The Donaldsonville chief., 1918-04-27
PUSH POTATOES,
WIN FOR WHEAT.
@
Weekly Letter from U. S. Food Ad-
ministrator for Louisiana.

Weekly Letter from U. S. Food Ad-
Is ministrator for Louisiana.
The potato campaign is on, and {
great rally week in Louisiana is or
the way. Everybody wants to hell
the potato game because it is one OF
the most important in the country
right now. John M. Parker, food
administrator for Louisiana, is trying
to concentrate the various efforts in
progress and has been assured of CO.
operation that will mean success.
Potato production did not pay last
year, but the food administration in
duced the farmers to plant again for
the sake of the food cause. The po-
tato is one Of the best liked substi-
tutes for wheat, and was regarded as
one of the strongest allies in winning
the wheat fight. The farmers having
proved loyal, the food administration
is anxious to see that they are not
punished for their fidelity.
There are two aims in the potato
drive. One is to systematic and
popularize increased ce,ssumption, so
that there will be large demand and
a fair price. The other is to prevent
the farmers from dumping their whole
crop upon the market at once, de-
moralizing the price and risking the
waste of much Of the food. The
demonstration agents, the home eco
nomics directors, the agricultural
teachers and others have begun work
upon averting disaster and beneftting
the people. Mr.. Parker's idea is to
build team work and to start boom
that will carry the cause to triumph
quick and complete. There is little
time to lose, for the Louisiana crop
is knocking at the door,
The flour campaign has been max
ing wonderful progress, and wheat is
being eliminated where it's cefsump-
tion has not been greatly reduced
Many tenders of -four on hand and in
transit have been made, but these
have not yet been passed upon by
the committee appointed by Mr..
Parker. The committee desired to
have all arrangements as to payment
and handling fully understood and
completed before it called for any of
the -four offered. In the meantime,
it announced that those who have,
made tenders could proceed with
their business as usual and use what
flour was needed for their trade un-
der the food administrators regula-
tions. Several parishes and a NUM-
ber Of dealers refused to avail them
selves Of the privilege and have pa
cut out -four entirely un-
til the next crop comes in. The COM
mittee, Of which q. f. Kohnke is
chairman, expects to be ready with
final details by the end of the week.
The ettonseHtl question has been
one of the most puzzling before the
food administration Farmers, mill
ers, and handlers Of various sorts have
at various times invoked the govern
ment to fix prices. The food ad-
is without such power,
although it exercises the authority Of
fixing and regulating margins Of
profit. Pressure has become SO,
strong that at the request of the
United States Food Administration a
meeting has been called to take place
Wednesday, May l, at 1880 a. M, at
the Grunewald Hotel in New Orleans.
Producers, millers and all others in
terested in the cottoRseed business
are extended an open Gnvitation and
the discussion is expected to be full
and free. The government will have
some of it's chiefs on hand, and the
gathering may be instrumental in de-
Gliding the administration attitude
toward the industry.
The people have made success Of
the wheatless days, Monday and We'd
nesday. Those who became panic
stricken and bought double the guam
tity Of bread the days before have
gotten over their unpatriotic alarm
and are helping the nation to save
flour that must be sent to the soldiers
and those fighting the desperate bat
tie with them. The bakers who yield
ed to the temptation and baked extra
quantities of bread, thus defeating
the very purpose of the movement,
have also learned more Americanism
and are now confning themselves to
normal output. Some who shipped
bread to other points within the state
had their consignments returned to
them, their greed being effectively
foiled. Reform and full observance
have come so fast that there has not
yet been need for drastic action. Mr..
Parker expects that Louisiana will
make her usual splendid showing, and
will again earn praise from Herbert
Hoover and his aides in the food adj
rinistration.