The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-06-10
Further Orders
Regarding
Conservation
of Wheat Flour

There is no use trying to dodge
the facts in regard to the wheat flour
supply in this country" says Braxton
Beacham, Federal Food Administra,
tor, Florida.
Statement from Washington
based on thorough investigation of
the wheat supply of this country,
shows that we have about twenty-six
million bushels of wheat to do what
eighty million bushels formerly did.
The proposition is simply this: The
people of Florida have got to accept
this shortage of wheat flour with
what has been termed as 'sacrifi-
cial conscience. In other words
they have got to become imbued with
the spirit of sacrifice from win the
war standpoint. The present ac-
cured shortage did not reach us with
out warning. Food Administrator
Hoover saw it approaching months
ago, perhaps year ago, and he has
been continually urging further and
greater conservation of our wheat
flour.
| am proud to say that Florida has
responded notably to this call. | am
proud of the people | am hOnOred in
representing. l firmly believe that
we have been observing all the rules
and regulations fully as we'll as any
State in the Union, and | have been
loath to place any greater restrictions
on the people Of this State than were
necessary to bring about the ultimate
results expected of us.
But want to impress upon every
consumer and every merchant in the
State of Florida that we must be alb
solutely infeXible in carrying out the
further conservation of our supplies
of wheat flour. This must not be talk
en- as a reason for any argument or
the part of the people, consumers, OF
merchants. We must accept it as /
fact and as a condition over which We
have no control, and in facing it, VIZ
must not lose sight of the end to b.
accomplished by a calm, determined
acceptance of conditions, and a de
termination to meet those conditions
with the strength that is necessary tt
, overcome them.
: My Office has been flooded with re
quests for special permissions, whicl
am authorized to grant, and whicl
l enable merchants and others to pei
, haps defend themselves against tn
present shortage to some extent. Il
I this connection I wish to say to tn
J. people that shall give no special pei
1 missions of any kind, for transaction
8 in wheat -four. I have suggested t
!. all merchants that they only sell thei
J, wheat flour when they sell their sui
l. stitutes and I cannot undertake {
@ give permission for some merchant
J, to sell flour against another man
}, stock of wheat flour substitutes
d There is sufficient demand today fc
# all the flour that can be placed o
o the market, and those who hav
IS overstocks of substitutes should il
is crease their efforts to sell those SUI
stitutes rather than to attempt to G,
"a flour as medium for disposing {
Is ether stocks.
Is We will be taught most valuab
st lesson by this war, and | know of I
If Chapter in the pages of the Book tn;
are being unfolded, as important
st us, and as valuable to us as this lie
lie son of sacrifice that we are learnin
st 1t will do us no harm 1t will teaC
ID us to be more thrifty. 1t will teaC
at us to adapt ourselves better to az
10 conditions of life that may be force
IN upon US. And when we have We
IN this war, which we surely WILL the lie
I'd sons that we have learned will star
IN us in good stead for certain recupe
Ill alton of our business strength and o,
e. individual ways of living We W
I'd come out with a better knowled,
or how to live and how to live mo-
ar economically, so that the surplus
re our gains may be devoted to bett
lg conditions of living. The prize
IN worth the effort, and he who striv
ar most at the present time will &C
tainly win most in the future"
ne (Signed) BRAXT0N BEACHAM,
nd Federal Food Administrator. Fl