The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-21
Government Should Have
Authority to Set Prices
or Run Factories.
DEFENSE COUNCIL.
SHOULD BE POWER
Survey of Food Situation to
. Be First Step of Agri-
culturists.

Washington, April 2O.-The govern
ments prograf for food control dur
ing the war was put before congress
today by Secretary Houston in q COM
munication to the senate asking for
power for the department of agricul-
ture to take direct supervision of the
food production and distribution in the
United States and requesting q $685.
100000 appropriation for putting tho
plan in operation.
Authority was asked for the Council
of National Defense in an emergency
to buy and sell foodstutfs and to fix
maximum or minimum prices.
AS outlined in the senate. tho
governments plan is first to make u
complete survey Of the country's food
supply to determine its ownership and
distribution. then. if necessary. to
license and control the operations of
all concerns engaged in the manu-
facture of foods or feeds. agricultural
implements and all materials required
for agricultural purposes. Authority Is
sought for the agricultural department
to take over and operate the concerns
II it appears at any time that course
is demanded by public interest.
Power Of Moral Value
Giving the government power to deal
directly in foodstuffs probably would
make Its application unnecessary, Sec
| retary Houston declared. as its very
| exstancc would tend to keep condi-
| tions normal He proposed that the
| government should have full discretion
| saying It might be wise II an emer-
! gency arose to fix prices on a single
| commodity. Market grades ana classes
for farm products, Secretary Houston
| said, are one Of the chief needs Of tho
| country to insure proper conditions In
producing and marketing farm
products.
| Authority also was asked for the de-
partmcnt to require of transportation
companies preference for the move
mcnt of farm machinery. seeds, fer
tilizcrs and materials that enter into
the process of food production.
Enlargement of the market news
service of the department was recon-
|
equitable distribution to prevent un-
due food shortage in any consuming
center and to provide against waste
due to temporary over supplies OF food
in some communities.
Commission to Hslp.
In its plan for an investigation Of
the present food supply the agriculture
department has arranged for the help
of the federal trade commission. which,
with the department, was directed by
President Wilson early in the year
to make an inquiry to ascertain tho
amount of food stocks and to deter
mine If the antitrust laws have been
violated in food production. storage.
and distribution. That inquiry has been
halted for lack of an appropriation. The
present congress, however, has voted
money for conducting 1.-THE house
, the 100000 asked, and the senate.
$25O,O0O.
=. The commission is already laying its
plans for the inquiry and today called
into conference more than a dozen
senators and representatives for sug-
gestions. The concensus Of opinion was
that the commission should interpret
the act creating it in the most liberal
fashion and should get down to basic
facts concerning the handling Of food
resources.
AS outlined tentatively by the COM
mission, the inquiry would go into
, every phase of food production and
distribution.
, Suggestions that the government is
contemplating measures for national
/, prohibition during the war as a means
of increasing the food supply are met
with the statement by officials that no
early action In that direction is likely
as 1t Is not considered necessary at
this time. Secretary Houston alluded
to it today in his letter to the Senate
by reference to European action in
$ restricting the manufacture Of alcohol
g ic liquors. He made no recommends =
n tions, however.
It Mr. Houston warned against agricul-
e tural experiments in new areas and
: tests of new crops. The increases of
y food. he said, depend more upon con .
o cantration of effort than upon tho
d question Of putting more land under