The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-06-19
Herbert G. Hoover Tells Senator's
That Spectators Have Been
Enriching Themselves During
the Past Five Months.
FLOUR SHOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN OVER 50 A BARREL
Disclaims That the Proposed Bill
Sets Up q Dictatorship; Object
Is TO Limit Commissions and
Prevent Extortion.

BY Associated Press.
Washington. June ia.--Food specu-
iators have been taking {5o,oo0,00o u
month Tor the last five months to-
tai of quarter ot . billion dollars
from the American people, Herbert
Hoover today told senators In eN-
planning the purposes Of the food con-
irul bill now before congress-
DIsrniming entirely that the bili
sets up a food dictatorship Air. Hoo
Yer told senators its purposes were en-
tircly 20 organize the resources Of the
country and the people themselves in
60 a food administration to limit
middlemen's commissions ana pre-
vent eNtortion.
The price of flour should not have
been over So a barrel he lid. yet.
= averages Xli In the last fit-
months S.50.O00,O00 has been eN-
tractcd lrom the American consumer
IN excess OF normal profits of munu-
iaCturer4 ana distributor
Not single national trade asso-
citation, Hoover told the senators, Is
opposed to the food control bill. The
prospective food administrator went
70 ne capitol early today To- explain
the hhl Informally 10 senators In the
hope that fun understanding of iis
objects and purposes may ALLAN -"in"
uf the opposition
senator Gore asked Mr. Hoover x
he would DEM lo the farmer tho
right 20 Judge the amount OF crops nc
should grow.
II the government guarantees "A
minimum price Hoover replied. We
might not get tho beneficial result
TOR the farmer unless We also have
the power 20 limit Imports
Mr Hoover said. possibly % the
ban snuIld he amended To- give farm
crs the right TO determin" their own
production.
we don't propose To gu 10 the eN-
tent of iiNing consumer rauons,' Mr.
Hoover added. except us "a hotels.
restaurants, etc. regarding lho
amount 90 hfeld portions O." be- served
and the Ike England did i""lish
thing in trying (" Tx maximum prices.
a falur" wherever tried
tpu YOU contend that under he nill
You can say tu Sruntor Reed Tor IN
stance. that he shall eat "a soup h"n'
ur "A steak ON certain days" asked
senator kenyon
u don't think Wc have any such
right nor should We have it, Hoover
replied cmphatically. "liut We should
have ,he right to suggest the us" "t
a. soup bone a day ana see Il We can
reach any agreement voluntarily
senator Reed insisted thnl l'gisla-
ton ~ not needed tu effect such Nui'
untary arrangements. bat Mi. hoover
said a law should authorize th" food
administration T." that end
Mr. Hoover slid with an wheat
imported. bread prices in lielsium
were so per cent less in any city IN
this country, while those IN England
adm France are thirty to forty pct
cent lower with producers realizing
the same prices,
We nov have a high cost of liN-
ing" he continued. "hoyund the uhtl
II \ of certain sections OF the popu-
In'iou tn withstand and To- secure
proper nourishment from the wag,
levels tnless We can ameluratc tins
condition and unless " can prevent
furtherc advances IN price, We must
confront further an entire reorrang"'
ment of the wage lyel with an tn
hardships and social disturbance
which necessarily follow We shall
i'm this turmoil experience large loss
I'm national efficiency at a tim" wh"r
We can least afford 20 lose the en"rgie'
of single man
"Wr propose tp mohily" q spirit
of -clf-dcuial ana self sacrifice ~
mi , country In order that We may re-
duce national waste. n democracy !
worgh anything We can do these
things hv cooperation. II It can
not ho done it is better that We accept
German domination ana confess 'h'
failure Of our political ideals
we have no hope of complete sue
co-s hut We have hopes that Ne Sha'
succeed go far ne 10 enable tins coun
try and the allies to remain constant
iu this war"
Nr Hoovor denied that te" millor'
have been the spcculators In th'
grain tnarkct and said that what nc
tinr they might have taken In tina
rrrlrd was purely fpr solf-pr"s'rNa
tior
Mr. Hoover warned ur1inst lorisln
tinr to prevent dealing ~ futures
"if Won unss legislation Of thr
I,ind YOU mirhi dTmoralizc the ;rnd'
of the ,ountr, hc s1ld
After four hours uf gucr u"nin'
senators had not finished qui2zing Mr.