The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-03
FOOD SITUTION
OF THE COUNTRY
Does Not Justify Hysterical Thinking or
Action, According to Secretary of
Agriculture Houston in Out
lining the Resources.

lining the Resources.
Washington, d. c., March 3.-The sec
rotary of agriculture, d. f. Houston, to
day issued the following statement;
There is nothing in the food situa.
, ton of the country which justifes hys
terical thinking or action. This is not a
time for hysteria. Nor is this time
for the thought of the American people
to be directed or dominated by those
who have the interests of another eoun.
try primarily at heart or any selfish in
terest to further.
''The prices of fodstuffs are high. A
full and satisfactory explanation of pre-
vailing prices is not possible on the basis
OF existing knowledge. 1t is only recent
ly that agencies have been created in the
country to study food distribution, and
we have not all the necessary facts to
enable us to arrive at the truth. Where
the food supply is located, who owns it,
what may be the difficulties in securing
it, whether the local market conditions
are due to car shortage, whether there is
artificial manipulation or control, no one
can state with certainty. 1t is essential
that we have the facts not only because
OF the light they might throw on present
conditions but also because they are pre-
requisite for the working out of a per-
manent just, and economical system OF
marketing. Therefore the investigation
directed by the president ought to be
made promptly, and Congress ought to
give the federal trade commission and
the department of agriculture the nee
essary funds. Certainly such an inves-
| tigation cannot furnish immediate relief,
! but it would be absurd to oppose it for
this reason. 1t does not stand in the
way of any other measures that may be
wise. 1t does not prevent any eonstruc-
tive action on the part of any municipal
or local agencies. We must have the
facts and the sooner the investigation is
undertaken the better 1t is highly
probable that as a result of it large per-
manent improvements may be made.
Importance of Food Conservation.
"For partial immediate relief, every
individual and community should consid
er earnestly the matter of food conserya-
tion and the limitation of waste. As a
nation we seem to have disdain of
eeonomizing. In many homes there is a
strong feeling that it is only decent to
provide more food than will be eaten and
that it is demeaning to reckon closely.
The experts of the department of agri
culture report to me that the dietary
studies made by them point TO an annual
food waste of about S700,000.000. OF
course, the waste in families OF very linn
tied means is slight, but in the families
of moderate and ample means the waste
is considerable. Even If the estimate
were reduced by half the waste would
still be enormous.
"The food waste in the household, the |
experts assert, results in large measure !
from bad preparation and bad cooking, |
from improper care and handling, and, in |
we'll TODD families, from serving an UNI
due number of courses and an over abun- I
dant supply and failing to save and util-
ize the food not consumed. As an in
stance of improper handling, it is dis
covered that in the preparation of pota
toes 90 per cent of the edible portion in
many cases is discarded.
The Position Of the Farmer.
II am informed that the belligerents
in Europe in dealing with their food sit
uation have, up TO this time, accom-
plished their purposes more largely
through conservation of foods, regulation
Of the diet, limitation OF courses and
quantities, and prevention of waste,
rather than through direct control OF
production or regulation of distribution
lnder any sort of dictatorship. Only re-
emily has England indicated her inten-
lion TO deal directly with production,
md in doing so has recognized ii as es-
,ential that she guarantee to farmers a
reasonable minimum price over period
If years. Obviously, if farmers are to
Ne induced to increase acreage, guar
Intee of reasonable price by the ma
ion or the community seems necessary. {
farmers are governed by the same think
ng and motives as other people. They !
re patriotic; but it is unlikely that they
will undertake greatly to increase their '
utput unless they are reasonably sure }
hat it will be profitable for them to do q
o. One could no more expect a farmer 8
realty to increase his product without :
of the outcome, than he could
xpeet manufacturer to double the pro-
uction of shoes unless he knew that he
ould dispose of them profitably Those
1ho are urging that farmers be induced
realty to increase their acreage beyond
hat which their own Judgment dictates,
now very little about the psychology
farmers, or of other people for that
natter or about the fundamental neces
tiles of the situation. AS matter of
act. farmers are going to do their own
linking in this matter and will not
ollow anybody's dictation. They are
ute alert to the interplay of supply
nd demand, and respond quite as quick
: as other people to the stimulus of
Ugh prices. Before touching upon this
point further, word should
e said about the estimated food supply
the country for the current year.
Food Supply for Current Year.
"The weather conditions during the
rowing season of 1916 were unfayorsble
many parts of the world. They were
stinctly unfsvorable in this country.
Though there was a large wheat gore
re. the weather conditions were such as
favor the appearance of the black rust
sease affecting wheat. The conse-
fence was that although the acreage
as large the yield was relatively small.
he conditions were not especially favor J
he for corn and for some other impor- I
mt crops. Still the food output on the !
hole for the current year was not so
nall as to excite alarm. The corn crop