The Mena weekly star., 1917-04-19
FOOD CONDITIONS
 AGAIN DISCUSSED
Courthouse Was Packed 10 Utmost Limit hy People Seeking Light on Vital Quesiion--Ray Gill of Fort
 Smith, the Chief Speaker.

The courthouse was crowded tC limit Friday night with men, wom- en and children who responded tc the call for the second meeting ir the Food Safety" campaign which is being launched all over the South. under the direction of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating with the State Agricul- tural and Extension Departments The meeting was an adjournment from the meeting held Thursday night, and was for the purpose of hearing the reports of committees and preparing the county campaign. The meeting was very appropriately opened by Chairman Minor pipkin by asking the audience to sing American" after which the Rev. J. R. Rushing lead in prayer.
 Rev. T. A. Park, on behalf of the committee appointed to outline a plan for the campaign made report of the program decided upon by the committee, which covered the sea- sons work. The recommendations were for:
 A committee to urge the elimina- tion of waste.
 A committee to organize the wom- en to offer their services to the gGv- ernment in the way of using their sewing machines or other services that can be rendered in the home.
 A committee to lead and organize she Roy Scouts to plant vacant lots to fOodstuffs.
 A committee to organize the girls for the purpose of canning the sur- plus vegetables and fruits.
 4 committee to notify communi- ties of the time of the meetings to be held over the county on Sunday afternoon
 4 committee on speakers for the Sunday meetings.
 Following the report of this com mittee. Ray Gill, secretary of the Fort Smith Business Mems Club, was introduced as the speaker of the meeting Mir. Gill had been invited t0 address the Commercial Club on the subject of City Building" but the Commercial Club meeting was merged into the Food Safety meet ing. His work and study for the last 9 years has been along the lines of civic activities, and while devoting considerable attention to the food crisis which is confronting the eountry, he laid special stress on the necessity of having an organ ized body which can take hold of emergencies just as the one that is now confronting the people, sug- gestine that the burden of carrying out the program as outlined by the Rev. Ar. Park should be placed di- rectly on the Executive Committee of the Commercial Club, and this committee in turn should be given the cooperation and support of all good citizens.
 This suggestion met with the ap- rroyal of the assembled citizens, as was evidenced by the fact that aft CT the close of his address it was made the action of the body. The only exception was the naming of D. Nj. Watkins, H W. Roberts and V. W. St. John as a committee to notify the communities of the meet mgs to be held Sunday.
 Mir. Giil's main address centered around the condition of shortage of food said by the United States au- ihorities to exist in this country. As . result of this situation every agent of the Department of Agriculture in the country has been ordered to suspend all other activities and de- vote every effort to the production of food and feed.
 With intense earnestpess Mir. Gill urged his hearers to heed this call, and to use every available seed and every foot of soil to increase the production He said that in 1916 Arkansas produced more food and feed than in any previous year, and yet Co meet the demand, S65,000,- 600 of such products were shipped into the state and consumed.
 His address held the closest atten- ti0n Co the end, a large number standing in all the available spaces.
 Mir Gill left for Fort Smith on