The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-05-10
FOR FULL CONTROL
OF FOOD SUPPLY
Bill In Congress Provides For
Regulation BY President.
PROMPT ACTION EXPECTED
Power Sought To Regulate Exchanges
and Transportation and Prohibit
Use OF Grain In Making
Liquor.

Washington. authority TO
regulate in It's discretion the produc-
ton, distribution ana prices OF food
and other necessities during the war
was asked OF Congress by the admins
tration.
In sweeping bill introduced with
administration approval by Chairman
Lever, OF the House Agriculture Com
mittee, It Is proposed to empower the
President, under the war clause o. the
Constitution, to take these measures
whenever, In his opinion, the national
emergency shall require:
To fI maximum and minimum
prices for food, clothing. fuel and
other necessities and the articles re-
qulred for their production;
To prescribe regulations to govern
the production OF these commodities
and, II necessary, to requisition the
producing factories, mines or other
establishments;
To compel holders of necessities to
release them in amounts insuring
equitable distribution
To regulate exchanges in such a
way as TO eliminate market manipula-
ton;
To compel railroads to give prefer
ence to the movement OF necessities;
To levy such import duties as he
finds necessary to prevent excessive
dumping" of foreign products; and
To impose limitations or prohibi'
tions upon the use of grain in the
manufacture of liquor.
May Order War Bread.
In addition, the Secretary OF Agri
culture would be empowered to es
tablish standard food grades; TO Ii
cense and control the manufacture
storage and distribution OF foods; to
prescribe the percentage of -four to
be milled from wheat, and to regu
late the mixing OF wheat -four with
other -four in the making of bread and
other food.
III uNNi"a W
there was nothing in the measure tc
disturb legitimate business activities
because ut is hoped that the mere
comforting OF the more extreme new
powers will be sufficient without il
becoming necessary to exercise
them" II is known officials OF the
executive branches OF the government
hold the same view, believing thai
with such effective weapons in theil
possession they will encounter no diff
ficulty in lining up on the side OF the
public interest without legal action al
recalcitrant private agencies.
The bill is supplemental to the ad
ministration food measure introduced
in the House last week, providing fo
survey OF the country's food re
sources and comforting certain powers
TO prevent food speculation. Thi!
measure was ordered favorably report
ed from the Agricultural Committed
after the committee had reduced thu
appropriation carried from s25,000,O0l
TO approximately s20,000,000 and hat
eliminated section authorizing th'
Secretary OF Agriculture to order th'
immediate sale OF any food in sucl
condition that unless promptly dis
posed of will become unfit for use
The section will be incorporated in
coming third measure which is to con
fer broad powers on the Council o
National Defense.
1.-THE purposes of the bill are t
stimulate production, to reduce waste
TO clear the channels of distribution
to prevent boarding, to assure fai
prices, TO eliminate injurious specula
ton, to prohibit evil practices on eS
changes and to protect the publ
against extortion. The suggested lee
islation recognizes that the war will
disturb the normal courses OF trade
Accordingly it provides machinery
first for stimulating production an
regulating distribution so as TO assur
fair profit to those entitled to 1t
secondly, for preventing the exploits
ton of necessaries of life by thos
who aim to take advantage OF the wa
emergency to amass unearned fol
tunes"