MUST SAVE FOODS
T0BEAT WILHELM
SAy'Sc. VR0OMAN
EXPERTS FlAY
OPERATES" IN ADDRESS BEFORE
ILLINOIS FARMERS AT BAILEY
FALLS OUTING.

Hundreds from Ottawa and sur,
rounding country attended the Illinois
Farmers picnic at Bailey Falls farm
Saturday and heard Carl S. Vrooman,
assistant secretary Of agriculture
make stirring appeal for food con
seryatiOn, while at the same time he
bitterly arraigned food pirates,
The attendance as stated in Satur
days Free Trader-Journal was est4m-
ated at between 5000 and 5000 people
Sheriff Davis and deputies William
Mischke and Fritz GOebel, patrOlled
the grounds during the outing and as
result of their vigilence not cose
of pickpocketing was reported.
The deputies attended to the park
ing and outside Of going hungry all
day got along extremely successful.
Filled lunch baskets were of no avail
to them. as being guardians Of the
law, they necessarily could not have
followed the small boys common bent
on such occasions and grab off mess
of eats Consequently they went
from early morn to late at night
feasting their eyes, on the aforemen-
tion bullying food carriers.
There is not enough food in the
country to enable the law Of supply
and demand to keep prices down." de
clared Mr.. Vrooman
Continuing, Mr. Vrooman said:
I Government action is necessary to
control the soaring prices of food
stuffs, and we must take our choice
/ of submitting to government food
control or continue to be governed in
/ this respect by the food pirates. The
government is not asking, in the two
/ bills that are now before congress fol
consideration, any more power than
/ has been. or is being exercised. ly the
food spectators of the country Our
only problem Is to cast our lot with
high minded patriots, or the fiendsh,
selfish pirates.
Il feel confident that congress will
pass the two food control bills which
it is now considering. The public
sentiment seems to be unanimous for
such legislation One of the bills will
give new powers to the department
OF Agriculture and the other will give
Herbert c. Hoover the authority tC
cooperate with the department in
the control of prices Both bills, in
my estimation. are absolutely neces
sary If the American people are tc
throw off the yoke of piracy. Food
control by the government will be q
long step forward to our chances OF
winning the wrold war.
"'The only criticism seems to be
that the government will be vested
with considerably more power. but
the administration only seeks this
power because it has been abused by
food spectators.
1T is as important that America
/ supply her allies with food as it is
that she supply the demand at home.
If we don't supply them with food,
they cannot fight, they cannot win
the war II they cannot get food it
means that we must fight he battle
alone.
There are three things to consider
with regard to the food problem.
They are: food production foor mar.
keting and food conservation. 1t is
the patriotic duty % every housewife,
not only to her own family, but to the
country, to conserve all the food she
can, thus eliminating waste She
should buy fruit and vegetables when
there is glut in the market, and
when prices are low, which they are
when the market is loaded. The
newspapers can do a noble work IN
this respect, by notifying the people
when there is glut in the market of
a certain fruit or vegetable The
housewife acting upon that advice
can purchase produce cheaply and
can or dry foodstulis that under ordi-
nary conditions would go to waste
Speaking of the issues of the war
as they are defined in Washington
Mr.. Vrooman said.
1--WE are lighting war of self-de-
Tense, and it is better that it should
be fought on European soil than on
the Atlantic seaboard If we don't
fight it on European soil. we must
fight 1t on our own coasts sooner or
later.
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