Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-06-28
E DIT @ A L
TAKE OVER THE GRAIN WAREHOUSES;.

Herbert Hoover, national food commissioner, is calling the con
try attention to the need of conservation with respect to food
stufs and the necessity of federal supervision of distribution.
Mr.. IIoovers suggestions are timely and should be needed by
the American people. If conditions in Europe are as represented
by men processing to know, there is urgent need of economihng on
this side Of the Atlantic if our European allies are to be furnished
the necessary winning sinews of war.
We agree with the commissioner conclusion that the food
gamblers must be eliminated. We also agree with President Town
ley of the Nonpartsan League in that the farmer should not be
compelled to pay several times as much a bushel for wheat at the
other end Of the line in order to keep his boy in the trenches alive
as he received at this end.
The plan outlined by Commissioner Hoover contemplates the
limitation of the grain buyers profits, with a minimum prize for
the farmer, based upon the past ten-year average, plus a reason
able allowance for increased cost.
Perhaps we need not remind Mr.. Hoover that this arrangement
places all the risk upon the farmer Who is to stand for the losses
incident to poor crops in a given locality? Likewise who is to be.
the beneficiary of abnormal yields in another section of the coun-
try The varying conditions which arHe-the hot winds here, a
surfeit of moisture there, the rust elsewhere, the chinch bugs at
some n other e1 poln Mt N. risks w which zen the ia, farmer alone assumes.
1T would not be feasible to pay one farmer two dollars a bushel for
wheat, another a dollar and a half, and still another three dollars
SO let US discard the farmers risk and admit that it is unavoidable
But let us also remember that we are taking our young men
from their fresdes and their offices and we are putting them into
training for the firing line. In short, we have eonscrpted them
upon the admittedly sound theory that we are justified in 50 doing
from the standpoint of national defense. But why not apply to
property rights the principle we have applied to them?
II the foodstuff situation is a controlling factor in this war,
and it is generally conceded that it is-let the government take
over during the war the elevators and the warehouses and the pack
ing plants and all the foodstuff paraphernalia that is necessary for.
adequate conservation and distribution.
There need be no change whatever in the management of the
various systems Of distribution, excepting that til government
forth, and proceeding minterruptedly with the business.
At the conclusion Of the wa the property would be restored to
4o obhCios WIN oIdl law lSCSlN III Ill UC InCuQllnS d ICuoUuuDlC
compensation for it's use, plus a reasonable sum for depreciation.
What is worth doing at all in this war is worth doing well.
No halfway measures should be tolerated. The Saturday News
stands for a vigorous prosecution Of the war. If tits necessary for
q successful conclusion to take over all the storage-houses and pack
ing plants and coal and iron mines, let no squeamishness concerning
pateralism and socialism serve as a stumbling block. If half, or two
thirds, or nine~tenths, or even all, Of the printing offices have to be
closed and the printers impressed into service for the war, let it be
done. Normaity may be restored when the object for which we.
are fighting shall have been attained.
This country and the allies have the men fer5winning the war
This country and the allies have the money needed to win the
war. This country and the allies have the materials out of which
gun Ammunition are made M If IN Ya Is iOSt. Ii Wi be Cne.
IN q very large measure, to lack Of foodstuffs, either because of IN
sufficient production or inefficient distribution.
Foodstufs III our storelhouses will not win the war; neither
will foodstufs on our railroad sdings or in our moving trains.
In order to wn,s we must get the foodstufs, in appropriate proper
tons and at proper periods, into the stonachs of our boys on the
firing lines and in the factories and on the farms.
We stand with Commissioner Hoover for an aggressive, progress
slve and efficient administration in the line OF conservation and
distribution, and we respectfully submit that the exigency of war
recognizes no such thing as private rights il In conflict with public
needs.
We fancy--but maybe We're mistaken, as We've been mistaken
now and then In days gonesby-that the rank and file OF the electors
Of the northwest might put their natural partsanship aside for the
next campaign if the party managers would only have sense enough
to play something different from the same old ganet
&c we were the governor Of South Dakota--but we antl