The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-03-01
ADMINISTRATION is NOT PRICE
FIXING BODY EXCEPT IN GER.
TAIN COMMODITIES.
WHEAT AND SUGAR CONTROLLED
Reports Widely Circulated of Inten-
tion to Fix Prices on Products of
Soil Has Caused Decrease in Acre
age in South.

County Food Administrator John p
Graham has received the following
letter from State Food Administrator
H. A. Morgan
To County Food Administrators:
You should give the very widest
possible publicity to the message OF
Mr.. Hoover issued this morning to the
producers, of the nation. In that mes
sage Mr.. Hoover allays the apprehen-
sion felt among the people that the
Food Administration might through
price fixing discourage the maximum
of production. Mr.. Hoover says:
II wish to say at once and emphat-
ically that the Food Administration is
not price fixing body except with re-
gard to certain commodities which are
today dominated by wholly abnormal
Ioverseas commercial relations and the
surrounding factors with regard to
which are such as to project great
dangers both against the farming
community and the same time the con-
suming community"
1.-The two commodities under regu-
lation are sugar and wheat. With the.
further exception of cases in which 1t
has interviewed purely as friendly
intermediary between organized pro-
ducers and consumers the Food Adj
ministration has no authority and no
desire to fix prices on the products
of agriculture.
In wheat we are faced with a sim
gle purchasing agency whose proper
tionate purchases to the whole were
such as to dominate the price. Any
relationship with this agency by our
officials in limiting their operations
thus becomes absolute price fixing,
and it becomes question as to wheth-
er it would be done openly and frank
ly with our producing community or
done secretly at the will of Govern
ment officials.
"In the matter of sugar 1t has been
common business prudence to join
with Allies in definite contract, with
the Cuban authorities as to price,
rather than leave it to fluctuations
which would arise from short supplies
and irregular shipping facilities.
"The Food Administration has been
actively engaged in the elimination of
'profiteering and speculation in the dis
tributing trades by regulating the
profits on a pre-war basis A still
greater duty has been the mainten-
"ance of an even course of food distri-
button, in these times of the greatest
dislocution. The law of supply and
demand has been seriously interfered
with during the last three months by
virtue of cumulative irregularity and
disturbance in railroad transportation
anu COuStquouL uCidy VI III
marketing the harvest"
Reports widely circulated of the in
tention of the Food Administration
to enter into wholesale price fixing on
the products of the soil might have
tendency in the South especially to
decrease the production of food pro-
ducts and to increase the acreage in
cotton. Farmers should make every
effort to increase production of food
stuff not only as patriotic duty but
because they are assured of the best
returns that they have ever received
for their crops.
There is general misapprehension
of the functions of the Food Admins
tration. Many people seem to think
that it's prime object is the regula-
tion of prices. That is not true. The
first consideration with the FOOD Ad-
ministration is the conservation and
equitable distribution of food sup
ply inadequate to meet the normal
needs of this great emergency. 1t
does stop profiteering. 1t insists
upon only fair and reasonable mar
gins between producers and consum-
ers, but except in the cases of wheat
and sugar it has done no price fixing |
Although it has brought about agree
ments that have lowered the cost of
living. The people should never for
a moment lose sight of the prime pur-
pose of the Food Administration |
which is conservation.
You will give this to your newspa-
pers, have it read at any meeting of
farmers or producers and use any
other method that will increase its
circulation.
Faithfully yours.
H. A. MORGAN.