South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-22

that We were 20 deliver This de-
aciency is due solely 10 the railway
I congestion since that date. The
railroad directorate since coming in
20 control on January 7 has made
effort 20 find a remedy but during
the month Of January the weather
was insuperable and although pro-
/ gress has been made since the NTH
/ OF February the situation is the ac-
| cumulation OF three months delays.
The next sixty days viii be the
most critical period in our food his
/ tory. The simple fact is that the
problem goes far deeper than sup
/ plies 10 the allies. During the last
/ three months we nave far fallen be-
! hind in movement OF fOodstuffs
/ from the farms 10 the consuming
! and storage centers. Up 20 the frs,
/ of February less than fifty percent
/ OF the normal ratio of corn has been
| moved. less than so percent Of the
oats. and less than 60 percent Of the
1
January I we were short ia the l20,-
! 100000 bushels and this further
aggregated by similar shortage out
side the terminals.
I Furthermore this year we have
\ the largest percentage Of soft corn
I In many yTaT, and though we have
/ a record CT % of corn a considerable
portion of the soft corn will be lost
! by spelling unless il can be moved
| in the next so days 70 the drying
! terminals. The least amount OF
| grain that must be loaded for the
next sixty days is eight million
! bushels per day and we have not at
tanned that Less than this will
solve neither the allied nor the do
/ nestle situation.
Potatoes Are spelling.
we have about 10000 carloads
Of potatoes on November !. which
! should have been moved from the
! principal producing centers and up
/ to the first of February we aau
/ moved about $4,000 carloads while
we should have moved over $4,000
( sand in this period. The result is
| that potatoes are piled up spelling
| in the producers hands and the con-
Stunning centers have only been sup
piled by virtue of the summer gar
dens and other stores carried over
| from last year. There is a great
deal of livestock which has been
ready for the market for some time
! but is still held in the farmers
hands through inability TO secure
transportation. These cattle are eat
ing their heads off without increas-
ing their meat value and are only
adding to the costs of the farmer
and consuming the grain.
The effect of this delayed move
ment has been many fold:
First to jeopardize the safety OF
a great deal of the soft corn and
perishables such as potatoes.
Second the structure in flow OF
distribution has entirely disturbed
the price conditions in the country
by practically suspending the law
! of supply and demand. The mar
gins between the farmer and the
| consumer in many commodities
| were never wider than they are to-
| day because the consuming trades
are under-supplied and the farmers
! compete for transportation. Prices
of the coarse grains have reached
unheard of levels while the limited
transportation has diminished the
farmers returns.
Grain Cost Increases.
Third the cost Of grains for feed
| ing livestock has so increased 10 the
feeders of finished cattle that they
face serious losses The costs OF
the dairying industries have neces-
sarily greatly increased.
Fourth. through the large con-
suming areas we have been living
off reserves through the period OF
scant supplies. These reserves are
in many sections approaching ex-
haustion.
I'VE have been unable TO trans
port TO seabOard the necessary fooo-
/ stuff fOr the allies. This has not
been due so much To the actual in
ability of the railways giving prior
! ity TO foodstuns for allied shipping
/ as it has been 10 bringing products
| from the farms 10 the terminal
! markets. where it can be aggregat-
ed. prepared and purchased by the
I allies.
Very Crowded situation.
The economic ramifieations Of
/ this whole delay in the movement of
/ the national harvest are almost
1 countless and they present the most
! critical of situations. of which no
\ solution exists but "A continued eN-
| pansiOn Of the efforts of the rail
\ way administration in the move
/ ment of fOOdstuffs in every iirec-
! ton 10 the exclusion of much other
/ commerce of the country. COnsid-
\ cradle progress has been made in
/ the last 10 days but continued rises
! in the price or cereal commodities
and the failure 10 secure sufficient
surplus over immediate domestic
, consumption to iced the allies are
! evidence that there is still a detic-
! iency in food cars and that they