New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1918-03-02
NEWS LETTER.


Louisiana recently took the frs
drastic action in the matter o
profiteering in this state. One o
the leading wholesale grocer,
firms in New Orleans made restl
tuition to number of patrons Ii
the country and also paid a fine Of
! 81 ,0O0 the money being sent tc
the American Red Cross Society
The United States Food Ad
ministration announced that. the
clemeney shown in this case was
| not to be taken as a precedent
Profiteering is one of the most
serious crimes on the food calen-
dar, and will be dealt with ac-
cordingly. The license of any
concerns found guilty will be
taken away. which means that the
concern and all its members will
be prohibited, directly or indirect
ly, from doing business in food
commodities during the war, or
during the time specified, if the
sentence happens ta be suspension.
The concern will have TO post the
news Of its own demise upon its
doors, and the publicity Will
further assist at the obsequies.
In the instance mentioned. the
firm had exacted an unreasonable
profit on corn products. A num-
Der Of firms in the country, upon
receiving the order concerning the
substitutes for -four, complained
that the regulation had been made
more difficult to carry out by the
rise in price of the substitutes. }.
M. Wilzin, volunteer Assistant to
John NJ. Parker. Food Administra-,
tor for Louisiana. called upon the
various wholesale establishments
in the city for records Of their
sales. 1T was found that one
firm had charged considerable
more for corn products than any
other, and it was promptly called
upon for an. explanation regard
ing the difference.
The head Of the firm made some
excuses which showed his own
ignorance Of what had been done,
but it did not remove the fact that
the act had been committed. He
pleaded guilty without putting the
Food Administration to the neces-
sity Of holding a hearing, offered
to return the overcharges to all
buyers and to contribute 81, 900 to
the Red Cross. In return, he
asked that the name of the firm
be not published. The tender was
laid before Mr.. Hoover, at Wash
ington, and he approved the ver-
dict and punishment because of
The willingness and promptness
with which the firm had made
He advised. however,
hat no such concession will again
De made, and that those who take |
advantage of the war and its OPP
oortunities to increase profits |
above the normal would feel the
'ull power of the Food Admins
ration.
In regard to the general food
'aving situations DR.. Vernon Kel-
ogg of the United States Food
Administration gives ,out the fol-
owing explanation and appeal:
1--WE have saved some food dur
ng the last few months-thc |
months since there has been a
food Administration. We have |
made good beginning. But it is
'nly a beginning. We must save
more. not simply more in total,
tut more each month.
eve have already sent over
eas for our army in France and
he soldiers and civilians of onr
associates in this war all Of our
urplus wheat and meat and fats.
sut they need much more. We
an keep on sending them what
hey need in only one way, and |
hat is by lessening our own con-
of the food we have on
and and are constantly produc-
1g. We need to reduce our con-
nmption of wheat by one-third
nd Of fats and meat by one-fifth.
,oing this will not injure us in
he least. for we are now eating
luch more meat and fats than we
eed and we can easily use corn
nd other cereals to q consider
BILE extent in place Of wheat. So,
sginning right now, the Food
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