The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-08-23
THE FOOD CONTROL LAW

Dill whlch the president mas signed 10
that it is now = law are briefly sum-
married as follows: To assure an
adequate supply and equitable dis
tribution and to facilitate the move
ments of feeds. feeds. fuel. including
fuel oil and natural gas and fertilizer
and fertilizer ingredients. tools. uten-
sils, implements, machinery and equig-
ments required for the actual product
ion of foods, feeds. and fuel. To pre-
vent locally or generally. SCARCITY
speculation, manipulation and private
controls affecting supply distribution
and movement of these necessaries.
To establish and maintain govern
ment control of these necessaries dur
ing the war. The president is given
authority to make such regulations,
issue such orders and to establish such
agent or agencies to carry out these
provisions This includes the appoint
ment of food administrator. No
person acting either as = voluntary OF
paid agent of the government shall
solicit any government contract IN
which he is directly or indirectly in
terested pecuniarly. This is designed
to prevent members of the advisory
committees of the council of nation
al defense from taking advantage of
their positions to grab fat govern
ment contracts. The law makes it
unlawful for any person wilfully to
destroy necessaries, to enchance
prices, to waste, to hoard. to monopo-
lize or attempt to monOpolize, to Ii
nit facilities for transportation, pro-
ducing, harvesting, manufacturing,
supplying, storing or dealing in these
necessaries, to prevent or lessen manu-
facture, to exact excessive prices.
The president may license, if it be-.
comes necessary, the importation.
manufacture, storage, mining or dis
tribution of necessaries. Any person
who shall engage in such business
without license after the president
determined upon such licensing, shall
be punished by fine not exceeding
5000 or by Imprisonment not exceed
ing two years or both. Farmers,
gardeners, cooperative association of
farmers, ETC., are exempt from this
provision. The president may requisi-
ton foods, feeds, fuels and other sup
plies necessary to the support of the
army and navy or to any other public
use connected with the common de-
fense. A just compensation shall be
paid. He may purchase, store, pro-
vide storage facilities for and sell for
cash at reasonable prices, wheat, flour,
meal, beans and potatoes. The presi
dent, for the support of the army and
navy or any other public use connect
ed with the common defense, may
take over and operate any factory,
packing house, oil pipe line, mine or
other plant in or through which ne
cessaries are to be produced. Just
compensation must be made. The
president may prevent speculation and
prescribe regulations governing such
operations on any exchange, board of
trade, etc, or prohibit such operations.
Any person violating this section
shall be punished by fine not ex
ceeding $4,000 or by Imprisonment
of not more than four years or both.
The president is authorized to fix
reasonable price for wheat to stimu-
late production. In the case of the
1918 crop, the minimum price for No.
l Northern shall not be less than 81
a bushel at the principal interior pri-
mary markets. This latter price to
remain in existence until May l..
1919. Thirty days after the approval
of this act, no foods, fruits, food mat
erials or feeds shall be used to manu-
facture distilled spirits for beverage
purposes. The president is author
lied to issue regulations governing
the use of such materials in the manu-
facture of distilled spirits for other
purposes. No distilled Spirits shall
be imported into the United States.
The president is given the power when
it becomes necessary for food con-
servation to stop the use of foods,
etc, in the manufacture Of beer and
wine. He can commander any or all
distilled spirits in bond or in stock
for redistillation for munitions or for
hospital and other military supplies.
The president may fix the price of
coal and coke, regulate methods of
production, sale, shipment. distri-
button, apportionment, etc, and exer
else this power through the federal
trade commission. The president may
requistion and take over the plant of
any producer or dealer in coal or coke
if he fails to live up to the regulations
prescribed. The federal trade COM
mission is ready to make out price
scale at short notice. For months
the commission has gathered facts as
to production costs, and in recent
report to congress pointed out that
the rates are too high. Bituminous
prices to the general public were fixed
at 81 in a recent agreement between
members of the commission
and other government officials. The
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