Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-10-19
Food Control in the Little Green
Isle During the Middle
Ages.
The Present Rulings Have Interest
ing Precedent i'm Medi-
evaI Times.
Question of Profiteering Dealt With
in Clear and Unquestion-
able Rulings.
PEOPLE SOURCE OF THE LAW.

~
The system of food control. nut
into practice throughout a large
part of Europe, parts of Asia and
in some of the American countries.
have for their purpose the observ-
ance of mandate observed in many
places during the Middle Ages, pro-
viding 1.-The common first food OF
poor and rich alike" The long
period of the reign of individualism
Is thus being interrupted by the
recognition of the common veal on
the one hand and by government
interference in the matter of the
food supply in the same interest on
the other. Such recognition was
one of the basic thoughts which in
spired the philosophy and the social
order of the Middle Ages, and food
control, the control of the essential
requisites for the physical we'll
being of the people, was considered
not only right but even a duty
by society, and its chiefest admin
strative organ the State. Many
interesting cases might be cited
from the history of Italy and Ger
many to illustrate this point A
highly instructive illustration to
the same effect is offered from the
history of Ireland by a contributor
to the Irish Theological Quarterly.
Sean Gall tells us in the article
mentioned that in the ages of faith
the primary duty of the Irish cor
-poration was Ito control all corn
coming into the town, whether by
sea or land, to provide daily bread
a in q hi 70 nj oil be Nnf
merely food stuffs but practically
all imports were put beyond the
power of traders not satisfied with
Kilkenny (1202) ordained that no
assize of victuals (fixing their mar
ket price, be made in the borough
except by the common consent of
the Burgesses and the consideration
of the Bailiffs." Inistioge (1206)
and Kells (1210) issued similar
regulations.
Attempt at fraud by those who
wished to make unjust gains out of
the common need was a dangerous
game. Every ship entering Cork
1880, we are told. after paying
customs had to enroll with the
Bailiff of the town the masters
name and the names of the con-
signees of all corn or other mer-
chandise. Every buyer had to
transact business by daylight, "be-
fore dinner" he was bound to
grant 'aot" to all citizens who de-
handed Tot" of him before sun
set on the day the corn was
bought. To prevent deception in
the purchase all buyers and sellers
were urged to record their names,
the quantity involved and the pur-
chase price at the Gid Hall. To
prevent secret buying of say a ship
load of corn, ii was ruled that be-
fore the cargo was unIoaded all the
various parties we're to be enrolled
at the Gid Hall. ION pain of for
fixture of the corn" In the event
Of proven deception or improper
collision the buyers goods were to
be seized and their value given to
the foreign seller (importer), the
forfeited corn was divided among
the citizens and the price obtained
paid to the Bailiff.
The price for communal pur-
chases. IAN honest price, /" "a just
price," was fixed by the Corpora
ton or the Gid merchant In
Waterford (143S-34) the Corpora
ton we're common buyers for all
imports into the city and distributed
them to all 'tcitizens and COM
munalty Of the same as they shall
see behouffull.' Anyone who Of