New-York tribune., 1919-08-17
Profteering By
Officials Hinfed
T'uo Employees OF Food
Bureau Said TO HGue
Been Forced to RESIGN

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-Evidencc
at secret investigation of the pur-
chase of beans for the Food Admins-
tration during the war so incensed
julius H. Barnes of New York. presi-
dent of the United States Grain Cor
poratlon, that he comp siled ,wo en-
ployes Of the administre ion 70 resign.
the Senate and House Agricultural
committees were told today by G. A.
Turner, president of the California
Bean Growers Association.
Asked if it was nc true that the
two men had been proiteering little
IN beans Mr.. Turner said that in view
Of the fact that the Investigation was
secret he preferred not to say what the
findings were
The names of the men were not dis
closed. Mr.. Turner said, however. that
ne believed the evidence taken during
the investigation was in the hands of
the Department Of JUSTICE
California Growers Losers
MIR Turner told the committee Cali
losses through the governments fail
ure to purchase beans from them dur
ing the war The Belgian Relief and
the American army bought Oriental
beans while Americana grown beans re
NAMED unsold he said, and, as a con
sequence, production in California this
year Will be about half of normal
j K. Howard, president of the Iowa
Farm Bureau Federation, appeared as
spokesman for the committee recently
appointed at a conference of farmers
from Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and
Illinois. Denying the farmers were re-
sponsible for present conditions, Mr..
Howard said:
"lhe high cost of living is due to a
stagnation in production of manufac-
tured goods and prepared foodstutfs.
Every labor strike that shuts down
any plant engaged in the preparation
of foods or the making of clothing,
that shuts down q mine or mill, adds
to the high cost Of living.
Capital and Labor Cited
"lf capitalistic monopoly wants
enough food produced that it may be
feasted, if organized labor wants food
produced that it may be fed, if the do
nothing dawdlers want enough food
produced so they may occasionally eat,
let them stand forth now at this time,
when the farmer must determine his
1920 food production programme, and
declare by deeds-cutting out protiteer-
ing IN goods and wages, going honestly
to the business of preparing and pur-
veying the necessities Of life, going
honestly to the JOB of doing a full
days work for a full days pay-their
Willingness to cooperate Failure of
these forces to do this now will be q
boomerang that ere the next cycle of
the seasons will effect a condition of
living now undreamed Of
"EXtravagant profits of middlemen
and lack of ordinary economy among
the peonle generally were named by
Mr.. Howard as contributory causes Of
the high cost Of living.
Mr.. howard also deplorcd the veto Of
the act TO repeal the daylight saving
law, and said the Presidents statement
in his veto message, in effect placing
agricultural production second in i'm
portance to industrial production,
would discourage many farmers and
probably result in decreased production
on the farms.
Legislation Recommended
A. Nj. Loomis, a representative OF the
National Grange, told the committee
the farmers OF the country were
alarmed over the trend of proposed
Federal legislation. He made num-
Der of suggestions as TO proposed leg
islation to countcract the influence Of
the present agitation, and thereby in
crease food production They in
cluded:
l. Wheat price regulation and all
fixing on any primary food or cloth
ing material to be abandoned at end
OF present crop season
,. All restrictions and regulations
based on warpowers OF Congress,
Included in food administration ac-
tivities, to be- terminated immedi-
QtelY.