New-York tribune., 1918-02-04
Price Fixing Forecasts Food Famine
4 Nev York Farmers Vicv Of the Folly Of Food
Regulation
By Samuel Frazer
Regulation.

1t is said that Food will win the war;
The food production of the United States
in 1918 will not equal that of 1917, unless
we have exceptional conditions, which arc:
]. Favorable weather.
2. Additional capital
3. More labor at the disposal of the
farmers.
The farmers liquid capital is not ade-
quatc to meet the emergency, and the
amount of labor in sight will not Justify
the planting of an acreage equal to that of
last year. Not half the Federal farm loans
made will be used for food production. They
are contracted to pay off debts and existing
mortgages. Three-eighths of the farmers
are renters and cannot borrow cent from
this fund.
The present Federal food administration
does not regard crop production as within
its scope, and the lack of recognition that
they are SO closely ntcrrelated IS to be
inseparablc parts Of whole is bound to
cause waste and bring disaster to the work
of both organizations.
A delegation Of New York farmers re-
Gently told Secretary Houston that a famine
threatens the land at the end Of 1918. They
were told that they should be hopeful and
talk patriotic; but neither will grow food.
The growing of food in 1918 is one of the
most serious problems confronting the world
to- day. Awake or we perish
Not Like Coal or Steel
There is large mass of the American
people who firmly believe that the time is
now ripe for the government to step in and
absolutely regulate foods and food prices.
They seem to believe because it is perhaps
possible to control in some measure the
output and price of steel cars or coal. or
even textiles although the regulation of
these is attended by many difficulties, as
is now apparent in the case of coal-that
the same can be done with food. shey fail
to appreciate that the manufacture is
usually carried on by large firms in fac
tories designed and equipped for the pro
duction of more or less narrow line of
product; that these have been organized for
specific purpose and that they cannot be
readily converted or utilized for any other.
On we'll balanced Eastern farm it has
been found that there are usually at least
five different lines which are developed to
a large extent, and frequently up to fifteen
more to lesser degree. If wheat looks
promising they may increase the acreage
from 10 to 20 per cent without any serious
MAJ III, VI tuev may increase the number of
cattle without unduly disturbing conditions
The Farmer Cannot Be Controlled
II we~llmlt the price they are to receive
Tor milk. they need not ship it; it can be
converted into butter. The skim milk can
be fed to the hogs. If the price on butter
as well as on milk, be limited, they convert
1t into cheese and cheese is GOING to he a
good product to sell just so long as tho
British government insists on buying it here.
Leglslation can never force the farmer to
produce Tor unless the price is adequate
ne Will move on to something else: limit him
on cheese, and instead of turning to da;rv
products he will produce veal or some other
meat; limit meat, he will turn to crops
grams, potatoes, etc. If the public ins;st
on fixing maximum price at which no+a+oos
can be sold. as we'll minimum, and the
MAXIMUM does not offer enough, he will turn
10 oeans or oats or some other staple which
! can De saved year two, if need he
mat Is the ultimate end of food con+ro,
Food control can merely embarnass prcduc.