Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-08-17

isfactory. levels for war material, sucn
as steel, copper. coal, etc, but on
the question of food there is more
uncertainty.
II it does nothing more, however,
the law will stabilize food prices and
prevent them from going higher;
whether it will lower them can only
be determined as the result of expe-
riment.
There is a tendency to believe that
there will be no lowering for the
present, at least, but If skyrocketing
such as was witnessed last winter
and spring can be prevented the law
will serve good purpose. The
question of reduction will depend not
only upon the government, but upon
the continued voluntary cooperation
Of citizens in conserving food sup
plies, and upon the middlemen, who
in some way must be brought into
line with the purposes Of the law II
there is to be complete success.
Food Manipulators Hostile.
j The mine and factory owners, with
few exceptions, have been co-operat.
!, ing with the government from the be-
ginning and the law will reach them
without difficulty or delay. The food
manipulators, however, having fought
the government to the last ditch ana
still being hostile to it, will probably
do as little as possible to help make
the law serve the desired end; indeed.
many believe they may be relied upon
to do as much as possible in the way
of obstruction.
That a formidable task now con-
fronts the government in the admin
istration Of the law is conceded. Her.
bert c. Hoover is admittedly the best
man for that work, and the govern
ment will lean heavily upon him. No
such effort at food control ever has
been made in this country and no
general in command of soldiers ia
charged with duties as important as
those which will fall to him. That
he will do his best is not doubted and
that best will result in reduced prices
If they are in the cards.
Spectators Well Organized.
1t is said by well-informed mem
bers OF congress that the country does
not contain a more effective and re-
morseless association than that to
which the food monopolists belong
There is national organization and
under it an organization in each
state. Under each state organization
there are organizations in cities. The
chain is complete. No food can pass
from producer to city consumer with
out proper consent. From this coign
of vantage the organization controls
food movements.
If there is large supply, it Is be-
cause it has consented; il the supply
is small, with higher prices, 1t is be-
cause it feels its members are en-
titled to larger profits. Meanwhile
the supply from year to year has
always been ample and the farmers
have been just as anxious to sell a.
the consumers have been anxious to
buy. but this organization has stood
between them, to its own gain.
Naturally, a machine such as IL
here referred to has great political
power. The writer Of this dispatch
has frequently talked about 1t to
prominent men in congress represent
ing city districts. These men have
willingly discussed the organization
with him. going into minute detail as
to how prices are fixed and main
tanned. They have always wound uD
by saying that it would be as much as
their political lives were worth to in
troduce bills seeking to break up the
monopoly, or to be known as asking
the department Of justice for an in
vestigation.
Try to Organize Farmers.
The power Of this monopoly 10
shown by what has been going on in
the senate to defeat the food bill,
which the monopolists know cannot
be success without putting them out
of business or radically changing
their methods and reducing their
profits. While the bill was still in
committee, grain gamblers from Chi
cago undertook to organize the West
ern farmers against it on the groun1
that 1t was aimed against food pro-
ducers. This attack was with diff
Guilty beaten of, and then pacifist and
pro-German influences did their best
to make the bill unavoidable.
After a hard struggle. the presi-
dent again came of victor, whereup'
on the enemies Of the legislation at
tackled its administrative features and
came within an ace of creating a
commission of three to take the place
of Hoover in carrying its provisions
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