Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-16
REPORTS THAT TROUBLE
FOOD ADMINISTRATION
ili-Adri"ed Co1Ifatats CO Ce Prem
Many 0ua-err-D~,'t Kick
ut Everything.

~! Kinds OF complaints. SOME OF
thnH, Ill advised. are burdenins tho ma
Iona! food administration and .ta State
a:ent!. II has been found necessary
10 ''% to call aait, Tho admins
traitor eays:
Letters are constantly received cau.
ing the attention OF the food admins
tTstton TO cases which. to the CORE
spondents. Indicate deliberate waste or
destruction OF food.
journeys past orchards may reveal
apples or other Csut.a rott!ns on the
ground: visits 70 railroad yard. SHOW
Quantities OF fruit. potatoes ana other
vegetables that s2"c oeen taken from
the cars. not 70 rnari:e,. but 70 dunn.
OF eggs ma" be found IN some out.
of-the-ray place that have been
smashed by hundreds OF dozens while
IN nearby communities fresh eggs
may en practically unos,a!nsble.
Incidents liz. thesc appear In the
newspapers. With the !ns.nuat!on. II
not the direct charge. that such cases
represent widespread condition. or
general practices intended to raise the
price Of food. b. ie.seninE the aupply
Hut 10 charge wrong motives la q
yer: poor way to eecure cooperation.
Fruit rotting on the ground may
sometimes indicate an economic Gain
under present conditions. rathe: than
a loss. In many fruit-Krowin: sections
labor was so scarce that, II was Inn
possible to get help enough to harve.:
tho sound. weil-r!pcned fru!t on IN.
trees and 10 caro- for ether valuable
fsii.rraturinE crops. PicE!n. up the
w!ndfslls end culls would have been
wasscfui. Much Of tails imperfect fruit
could only be saved by sacrificing more
useful products. and II moved 70 mar
het at Ill would not have had "a food
value equal 10 .ts cost; nor could II
have been sold without a direct hnan-
cial loss 10 produce. or handler.
THO food administration has reports
on several cascs OF railroad dump.
head accumulation, o. perishuh!c p-o-
duets and has In alr.os, every instance
found the apparent waste unuvoida BILE.
Uattme!y freezes when cars reye err
route TO market or, perhaps. delayed
BY traffic congestion. ruined potatoes.
and made It necessary to dispose Of
them surmas!ly. 80 that the badly
needed cars might be returned to scr.
"ice. In many cit!.a eggs ard o,hc.
food producta must be destroyed rhcn
condemned by health officials. to rem.
der impossible the use OF any o. them
so. food when unwhoiesor,e. Under
certain conditions OF previous hold
!nre snd with unfnvorasie weather dur
ing oeiayed transit, the percentage OF
spoiled eExs In @ shipment may become
20 great that II II economically waste.
fully to sort out tho few sound eggs
remaining.
Every care should be exercised 20
avoid all food waste Of every sort. and
anybody who wilifuiiy causes the loss
OF GOOD food products should be
bronsh, TO Justice. Any cases OF this
sort ought to be reported promptly
the State or hi. local agent. who Will
make an investigation at once, and. II
the evidence shows guilt. take decisive
nctien. But ca!mnrss. not hy9teria
must rule America IN her food con-
serration program. and the daily say.
!rG by each ono OF email quantity
Of the needed wheat, meat. fats and
sugar Will overbalance by millions Of
units those bulk Losses which seer,
large at close range, but which are
really negligible II not widely dis
triputed or frequently repeated.