The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-09
TOMATO PRICE ASSAILED
Senators smith And salisbury Take
Up AIMS Fo" Glower-Would Cut
supply, They say.

Washington. March Sena OTIS
John Walter Smith. Of Maryland:
Willard Salisbury, OF Delaware, and
Reed. OF Missouri, brought the re-
cent order of the army and navy pur-
chasing agents. fixing the price Of
tomatoes at SCI a ton. before the
Senate today and questioned the
authority of the Government to take
such drastic action. These Senators
represent States engaged largely IN
the growing and packing of toma-
toes. and each has received an alrI-
full of protests, the burden Of which
is that $21 ton is price which
will drive many of the packers OFT
of business and will, at the same
time, make it Improbable for the
growers TO raise their crops.
The debate developed the fact that
The Federal Food Administration is
responsible for the price fixed, the
order of that agency being accepted
by the War and Navy Departments as
the basis for their contracts. Sena-
tor Reed brought the matter to the
attention of the Senate, with the
declaration that the Food Admins
tration had exceeded the authority
this product.
In this connection Senator Sauls-
bury offered resolution, which de-
clared that the Food Administration
had published an order for the gui-
dance of army and navy officials,
limiting the price of tomatoes at S21
a ton; that the growers assumed that
this price had thereby been fixed by
the Government; that it was obvi-
ously below the actual cost of pro-
duction, and that its effect would be
to contract the size Of the crop and
create an unfortunate shortage in
the tomato market.
In view of these facts, the Saufs-
bury resolution directs the Senate
Committee on Agriculture to ascer-
tain by what authority and for what
purpose the order of the Food Ad-
ministration was issued, and what
effect it would have upon the pro-
duction of tomatoes during the COM
ing season.
Senator Salisbury, addressing the
Senate, pointed out it's importance to
the people of Delaware, Maryland
and New Jersey, where about 50 per
cent of the entire tomato pack is
grown. Of the 1,311,341 tons of to-
matoes packed in the country Mary
land, Delaware and New Jersey pack
ed 1888 tons, the largest amount
coming from Maryland.
Senator Salisbury read state
ment showing that in Kent county,
Del, on a production of three tons
per acre the cost to the farmer is
$3.50, so that under the price fixed
by the Government the loss to the
farmer for growing a crop would be
$14.90 an acre.
Senator Smith followed Mr.. Sauls-
bury in brief statement, saying that
he regarded Mr.. Saulsbury's resolu-
ton as very kindly.
Whether the Food Administra
ton has power to fix prices or not
does not matter to a very great eX-
tent with regard to this resolution"
he said. ct has gone out to the
people of my State, and l want to
say that l represent, in part, State
that produces more tomatoes than
any other State in the Union; that
the price of tomatoes has been fixed.
The Maryland farmers tell me they
cannot raise them at that price, and
it has made very bad effect upon
their minds. The possibilities are
that unless this impression is very
promptly corrected, it will decrease
the amount of tomatoes raised, not
only in Maryland, but in every State
in the Union. Last year people paid
far more than this year for tOma-
toes, and if the belief becomes fixed
that S21 is the price that will be
paid this year, not one-half the to-
matoes will be raised that the Gov
eminent needs. 1 sincerely hope that
this matter can be arranged prompt
ly with the Food Administration SO !
that the minds of the farmers can be
and this action must be
taken without delay, because now is !
the time when the farmers are about
to make their contracts with the
packers for the years acreage of to-
matoes."
Senator Frelin ghuysen, of New
Jersey; Senator Smith, of Georgia, |
and Senator Shafroth, of Colorado,
also Endorsed the resolution.