Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-06-27
BEEF AND SUGAR ARE
VERY SCARCE ARTICLES
Food Officials Declare That
Country Is on the Ragged
Edge so Far as Certain Foods
Are Concerned, With No Re
lief in Sight

aays" said Frank I'll. Brooks. federal food
administrator for the State of Vermont,
Friday III his address at tho Chittenden
county conferences of local representatives
of the food administration. groccrs. hotel
keepers, newspa pcrmen and others. Mir.
Brooks has just returned from Washing
ton. whore he conferred with Mr.. Hoover
and others. and brought back with him
son.e enlghtonlng facts concerning the
food supply, Sugar is another thing which
will have to be handled with care for the
ueSt few months at least. and perhaps
for tho rest of tho war. In fact. Mr.
Hroolia did not talk as though there was
any chance of Il resumption of the former
wasteful methods until long after the war
is over. Tho conference resulted in inform"
Ing small but interested GROVE as TO
what had been accomplished In the way
of food conservation and what would
probably be asked In tho future.
T., II. Gebhardt introduced Mr.. Brooks
to HI! audience of nearly 100 with a few
preliminary words and Mr., Brooks went
Mt onco.into his subject. From the stand
point OF tho food situation, Mr.. Brooks
said that this country was on the ragged
odgo. The coal situation was the same
ana he thought in some ways that food
was more of n problem than coal. He
knew that there was some grumbling
about the continual changing In rulings.
At first sugar was plentiful. then 1t was
cut down to five pounds and now tho last
ruling was two pounds. This changing Is
necessary to meet new conditions. People
thought they were saving but they have
not begun to wake up. The submarine
peril has struck our shores. and although
there arc millions of pounds of sugar In
Cuba and the Philippines, we haven't the
ships to bring It here.
The restrictions on sugar are bound to
be made even more severe. First to be
considered will be that used for domestic
purposes but If there is to be enough to
go around everyone must observe the
strictest economy there. The government
knows how much sugar Is being shipped
to a certain district and 1t is up to that
district to take care of tho interest of the
people in 1t. He warned the grocers that
they should not sell sugar to Tom, Dick
and Harry from outside their community
Il they didn't want their own people to do
without.
Ice cream Is now on the 100 per cent.
list and this has caused talk. 1t will prob
ably be reduced later. but ice cream is n
food and provides way to take care of
tho dairy products and preserve them.
This Is all-important. Soda water will
probably be another thing which will be
hit soon. and that will probably be put
on n 50 per cent basis Candy will also
come under the regulations to Il degree,
for these restrictions will be necessary.
MIR. Brooks spoke Of the card system
but said that it entailed an enormous ex-
pence. England, on her population of 40 =
100000, is spending moro than $500 900 a
year keeping this up. People are re-
spending of their own will nagnihcently In
10 Nttfr p,l ~ tir,fr
Lax. y housewife might think that she
could get % pounds CT sugar for canning
ut one place, moro at another, and so on
until she had boarded but there Is a
sugar clerk In Montpelier who does moth
ing but keep tabs on such people and an
inspector might call at her house some
day and ask to see ner canned goods.
The penalty for boarding is q fine of IS, 00O
or two years imprisonment or both, If
the court decides to impose the limit. Mr..
Brooks made 1t plain that It is, perhaps,
more II persons duty to report infractior
of the food Laws than of any other. Under
peace times Ii might seem small, but at
this time the man who Is boarding Is
cheating some one else out Of his just
share and is doing Il traitorous act to his
government Ever person in the United
States is appointed IL secret agent and
asked to report all seditious acts. The
same Is true as regards violation of food
laws.
In regard to wheat, it cannot be meas
ured In dollar and cent method. 1t Is
priceless for it means lives. He then
showed what had been done in the last SIX
months by food regulations. There was nc
surplus six months ago but by cutting
down the normal demand this country
was able to ship abroad 10000. 900 bushels
up to April l. Shipments have steadily
increased since and with a continuance Of
this the crucial test of the next two OF
three months can be passed. The mos
rigid economy must be practiced. 1t mus
be hammered into the heads of the public
that to-day. If the ships should be stopped
from crossing the ocean for more thar
three days. the people in France woul(
face a famine. There is no reason in tn,
world why with all tho substitutes, pork
fish and practically everything in the eat
able line, the people of this country SHOULD
not be willing to go wheatless for the mex
three months. In France. old women are
hitched to the plough. which Is guided b,
the hand of child In the effort to raise
food. This country is making no rea
sacrifice as yet.
Miss Bertha Terrill spoke for only a few
, minutes. She said that not a thing tn,
government nau asked nau resulted II
the injury of anyone's health but on thu
contrary had brought to pass diets sucl
as home economics people and other
had tried to bring into vogue for years
Food habits are about the hardest thing
to change but when some of them hav
been altered people will feel better and b.
more healthy. She thought that after tn
public got awake to the matter it. woul,
become simple
John Il. Gushing. formerly acting foo
administrator, was introduced by MI
Brooks who paid tribute to hi
efficiency and told of the great assstanc
he had been to him. Mr.. Gushing sal
that he was satisfied that the spirit O
Vermont was In the right place. This wa
shown by the manner in which they ha
responded to the SOTO idea on flour con
servation. The amount of flour cn.,;in
into Vermont was now less than thir
of that used under pre-war condition,
New England was one of the hardest hi
places in the country to obtain -four sui
stitutes but through the aid of sue
people as the Burlington FIGURING com
pany and others. the deed had been az
compished without any hardship and Vel
mont had seen other States lacked up int
pressed on the local representatives tn
Importance Of their duties. When aske
I for information, they should be ready
respond at once. Mr.. Hoover is called O
to make great decisions based on wht