Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-04-10
REGULATION OF
FOOD PRICES
Question Is Discussed by Members
of the Fortnightly Literary Club
Friday Night

Prices Advisable? is the question that
was discussed before the Fortnightly
Literary club ON Friday evening at
the home of DR.. and Mrs, G. T.
Thuerer. The affirmative side was
presented by DR.. Thuerer and the
negative by S. A. Pelton.
At the opening DR.. Thuerer said
when congress enacted the law under
which President Wilson created the
United States Food administration,
there apparently was no appreciation
among those in authority at Washing
ton that the foundation had been laid
for an economic revolution. 1t was
regarded as an emergency measure,
pure and simple, and it was so stated
in the enacting clause. AS further
proof the lawmakers did not aim be-
yond meeting the requirements OF
war, they wrote into the bill stipu-
lation that the provisions OF this act
shall cease to be in effect when the
existing state of war shall have terml-
mated.
The speaker told of great publicity
camnaign and how it had thrown
light into@ places that had persistently
remained dark, despite the more or
less determined efforts OF those III
authority. The American people nave
known for long time that something
was radically wrong with the food
nroblem-the most vital of all prob
lens to mankind. They had pretty
we'll defined idea that at some point
between the producer and consumer
some one was pocketing profits not
earned by service rendered. Dr.
Thuerer told of the work OF Mr..
Hoover and his assistants and be-
Ieved the work done during the war
would result in benefits that are per-
manent The food question is ana is
going to be one of vital problems. The
end of the war will bring a struggle
for commercial supremacy and much
depends on food, not only i'll this
country but abroad.
With an eye to the future, Tor the
protection from food gamblers and oth-
or evils. DR.. Thuerer looked for some
thing like the following to be put in
to- effect:
/ Coordination of effects to regu-
late and stimulate production.
Prevention of food gambling and
profteering.
8. Strict control Of the storage OF
food.
4. Full publicity Of costs at every
stage from producer to consumer.
s Prevention of boarding, with
holding from market, to include lar
mers and their associates.
e Direction Of shipments, with a
view of equalizing the supply.
Mr.. Pelton said Adam Smith wrote
one hundred and fifty years ago that
it was not from the benevolence OF
the butcher, the brewer, or the baker
that we expect our dinner. Man is
little better than beasts OF the held.
By labor man can produce a little
more than enough to sustain hlmSeh
and his family, and if he saved TINS
little it would enable him to produce
more The desire of man to. improve
his condition is the force that moves
the industrial world.
Some men try to better their con-
dition by getting others to better 1t
for them. They are burden 10
society. The more of them there are,
the poorer are the rest OF us, the
sneaker held. The great mass OF the
people better their condition by WORK.
Mr.. Pelton pointed out that millions
of dollars were spent in the dlstrlpu-
ton of millions of tons of printed
matter in this country during the war,
all kinds of appeals, and threats
heing made. Many were foolish.
While there were price regulations on
STABLES there was none on substitutes
The first effect of the wheat regula-
ton was to knock down the price,
wheat being kept below what 1t was
worth in the market. He said the
price fixing should begin at the point
of distribution and not at the produc-
ing end.
A survey made on 81 farms in one
dairy district in Wisconsin showed
that the return on a dollars worth OF
feed consumed by 1898 COWS in a con-
test varied from 50 cents to $21l.
The average of the best 10 was $2.3S
and the poorest 10 was Sill. Produc-
ton or the farm varies to a great
extent.
He told of the coal regulations dur
ing the war and what the failure was
in many respects.
In many cases price increases were
not iustifable. 1t was shown that
during the war shoes were sold TO
civilians at So to s12 a pair while
the government paid only $3.50 for
the same shoes.
The price of wool and other pro-
Eucts were discussed, it being shown
that price fixing often worked hard