The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-03
Government Will Put Weight
Behind Increase in Poultry
National Food Administration Seeking Cooperation Of All
Important Producing Centers Throughout the Nation.

Bozenian. Feb. 1T is the aim of
the poultry and egg department Of the
federal food administration to prevent
waste, maintain distribution, prevent
abnormal profits and. so far as pos
siblc, assist the department of agri-
culture and all state agencies in their
work Of increasing production. The
control of these products under the
food control law must take due cog
nizance OF product ton, that 1t be stimu-
lated. not curtailed.
Tho Great Corn Belt
The food administrators Of the corn
belt states will come into contact with
the broad problems of conservation and
distribution. the cycle Of producing PEI
RODS and consuming periods. the needs
Of the shippers and the regular trade
channels through which the excess pro
duction Of these states will reach con-
sumers in non producing states. The
food administrators in non producing
states will meet such problems as the
sdistribution ofr storage stocks, long and
: short markets and their effect on
prices. the condition of the goods when
offered for sale. grades as influencing
prices and consumpuve demands.
BUSINESS 10 Unique.
The products come from millions of
general purpose farms. The egg or
poultry ranch Is OF Importance only in
a Few restricted areas, such as Cali
fornia. New Engiand and In the middle
eastern states. The small lots of eggs
and chickens are gathered from the
farms by hucksters, or taken to coun-
try stores. BY lots Of few cnses or
coops they reach the shipper. who may
do 30 small q business that he cannot
even ship Il full carload once a week.
The consuming centers have commits
sion men and jObbers who receive and
distribute the goods sent them by this
multitude Of country shippers. Some
times the larger shippers place in cold
storage eggs and poultry to be sold In
the scarce season. More often the
commission man or jobber attends to
the storing of excess stocks. You can
readily see that no great business
az eggs and poultry, unorganized and
on n broadcast basis. Is extremely Diff
ficult to control by law alone. 1t Is
highly desirable that the food admin
istration obtain the cooperation of the
whole industry from the producer to
the retailer. To this end the food
administrators must have some exact
information concerning the present
status of the industry in their respec-
tive territories, the conditions which
led to it and the outlook.
Egg Crop Of 1917.
High cost OF feed caused heavy sale
! of puliets and hens In the autumn OF
1915. Fear that eggs would be short
led to offer Of high prices to farmers
in the spring of 1917. Buyers pre-
dicted heavy consumption and war de-
mands which made for high offers
Many farmers sold eggs that, had lower
! prices prevailed. would have been used
for hatchtnG. High purchase costs In
terfered with the usual heavy spring
p! consumption. Very heavy stocks
| went into storage at abnormally high
! prices. EGGS must be out Of storage
by the first Of March Of the succeed
ing year. because they will not keep
They should be practically all out by
| February. .f.
The problem which has been before
the food administration Is to move this
crop of stored eggs before waste from
decay occurs. to keep the prices TO ths
consumer as low az possible and We,
not to permit a market so badly brok en-
that 1t will react to lessen product ton
1 In 1918. The very cold weather n,
last November and December has shu,
off even the small shipments OF fresh
laid eggs from the country. thereh,
making II easier TO market the stored
eggs constant pressure has beer
applied 20 keep prices down and ths
housewives have been advised by pub
LEFTY campaigns that eggs should be