The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-22

Bushels Short.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 22.-Thc east
ern part of the United states faces a
food shortage likely to continue for
the next go days.
In making this disclosure last night
Food Administrator Hoover declared
that the situation is the most critical
in the country's history and that in
many of the large consuming areas re-
serve food stores are at the point of
exhaustion.
The whole blame is put by the food
administrator on railroad congestion,
which hc SAYS also has thrown the food
administration far behind in its pro
gram for feeding the allies. The only
solution he sees is greatly increased
rail movement OF foodstulfs even to the
exclusion of much other commerce.
II was very evident last night that
the railroad administration is inclined
10 resent Mr. Hoover = blame of the
railroads and Director General McAdoo
declared he was ready 10 provide ev-
cry transportation facility for cXpedit.
ing food movement The railroad ad-
ministration. hc said, had suggested
that farmers hc urged 10 release their
grain holdings that large numbers OF
available cars might he utilized M
moving them.
Cereal exports to the allies, Mr.
Hooycr's statement says, will be- 49,,
100000 bushels short by the end of
February and meat shipments also are
far short Of the amounts promised
Inability to move the crops, Mr..
Hoover sets forth. has suspended Laws
of supply aud demand and has Great
ed q price margin between producer
and consumer wider than IL ever was
before.
\ large part of tho corn crop is
about to spoil because it * not moving
10 terminals for driving. The percent
age of soft corn i'm last wear s crop,
ull OF which must hp dried if it is to
bc saved. ia the largest ever known
Estimates taacr the amount us l6gk'ae
billion bushels
Tho cost of grains for feeding live
stock has Increased 20 such an extent
10y reason of Transportation difficulties
\lr Hoover SAYS, that feeders are con
frontcd with the prospect of seriou,
LOSSES Dairyiug interests, too, he de
eIarcs, are hard hit
Potatoes, thc food administrator de
elatcs, are spelling in the producers
bands while consumers have been sup
plicd only from summer garden crop
and stores carried over.
Mr. Hoover s st9temeut follows;
In response 10 many inquiries
beg 10 say IL is true that since tn
first Of December we have fallen fa
behind our agreed food program wit
the allies. BY the end of Fcbruar,
Wo will bo short 1j.0O0.UOO bushels ii
cereal products which We undertook a
oar share Of their supplies We vii
also be short of the amount of mca
and pork products that We We're 20 de
liver This deficiency is due solely Z
tho railroad congestion since that date
Tho railway directorate since comm
into control ON Jan. ! has made ctfor
to find remedy bat during the mont
ot January the weather was insupcrs
hlc aud although progress has bee
made since the fifth of February tn
situation is the accumulation of thrC
months delay.
The next 60 DAYS will he the mo-
critical period i'm our food history. III
simple fact is that the problem gou
far deeper than supplies TO the allie
During the last three mouths We ha,
For fallen behind iu movement of foo
stul- from tho farms to the conSumil
aud storage ccHtcrs. Up to the first
February less than 80 per cent of Il
normal ratio of corn has been move
lrss than 80 per cent of the oats ~
less than Go per cent of the potato,
From Nov. 20 Jan. | wc were she
boz the usual movement of grains al
grain products into the terminals alo
by over 10000 carloads-over 10
uul.Ugu bushels and this further a
grcgutcd by similar shortage outsi
the terminals
Furthermore, this year we have t
largest percentage of soft corn in ma
years and though We have reco
crop of corn, considerable portion
the soft corn will be lost hv ipoili
unless Do cau be- moved in the next