El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-18
GIVE ONE
MAN FOOD RULE
This Is Advice of Hoover'S
Agent; Advocates Cash
and Garry Plan.

authority over food prices" said h
Writ Steele, personal representative
OF Herbert Hoover. attached to the
staff Of E \. Peden, state food ad-
ministrator, in an address to local
wholesale and retail grocers at the
chamber Of commerce Monday morn
ing at 10 o'clock
This address,. with a complete dis
cussion and explanation Of all regu-
lations of the national and state food
administration as applied to FL Paso
will be repeated this evening by MI
Steele at the First Christian church
at s o'clock.
plOye Of every wholesale and retail
house in FL Paso handling food VIII
be at the meeting. according to plans
Of George H. Clements, district 1000
administrator. and the police depart
ment has been asked TO notify every
dealer and all employees to come to the
meeting
A meeting of hotel and restaurant
men will be held Immediately after
the meeting of the meat dealers At
$3.50 o'clock Mr.. steele was TO address
a meeting OF housewives at the Y w.
Mr.. Steele will meet with the cham
Der of commerce directors at 1850
o'clock this evening.
Advocates Cash and Garry.
ION food will depend the winning of
the war" declared Mr.. Steele. If Rus
STA permits exports of grain and al
lows Germany to organize the Rus
sian agricultural resources. then Ger
many Will be unbeatable. Then II viii
require American ingenuity to invent
engines of war now unthought OF 10
win the war;
g.
prices was the true solution of the
problems presented to the retailer by
the war, Mr.. Steele made clear
Recommends DeliverE Charge.
This does not mean that every re-
taller must make his customers carry
: home all their purchases, or that ne
must refuse credit to them" he said
1t does mean, however. that an ex-
ira charge must be made for delivery
and credit service in addition 10 the
price charged the customer who pays
cash at the counter and carries the
goods home"
The most powerful government
agency ever established by a
democracy, was the Characterization
of the national food administration,
begun Aug. 10, 1917, made by Mr..
steele.
Promises Relief After War.
IN this war democracy has bor-
EQhE4 Inc ELAEL MEaR1A "a az
tOcracy." ne emphasized. and Just as
soon as the was is ended we promise
that the food administration goes out
Of existence
The three lines along which the
food administration had worked. he
said. were: Promotion OF food pro-
duction; sterilization OF prices; con-
troll of food distribution.
Cutting Out Cross shipping
1T is along the line OF food dis
tribution that the food administration
will work chiefly in the future" he
said. Mr.. Hoover is beginning now
to control food distribution better.
and as soon as the director Of rail-
ways completes his plans, il viii be
possible 10 cut out great deal OF
what is known as cross shipping, that
is, when cars laden with the same
commodity pass each other
The zone system developed by the
trusts. which had been declared TO be
in violation of the law, might be found
10 be a good thing 10 adopt, as we'll
as other methods Of the trusts, Mr..
Steele suggested
Explains Cash and Garry.
The proper method OF putting the
cash and carry system into effect
was carefully explained by Mr.. Steele,
speaking specially TO retailers.
The basis OF price for the retailer
Is what il costs TO put the product on
your shelves In addition to this you
are entitled to be paid for delivery
service and also for credit service. "
Should Adopt System.
Retail dealers could adopt the sys-
TEN over night. Mr.. Steele said. there
by adding profit TO themselves. On
the other hand the housewives might
save money by the adoption OF the
system and carrying home many small
'-The policy OF the food administra-
ton has been to secure cooperation by
request, rather than mandate" he
said, but the time is approaching
when il may be necessary for the
government TO fix prices" he predict
cd. But if il were possible to beat the
Germans on the basis Of voluntary CO.
operation OF food dealers IL would be
much better" he said
Refer Questions to Administrator.
All questions in regard TO food
prices should be referred to the local
food administrator, he said. County
administrations. in addition 10 the
district food administrators, would
soon be appointed. he said.
The need for explanation OF sudden
increases in purchase Of fOodstuffs
from dealers along the border was
another point touched on by Mr.
you should find out just where it
IS going" he warned dealers
Wheat Milling Cut.
The milling OF wheat had been cut
/ to 20 percent for the same month OF
/ last year in order to spread the supply
until the new crop came in, he said
He explained the concessions made
/ specially TO farmers where they were
not required to purchase substitutes
/ for wheat flour on the $3.50 basis
where they we're able TO submit IN
writing a statement that they had
| pound for pound or more of substi-
/ tutes at home
Following the main part OF Mr.
Steele's address a number OF ques-
] lions were asked him by members o.
the large audience present.
/ Allows Whole Corn for TOrtillRE.
/ The question Of whether unground
corn could be sold as a substitute for
! wheat flour. as asked by Mr. Dick
4 was answered by a statement that il
could be so considered when sold tc
/ Nexicans on the border for use in
1 tortillas.
To E. N. Bray. who stated that
much OF his trade was along this line
I Mr.. Steele said that he should pro-
cure written statements from Next
! cans purchasing corn TO the effect
/ that il was for tortillas. It was
( brought out, however, that unground
corn could not be considered a sub
I stitute from miller to retailer.
Retailer Permitted to Add Cost.
In reply to a query concerning the
I price Of flour from F. W. Ainsa' MT
I Steele brought out the important fact
| that the retailer was permitted TO add
/ cost of doing business and reasonable
profit, exclusive of credit and deliv-
/ cry charge. in figuring retail price.
He also explained the function OF
/ the price interpreting committee In
/ suggesting proper range OF prices