The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-09-07
The National Food Admins
traitor Says He Knows of
No Help for Situation
DEMAND is HEAVY,
PRODUCTION LESS
AS Long as This Situation Exists Moth
ing Can Be Done to Check Upward
essary and Must Come About.

WASHINGTON, Sept. Price fix
ing for meat and dairy products has no
place in the government IS food control
plans, Herbert Hoover, the food admin
istrator, yesterday told the national
| livestock conference. Not only would
! it be inadvisable to institute price fix
ing in these industries, he declared, but
the food administration has been given
no such power.
As long as there is a heavy demand
/ for meat with a decreased production,
Mr.. Hoover said, meat prices will con
tinue to soar. The hope of the food
administration is that it can establish
quotations and thus eliminate specula-
4 ton.
- cannot believe there is a panacea
for situation of this kind said Mr..
Hoover. ''Our problem is to increase
production. The best we may expect
is slow development towards the ends
we seek. Drastic control of packing
plants with government operation an
alternative will not work. We can adj
minister food control only through the
cooperation of all interests concerned.
"There is no power in the food bill
to fix prices and we never have asked
that power. Everywhere in Europe,
price fxing-that is, the naming of
maximum prices-haS failed. We had
the fixing of wheat prices thrust upon
us as it is our duty to purchase 30 per
cent Of the crop for export and we had
the wheat committee name a price as
a guarantee to producers and to stop
speculation.
1.-The meat situation is such that a
high price to producers is guaranteed
for many years. If war were to end
suddenly or if the submarines were to
be overcome. however, great stores of
wheat would be released in Argentina,
Australia and India and the bottom
would have dropped out of the market
in this country. These three nations
will have on hand soon enough wheat
TO feed the world, but ships cannot be
had to transport it.
Beef and pork present different sit
uations We export a small amount OF
beef relatively, but now we are over.
exporting pork and it may become nee
essary to take measures to keep a prop
| er relation between the price of corr
and hogs. We want your advice as Il
how this may be done.
There is nothing that can be dont
to stop the rise in meat prices if tht
| shortage continues, but if we stabilize
| prices the rise will move at a continu
/ Gus level Producers must have prize
that will stimulate production and mus
get that price, though there can be n,
i government guarantee and | see no wa,
| to bring about a voluntary agreemen
as to the prices that should be paid
~ doubt if legislation to guarante
| producers a minimum price is wise an
in meat | believe it is impossible to &C
| complish this
A general discussion that followe
II Mr.. Hoover's address developed tina
| many of those attending the conferenc
were of the opinion that prices Nigh
be stabilized to some extent throug
Capitalization of the allied purchasing
III The food administration, acting as tn
allied food purchasing agent, not onl
II will buy for European governments, BIT
| through them for the civilian popul;
| ton as well.