The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-27
ElsT NEEDS foeb.
WILL CONTINUE FOR SIXTY
DAYS DECLARES ADMIN
IsTRATOR HOOVER.
Railroad Conscssion Irresponsible for
Condition Brohsht About by Fail
nre 10 Move FDod StuHs--O Only So
iution Must be Movement to Ex-
clusion of An Else.

VI ''se bm&ou StaNS races q
FOOD shortage likely to continue for
the next so days.
In making this disclosure tonight
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
reserve food stores are at the point
OF exhaustion.
The whole blame Is put by the food
administrators on railroad congestion.
which ne says also has thrown the
food administration far behind In its
program for feeding the allies. The
only solution. he sees. Is a greatly in
creased railroad movement of food
atuffs even to the exclusion of much
other commodities.
1T was very evident tonight that
the railroad administration is inclined
TO resent Mr.. Hoover's blame Of the
railroads. and Director McAdoo de-
clared he was ready to provide every
transportation facility for expediting
FOOD movement. The railroad admin
istration. he said. suggested that
Farmers be urged to release their
grain holdings that large numbers of
available cars might be utilized in
moving the crop.
Cereals exports to the allies. Mr..
Hoover statement says. will be 65,-
100000 bushels short on March 1.
and meat shipments also are far shor,
OF the amounts promised.
Inability to move the crops, Mr.
Hoover sets forth. has suspended the
law of supply and demand and has
created q price margin between pro-
ducer and consumer wider than Il
ever was before.
A large part Of the corn crop is
about 10 spoil because II is not NOV
ms to the terminals for drying. The
percentage of soft corn In last years
~sTop. all of which must be dried IL II
Is te be saved, Is the largest ever
KNOWN. Estimates place the amount
at high as 1000. .o0O. 900 bushels.
The cost of grains for feeding live
stock has increased to such an ex-
tent by reason, OF transportation diff.
culties. Mr.. Hoover says. that feeders
are confronted. with the prospect of
serious losses Dairying interests. too.
he declares. are hard hit.
Potatoes, the food administrator
declares, are spelling in the produc4
ers hands. while consumers have
been supplied only from summer gar
den crops and stores carried over.
Mr. Hoover's statement follows:
I'm response to many inquiries ] |
BEG to say It is true that since the
first of December We have fallen fai
behind our agreed food program with
the allies. BY the end OF February
we will he short $4,000. 900 bushels In |
cereal products which we undertook
as Our share Of their supplies. We will |
also DO short an amount OF meat and |
pork products that we were to de
liver. This deficiency Is due solely to
the railway congestion since that date
The railway directorate since coming
Into control on January has made
efforts TO find a remedy but during
the month of January the weathe,
was insuperable and although prog
ress has been made since the fifth
February. tho situation is the accu-
mutation OF three months delays
Tho next so days will be the most
critical period In our food history.
The simple fact Us that the problem
goes far deeper than supplies to the
allies. During the last three months
we have fallen far behind In move
ment OF foodstuffs from the farms to
the consumer and storage centers
Up to the first of February less than
% per cent. OF the normal ratio o.
corn has been moved: less than 81
per cent OF the oats and less than so
per cent OF the potatoes. From No
vember 1 TO January we were short
In tho usual movement OF grain and
grain products into the terminals by
over 10000 car loads-over 100.
100000 bushels and this further ag.
Furthermore this year we have tn,
the terminals.
furthermore. this year we have TN,
largest percentage OF soft corn IN
many years and though we have q
record crop OF corn. q considerable
portion OF the soft corn will be lost
by spoIlIng Unless II can be moved in
the next 90 days to the drying termi-
nails. The least amount of arnin tina,