Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-20

Continued From Page One.)
OF their food imports. We should be
able to supply 90 per cent OF wha
they require. The other 40 per CEN
must be made up by further denial on
their part and saving on ours. We
can increase our surplus. The situa.
Ftion for them next year means in.
creased privation. Without an ade.
quatc food supply, no European popu-
ation will continue to fight and we
shall find ourselves alone against Ger
many.
"The Russian revolution was food
riot and even yet that ally is temper
arily paralyzed. Responsibility rests
on our government for failure of de-
mocracy through shortage of food"
Speculation is Rampant.
Turning to domestic conditions Mr..
Hoover said this country had been
experiencing Unprecedented prices
and rampant speculation" citing how
middlemen and all other persons in
the distribution processes have been
purchasing increasing supplies to
avert individual shortages.
Mr.. Hoover cited the canning trade
as an example where the entire out
put Of vegetables and fish for 1917 has
been disposed Of already, before it has
even reached the Gamers. He pre-
dicted further high prices.
Thousands of men, he said, who
heretofore have never owned a dol
lars worth of foodstuff, are now
specializing in necessities.
Bread Costs Less in England.
"The average prices to the consum-
ers in countries where food admins
tration is now in effect are lower than
those now prevailing in the United
States" he said. In England the
price of bread is even rs per cent
below the price we pay.
Il believe that unless some ad-
ministratiou of our food is taken we
will look lack at these prices as being
moderate"
Mr.. Hoover denied that the bill
establishes a food dictatorship. He
characterized the purpose of food ad-
ministration as to mobilize the people
in order to carry out the advice given
them by the government officials and
to decentralize the functions of the
administration in order to centralize
the functions of the food administra-
ton into the various states.
A commission to take charge of
production and distribution of -four,
sugar and possibly few other prin-
cipal commodities, Mr.. Hoover said,
Is being contemplated.
Stable Prices Important.
Provisions for the government to
buy and sell commodities will be
necessary for use only as to a few
prime commodities" he said. "The
aim is to stabilize prices and thus
eliminate speculation. The balance
wheel for stabilizing prices is gone.
We need an artificial balance wheel.
By setting up wheat commission we
can buy wheat, regulate its storage
and transportation and handle it un-
til exported or sold in this country.
II W., do not do this wheat prices may
relapse on account of our not being
able to store and carry 1t, with specu-
lators securing the sole benefit and
farmers bearing the loss"
Sugar and Flour.
1--WE can contract tomorrow with
the allies for a certain return for
every bushel of wheat we can sell.
By controlling prices at intefior ter
minals we can assure millers their
supplies and simplify transporta-
ton"
As TO sugar, Mr.. Hoover said
American refners are competing with
the allies in Cuba, and that the pro-
posed sugar commission could CO.
operate with the allied purchasers, the
American rehners and Cuban produc-
ers, stabilizing and reducing prices, as
well as removing speculative incen-
tives.
The proposed appropriation OF
$3.50, 100000 for government purchase
Of commodities, Mr.. Hoover said,