The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-11
ASSUMES CONTROL. OF
NATIONS FOOD SUPPLY


sembled a staff and already is en-
listing the countrys women in a
household saving campaign. Mean
while the federal trade commission
| authorized some time ago to conduct
an investigation into food prices,
| with special reference to antitrust
law violations, is gathering informa-
ton which 1t will turn over to the
two agencies and to the department
| of justice. $500.
| Wheat First Problem.
| The first move of the food admins
/ tration will be to bring about
changes in the system of distribut-
| ing wheat and. in the manufacture
and sale of -four and bread. 1t will
| take up next the production of meat
and dairy foods. The trade commits
sion has investigators now in the
-four mills and in the meat packing
| houses.
Mr.. Hoover's statement outlining
the governments purpose in
administering the food legislation
follows:
"The hope of the food administra-
! ton are three fold. First, to guide
the trade in the fundamental food
| commodities as to eliminate vicious
speculation, extortion and wasteful
practices and to stabilize prices In
| the essential staples.
Second 10 guard our exports so
| that against the worlds shortage we
retain sufficient supplies for our own
people and TO cooperate with the
allies to prevent imitation of prices
and third, that we stimulate the saw
ing Of our food in order that we may
| increase exports to our allies to a
point which will enable them proper
| ly to provision their armies and to
feed their peoples during the COM
| ing winter.
1.-THE food administration is call
ed into being to stabilize and not to
disturb conditions and to defend
honest enterprise against illegitimate
competition. 1t has been devised to
correct the abnormalities and abuses
that have crept into trade by rea-
son of the world disturbance and to
| restore business.
always dependent on import from
| other countries for substantial
part of their food needs our western
| European allies, because of the des-
truction of shipping by submarine
and the isolation from the normal
markets by belligerent lines, are
forced to a large degree upon our
markets, not only as the nearest but
as the only market capable of reliev-
ing their bitter necessity.
Therefore, whereas we exported
before the war but 80,00O,000 BUSH
els of wheat per annum, this year by
one means or another we must find
for them 225,000,000 bushels and this
in the face of a short crop. Our
best will but partly meet their needs,
for even then they must reduce their
bread consumption % per cent and
it will be war bread they must eat
bread of which a large portion con-
sists Of other cereals"
Drastic Steps Not Needed.
THE business men of this country
am convinced, realize their own
patriotic obligation and the solemn
ity Of the situation and will fairly
generously cooperate in meeting the
national emergency. l do not believe
that drastic forces need be applied
to maintain economic distribution
and sane use of supplies by the
great majority of American people
and l have learned deep and abid.
ing faith in the intelligence of the
average American business man,
whose aid we anticipates and depend
on to remedy the evils developed by
the war. But if there are men or or
CARNATIONS scheming to increase the
trials of this country We shall apply
to the full the drastic, coercive pow
ers that congress has conferred upon
us in this instruments
I'm enforcing the measures of the
act 1t is not our intention to pro-
coed with a host of punitive measures
but rather by coordination with the
various trades to effect such con-
structive regulations as will render
gambling, extortion, and other
wasteful practices impossible and
will stabilize prices. We propose to
proceed as rapidly as possible with
constructive regulation in various
commoditions and to announce each
program as quickly as it is properly
formulated. We hope within the next
few days to announce the method of
wheat and -four control.
Our second duty is to eliminate
wastes to the last degree. Seventy
per cent of our people are well known
to be as thrifty and careful as any
in the world and they consume but
little or no more than is necessary
to maintain their physical strength.
1t is not too much to ask the other
thirty per cent, by simpler living,
to reduce their consumption. The
substitutions we ask impose no
hardships and the elimination of
waste is today no more than a patrl-
otto service.
There is no royal road to food
conservation. II can be achieved only
through sincere and earnest daily.
cooperation in the twenty million
kitchens and at the twenty million
tables of the United States. If we can
reduce our consumption of wheat
flour by one pound our meat by sew
en- ounces, our fat by seven ounces,
our sugar by seven ounces per per-
son per- week, these quantities, null
tiplied by one hundred million. will
UNNECESSARILY aid and encourage our
allies, help our own growing armies
and so effectively serve the great
and noble cause of humanity in
which our nation has embarked.
"This cooperation and service
ask of all in full confidence that
America will render more for flag
and freedom than king-ridden peo-
pies surrender at compulsion."
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