Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-07
Georgia Debt to Food Control.

How helpful the Food Control law has been
to the people of Georgia is impressvely shown by
the figures compiled by DR.. A. NJ. Soue, federal
food administrator in this State Before Govern
ment regulation went into effect, the retail price
or -four in Georgia was sixteen dollars and half
a barrel, while the price of wheat dollar and
forty cents a bushe Under Government influence
the price of -four has been brought to thirteen dol
lars barrel, and at the same time the price OF
wheat has been fixed at two dollars and twenty
cents bushel. To the consumer this represents
a saving of three dollars and half a BARREL
which. at conservative estimate amounts TO
eight million, seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars year for the entire State (There are
about six hundred and twenty-five thousand fam
lilies in Georgia, with average consumption or
four barrels of flour year, No less pronounced
is the benefit to the wheat grower, for as Dr.
Soue points out, Under the old system of specula
ton the farmer received, for the four bushels OF
wheat in the barrel of flour, five dollars and sixty
cents: under the new system of food control he
gets eight dollars and eighty cents for the same
four bushels Of wheat, or an increase OF three uo
lars and twenty cents, which on the total hour
consumption in Georgia alone yields him eight
hundred thousand dollars year increase for the
same amount of wheat consumed in making the
-four which the consumer is saved eight million
seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars year.
Control law the country now would be at the mercy
of hoarders and spectators who we're driving
-four prices steadily toward twenty dollars barrel
with still greater extOrtion as their goal Ihat the
law has proved altogether adequate, not even lts
warmest supporters would contend. There are
numbers of commodities the prices of which appear
unjustifably high, and numbers of ways, 1t would
seem, in which the public should be given further
protection. But it should be borne constantly in
th oIiofa fnrda 6 has
len short of popular hopes and needs, the fault
lies not with the Food Administration nor with
the principles of the law, but with those obstruc-
tionists who refused to give the Administration all
the powers of control needed for the full protec-
ton of public and national interests If certain
element of Congress could have had its way, food
control legislation would have been defeated alto
gether, probably with calamitous results to the
people and lamentable weakening of Americas
war strength. AS it was, the backward minority
succeeded in weakening the bill at some points,
though they were unable to make Roadway against
its larger essentials 1t is to be hoped that in the
present session of Congress time will be lost in
perfecting the law in the light of we'll demonstrated
needs.
Fhe thoroughly American spirit which the
Food Administration, including Mr.. Hoover and
his representatives in the several States has mani
tested is answer enough to be the silly cry that
dangerous dictatorship was being set up. Inc
law has been enforced almost entirely through the
patriotic cooperation Of merchants, manufacture
ers consumers and producers. Here and there in
frequent instances of disloyal dealing have called
for sharp treatment, but for the most part the
response to the Governments appeals and require
ments have been voluntary and wholehearted.
There is no semblance of dictatorship in the
Food Administration, but it has saved the Ameri
can people from the unspeakably brutal dictator
ship of food spectators and monopolists. Fur
thermore, it has given impetus and guidance to
popular food-conservng campaign that is becoming
continually more helpful both in the daily prob
lens of the household and in the herculean tasks
of the war Let every loyal American continue
supporting this great endeavor, and let Congress
strengthen the law wherever needful