Arizona republican., 1917-04-11
FEDERAL FOOD
 CON|N|SSION|S
 NOW PROPOSED
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, April 10.-Imme- diate creation of a federal food com mission. with power to fix prices and to supervise marketing and distribu- ton of food in the United States during the war was proposed today by the National Agricultural society.
 At an agricultural mobilization, convention held here the society adopt ed resolutions recbmr1elding this and other measures to meet a threatened food shortage, including increased food crop acreage, an amendment of wheat milling laws, and 8 liberal encourage ment of sheep raising.
 The convention was called to aid the administration in solving one of the most serious problems in the conduct of the war. The prospect of short crops is giving great concern to officials not only charged with the responsibility of seeing that America is fed, but keenly aware too that this country must sup ply the other countries fighting Ger many
 In a letter read to the convention President Wilson appealed to the farm CT to swell his production as a patriotic duty, and declared the farmer by in- ereasing his production in every way possible will perform labor for which he will be recognized as a soldier of the eommissary.
 The recommendation of the agricul- tural society comes close upon q move by the council of national defense fore casting appointment of a national food committee headed by Herbert c. Hoo yer, who has charge of American re- l lief work in Belgium
 The conventions resolution proposed l that a food commission handle all the production and distribution of clothing. 1 The also recommend that agricultural 1 colleges graduate their senior classes i earlier this year than usual so they may TO immediately to the farms and that state councils of defense be named l to aid the national council, a step all ready planned in some states. | A dozen speakers urged mobilization of the country's food resources. James 1 Wilson, former secretary of agriculture and president of the agricultural so- ciety urged soil conservation.
 Herbert Quick of the farm loan board said operation of the farm loan act | would improve the agricultural Situa- ton. A wheat shortage, he said, woulc force the country to turn to corn as a substitute. The position or the farmer he declared, was critical despite higf prices because of labor shortage anC because of high prices charged for ma chinery and seed
 Mrs. G. w. Matthias of Alabama sait the south was in a critical condition and that Alabama has not enough fooC on hand to feed its population fol thirty days.
 Encouragement of the back to the farm movement was advocated by Theodore N. Vail
 Millions of good gardens as a mean. of combating a food shortage was sug- gested by Charles l.. Pack, presiden of the national emergency food gardeI commission.
 "They will give millions of families cheap food" he said, and will reliev'
 he railroads of transportation problems which it is everywhere admitted vii
 be too much for them. have just conn from Ohio which enters the war witt less food than at the outbreak of tn
 civil war when the population was hal | what it is today. In other states eas of the Mississippi the situation is mucl | the same.
 There is but one solution and that i
 individual farming. Convert every bacl
 yard garden and vacant lot into thriving garden and the civilian pOpu
 lation will be self-supportmg." II Senator Phelan of California said tn highest war strategy appeared to
 the control of food supplies. This coun
 try, he said. must practice food econo
 mics if it expects to emerge victorious II To Till the Soil
 II ST. LOUIS, April l0.-Immediat mobilization of the nations men WI do not meet the qualifications for at
 tive military service for use in produ' ing farm products is one of the mea.
 ures to be taken to solve the food prol
 lem of the United States, in the opil
 ion of delegates to the Farm Confe
 ence of Agricultural experts, whi,