New Britain herald., 1917-10-20
T0u,n Topics

been such an important one in New Britain as now, and never did the council members ever before .evince such an interest in this once lowly vegetable as at Wednesday evenings exhibition of oratory, sense and non- sense. But while the members may prant and rave, it is really the mem bers of the Municipal farm committee that have the biggest, hardest and most thankless task on its hands. To paraphrase Shakespeare's Hamlet, ITO sell, or not to sell, is the question:" and to quote words heard from the lips of a preacher in local pulpit not so long ago when he was showing how unappreciative a public Is, they are damned if they do, and they are damned if they don't" In this pota to controversy possibly some people are overlooking the real aims Of the farm committee in their own uncon- sciously selfish desire to get their ap- portionment of potatoes. The prl- mary aim @of the committee was to provide enough potatoes to keep the price in New Britain from soaring. The elements frowned upon the pro- ject, even as did Alderman Orson +. Curtis and several others, ana conse- quently the production IS not the bumper crop that was hoped It would be. But the committee, with the sanction of the council, has oone US best and what more can be asked! So why not let this committee see the thing through as it deems best? True, there is a great public clamor for an immediate disposal of the potatoes, but if this is done how will it keep the price down? A fair figure seems to indicate a total possession of less than 5000 bushels, raised and bought. Estimating that there are 13, 900 fam lilies in the city it is safe to assume that practically every one would want it's share of the potatoes, and why not! It was the rich mans taxes as well as the poor mans that paid for them and none but the very wealthy or very philanthropic will pass up 6 chance to buy to advantage. Thus 5000 bush els would mean less than bushel to a family. When the conservative ex- perts tell us that the average annual consumption of potatoes is three bush els per capita it is hard to see where immediate disposal would govern the price a month or three months from now.
 Then store the potatoes against prohibitive rise, holding them like the sword of Da,nCcles, over the heads or the speculators, eventually selling at cost. That sounds good, but is it prac- tical, especially since no other au- thority than Robert Scovill, Connect'- cuts food administrator, has told the council members that it Is useless to attempt to control the price of pota- toes with any such supply as the city may have? If New Britain has 6O,OO0
 people, at least 180,OO0 bushels of potatoes are needed for the year, or at least 90,000 bushels to carry them into April. Granting that home gardens and judicious buying have brought 25.OOO or 30, 900 bushels into local eel lars, there are still about 60,OO0 bush els needed for winter use. How then, would the 5000 bushels held control the market, especially since the 25,- 900 or 3O,OOO bushels already owned are not evenly distributed? It Is high ly probable that a greater portion of this amount is held by those who are better able to afford 1t. while the others are without any and pay nigh.
 Think this potato situation over carefully. It is not an easy problem to solve for unlike buying Liberty Bond one cannot eat their cake and have 1t too No one will seriously envy the farm committee in its thank less task, so let them act according to their best judgment.
 That meeting with the farmers Tn Mayor Ouigley's office bids fair to be- come famous. So do the surprising statements of the mayors right hand man, Alderman Jester when ne boldly questioned the wisdom of such gath
 r,netinp Will surprises ever cease?
 Tho State Council of Defens>, now aims to organize Liberty choruses and "help win the war by singing Talk ing the callbre of the human thrushes and larlxs heard in some ne1ghpor- hoods of this city as criterion It might be easily imagined that such action would "help start a war by singing
 This one was overheard late Wednesday night in a popular res taurant. Over his cup of hot coffee one young man of an inquir1ng mlnd asked of one who had shortly before left g. warm parlor'
 "where do they hold the worlds fair this year Jim ~
 And Jim, gentleman of experience and decidedly there with the ladies, answered:
 "Oh, the same place as usual around the waist"
 :, Councilman Louis Arata spent few minutes at the session of the council Wednesday night. One or two of the old time councilmen rec osnized him. Councilman Arata thus far holds the record for being absent.
 Have you paid your personal tax?
 We'll, pay that and then buy Lib- erty Bond