The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-05
SHIPPING STARTS
ON JANUARY Is
Plenty of Food in the United States
and Allies, He Says, Will Get the
Surplus - Question of Control of
Prices Deeply Involved.

TINS city tlSHltHlHS ltoAt h"l'N anu vi,
ing the new machinery Of the local
food administrations.
The rosy prediction Of possible lower
prices for milk, meat and bread, which
he said are indirectly affected by lac
price of corn. had for is basis Uncle
sam 5 record crop Of three and one
quarter billion bushels Of corn due to
be moving about January =.
.'Thcrc is one general fact that the |
American people do not recognize, and |
that is that American corn compose !
onc-half Of American foodstufts, directly |
or Indirectly. 1t is our chief foodstuff |
either eaten by people or fed to our
animals.
= We had practical famine in corn
tor three months. Now we have rec
ord crop coming on. 1t is four weeks
late 1t is soft, requires longer TO ma
turc. and on top Of that there IS the car
shortage. That makes a difficult stu
alton. But by the 18th Of January
corn should be moving freely at rca
souable price.
THE price Of corn is dropping it
has been as high as $50 a hushel
Wheat is -. We have never before
I known the price Of corn 10 be higher
than that Of wheat. The prize Of corn
Z Is normally so per cent of wheat.
When the milk producer can get
4 feed cheaply he's more responsive
about the price OF milk. The same can
be said about tho producer OF meat.
Mr. Hoover prcfaced his talk TO news
paper writer's bv saying that the Food
4 Administration is dependent on the
l press OF the country
so far rs the retailer is con-
ccrncd. he continued, he has 10 Lee
| regulated 10y "pitiless publicity. Again
the press performs an, enormous, ftfnc-
ton
The question Of the control Of
prices is deeply involved. The food adj
ministration has uo control Of prices.
There is no provision in the food bill
for such control We are making use
OF the powers Of embargo and the right
| to purchase certain commodities, like
wheat. placing all allied, army and
| navy buying under food administration
| II thus becomes possible in the com
| moditioS to control wholesale prices
| ''If we have price fixing il ought
| to extend to all. If we are going Il
! limit the farmer in what he gets, thcI,
1 should be control on what he buys
i Ii we fix prices for a retailer, we hay,
4 got to Tut limit on what ne can spend
II That control rests with congress.
II "The fact is that the country is be
h tween the horns OF two dilcmmas
Either prices must be regulated or ",
II must expect continuously increasing
II wages We must bring the increase,
II cost OF living TO a stop or have q con
II stantly ascending wage scale. The leas
| Of these two evils is to bring a stol
II to. increased cost Of living, that Is, reg
II ulate prime commodities
II "That issue has been faced in ever,
H country. ] do not see any evasion 0
II il here. The retailer IS all bound II
II III the entire problem. We can dete,
II mine what is a fair price on staple con
II moditieS day by day III order that II
j does not charge cxorhitant prices.
II Mr.. Hoover said this arrangement
H which has been tried out as an cxpcr
II ment III Chicago, has worked WELL an
II the food administration in this city
II going TO try it here with a publishe
II list of prices for certain staple foo,
" stuffs
~ 81 NV u iilS ~ Iltttil ~ X =
!? late prices, he went on, ''but Al
/: regulating the profit that can be mad
1: You can take il that there is no prof
/: e"ring in this country of any dinner
I: sions among the manufacturing trade
!: lie was speaking Of the foodstutfs
+: There are any number of honest rctai
!: crS whose profits are fixed on cost
/: On the other hand there are some D,
/ ba Il ,,ia ha 90;
1: That percentage reacts on those WI
!; are willing to play the game fair
/: the main the retailer is not gettir
J: rich
4: Somebody asked if il wouldn I
4: some good to impri~on some of Il
i: = bad players, and Mr. Hoover /
|; Piled:
II Our remedy is not to put people
f: jail but to take away their licenses
II: do business. The fatal mistake tn,
n: made III Europe was that they rush.
Il; straightway at the retailer with ma
Iii imum prices without regard to the co
- to him. The retailer went out of bu,
= ness
Mr.. Hoover said the food administr
ton proposes to begin at the rroduc
and work down through the prima
links to the retailer There are nc
thirty light staple commodities on viii
work has begun, each with five or $
links in a distinct chain, but the fo
administrator emphasized the fact tn
il all takes time
There is plenty Of food in IL
country, he continued. Our TO
problem is 4 problem of surplus, II
Of deficiency. 1t ~ a problem of he
much we can send to the allies. =