The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-05-23
WILL CONTROL FOOD
PRESIDENT WILSON NAMES
HOOVER TO HEAD BODY
GIVEN WIDE POWERS.
WILL SERVE WITHOUT PAY
New Official Will Have Authority Dis
tinct From That Of Department
Of AqricuIture-Iusine Men
on Board

Washington, May 22.-President
Wilson has asked Herber G. Hoover,
the American director of Belgian re-
lief to undertake the emergency food
administration of the country during.
| the war. Mr.. Hoover has accepted on.
condition that he may serve the nation
without compensation.
The presidents statement in part is
as follows:
1T is very desirable in order 30 pre-
vent misunderstanding or alarms and
to assure cooperation in vital matter.
that the country should understood.
exactly the scope and purpose Of the.
very great powers which l have.
| thought 1t necessary in the circum-
| stances to ask the congress to put in
my hands with regard to our food sup
plies.
Those powers are very great indeed.
| They are intended to benefit and assist
| the farmer and all those who play q
| legitimate part in the preparation, dis.
/ tribution and marketing Of foodstuffs.,
"All measures intended directly TO.
| extend the normal activities of the de-
| partment of agriculture, in reference
TO the production, conservation and the
marketing of farm crops, will be ad-,
ministered, as in normal times, through,
| that department, and the powers asked;
| for Overdistribution and consumption,
OverexpOrts, imports, prices, purchase
| and reQuisitiOn Of commodities, storing
and the like which may require regu-,
lation during the war will be placed In
the hands Of q commissioner of food
administration appointed by the presl-
| dent and directly responsible TO him.
"The objects sought TO be served by
| the legislation asked for are: Full in
| quiry into the existing available stocks
| Of fOOdStuffS and into the costs and
practices of the various fOod-productng
and distributing trades; the prevention
Of an unwarranted boarding of every
kind and of the control of the food
stuffs by persons who are not in any
legitimate sense producers, dealers or
traders, the reQuisitiOning when nee
essary for the public use Of food sup
| plies and Of the equipment necessary
for handling them properly; the hcens-
ing Of wholesome and legitimate mix
lures and milling percentages, and the
prohibition of the unnecessary or
waSteful use of foods.
Authority is also asked to eStab-
| .ish prices-but not in order to limit
the profits of the farmers, but only
10 1tnn fn VII
sary a minimum price which will
insure them profit where they are
asked to attempt new crops, and to
secure the consumer against ex-
tortion by breaking up corners and
attempts at speculation when they
occur by fixing temporarily rea-
sonable price at which middlemen
must sell.
Il have asked Mr.. Hoover to un-
dertake this all-important task of food
administration. He has expressed his
willingness to do SO on condition that
he is to receive no payment for bis
services.
Although it is absolutely necessary
that unQuestionable powers shall be
placed in my hands in order to insure
the success of this administration of
the food supplies Of the country, I am
confident that the exercise of those
powers will be necessary only in the
few cases where some small and
selfish minority proves unwilling to
put the nations interests above per
sonal advantage.
1.-The proposed food administration
Is intended, Of course, only to meet q
manifest emergency and to continue
only while the war lasts. Since it will
be composed for the most part Of vol
unteers there need be no fear Of the
possibility of a permanent bureaucracy
arising out of it"