The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1917-06-09
HOOVER ON BENEFIT
OF FOOD CONTROL
Present Price of Flour Can Be
Reduced 40 to so Per
Cent, He Claims

Washington, June 4.-Herbert G.
Hoover, who won interlational fame
as head of the Belgian Relief Com
mission. is to be Americas first food
dictator. Congressional leaders have
assured President Wilson that he is
to be given complete control of the
food situation. The President, in
turn. will delegate his power to Hoo
YER.
Hoover recently declared that
there would be no famine in the
United States this year. but he said
further:
Unless Federal control of the food
supply is established the American
people should prepare to pay $50 a
barrel for -four and make up their
minds they will not be in position
to furnish to the Allies the surplus
food they would be in a position to
furnish under proper regulation.
The present price of -four. Mr..
Hoover asserted, can be reduced 40
to so per cent, with proper control,
at the same time giving the producer
liberal profit.
Food control, as defined by Mr..
Hoover, does not mean bread cards.
What he desires to accomplish is to
protect the people against what he
termed "the small minority of
skunks" responsible for initiation OF
food prices.
There is absolutely no occasion
for food panic in this country" Mr..
Hoover declared, NOR any justifica-
ton for outrageous prices unless the
opposition Of special interests defeats
the President in obtaining the neces-
sary powers to control the Nations
food fully and adequately. Americas
problem is not one of famine. for
we have now and will have next year
a large surplus. Our problem is,
after the protection of our own people
to give our Allies the last ounce of
surplus of which we are capable"
The Nation needs food control. Mr..
Hoover asserted, for two purposes
ITO regulate prices and to increase
the surplus. After providing our
normal consumption we will have.
together with Canada, surplus for
our Allies equal to go per cent of
the food they require from US. If
we take broad measures of control
we can, with as little disturbance to
economic machinery as need be, fur
nish them an additional 20 per cent.
Their loaf even then will be priva-
ton loaf, and every ounce We can
put in it will diminish their priva-
tion."
But, Mr.. Hoover adds: IF the
whole world. Allied and neutral, is
to have the unrestricted run of our
markets in competition with each
other and in competition with the
speculator in this country, we may
expect to see $5 wheat before the
year is over"
Large measures of food control
do not mean arbitrary interference
with the necessary economic machin-
cry of trade. They mean that every
branch be called in by the Govern
ment and forge themselves into a
link from which the contemplated
chain will protect producers. legiti-
mate distributor and consumer. For
instance, | am assured that the
American farmer did not realize $l.SO
per busheI for the 1916 wheat har-
vest. yet the price of wheat in New
York to-day is $3.25 per bushel and
flour is $l4 per barrel. with all its at.
tendant hardship and dislocation OF
social and industrial life.
Il have no hesitation in saying
that if the able, patriotic men repre-
senting the majority of each branch
of the food trades were clothed with
the necessary powers to force the
small minority of skunks that exist
in every trade. one result would be
that an equally nutritious -four based