New Britain herald., 1918-01-16
LAWS ID ENFORCE
 STRICT ECONOMY
Those Who Won't Save VOluntar-
 ily Will Be Forced To

Wa&hin gt on, Jan. 16-Stricter econ ; omy of food is to be required of the l American people by new laws put in the making in congress. Food Ad- ministrator Hoover has approved them. and they are expected to pass promptly as supplemental to the pres
 cnt food control act.
 Wheatlcss and meatless days and other economies necessary that Amer ica may help sustain her cobclli-er-
 cnts would become mandatory bv law, instead of voluntary, as at pres
 cnt. Such new laws, the food ad-
 ministration holds, are necessary to
 protect the millions of loyal Ameri- cans cooperating in food saving against the wastefulneSS of a few in d1viduals and of public eating houses, which are said to handle probably
 50 per cent of the food supply
 In the senate the administration bill was introduced by Senator Pom creme. In the house it was intro duced by Chairman Lever of the agri- cultural committee.
 Food Conservation Vital.
 Chairman Lever made this state
 ment explaining it's provisions:
 The food situation the world over is acute and demands upon us are
 growing each day. With a disrupted
 labor situation production is ap-
 preaching it's minimum, and the vital question therefore is one of conScrva- ton of foodstuffs.
 We must strike at the waste evil. '"The administration has under taken to do this through voluntary agreements, and has succeeded won derfully well both in saving and in sta abilizing prices, but there is a per centage of recalcitrantS who cOnSti- tute the fly in the ointment of the whole situation, and these we have not been able to reach by appeals to their patriotism. We propose to reach these under the bill which Senator Pornercne and 1 are introducing to- day.
 The bill is especially aimed at hotels, restaurants and dining cars-public eating places. In such establishments, I should think probably 50 per cent. of the food Of the country is consumed and it is in such places that we find 1 the greatest waste.
 There should be power in the 1 hands of the food administration to l fix the portions of the vital necessi ties 1 that may be served to any one individ- l ual. There is absolutely no excuse for 1 any hotel carrying on it's bill of fare
 for service to one person a steak l which would cost $S or $1O-the l waste is too great
 l Rich and Poor on Same Footing we hope also in this bill to see to
 it that all classes of people, rich or
 poor, are treated alike. It is not fair
 
 l afford a steak at 50 cents, for the 1 gormandizing rich to waste enough in | one meal to feed a whole family of l poor. Whatever is done in any legis- ] 1ation, both in it's enactment and it's 1 execution, must be based upon the 1 fundamental principle upon which our 1 government is founded, the absolute l equality of right of our people, and
 none of this legislation will succeed unless this thought runs through it all
 ''This bill provides that the Presi-
 dent is authorized to issue rules and
 regulations modifying, limiting or pro- 1 hibiting the sale, use, manufacture or
 distribution by any person conducting | public eating place or by any manu- facturer, producer.l carrier distributor l or other person of any foodstuff feed ! ol ilidlSl ltll hSCeSSctfy TOT llle plOuuc- l tion, manufacture or preservation of l foodStuffs or feeds. When such regu- l lation is issued any violation of it is l punished by a fine not exceeding l $5,000 or imprisonment for not more ! than six years, or both
 "This bill is confined to foodstuffs l feeds and materials necessary for their 1 producton, manufa cture and preser- l NatiOn. There is no idea of price fix 1 ing in 1t. although I recognize that | there is a strong demand for the fixing i of prices in public eating places, and 1 this phase will be considered by the ! committee when the bill is taken up l for a detailed discussion.
 'It is my hope to make up this bill | just as soon as the agricultural ap- l propriation bill shall be disposed of, l and I trust this may be within the l next week or ten days"