The sun., 1919-08-15

tits country.
! Mr.. Good said he believed one OF the
most important roots of the high cost
OF living evil' Is the handling Of the
wheat crop by the Grain Corporation,
which through its vast powers absolute
II controls the bread markets of the
country He believes the 81 900, 000, 900
| fund that Congress appropriated TO
guarantee s226 wheat to farmers and
provide for the resale of wheat or flour
to the people at reasonable cost should
be used as he says Congress intended, for
a wheat or flour subsidy, in order that
bread may be cheaper.
Prices Given 10 Public.
In asking for S5O2.O60 Secretary of
Agriculture Houston submitted his plan
for Informing the public regularly OF fair
retail prices Of food. He plans 20 dis
! trihhte this information from twenty
! large cities, and requested $125, 900 spe-
cihcally for this work. In addition he
asked Sl19,660 for price news service
on fruit and vegetables, 500, 400 on
stocks and meats, $50. 900 on dairy prod
ucts, $4,000 on cold storage supplies and
STS,0O0 for cereals, sugar and canned
goods
TO he Of value supply and price in
|
community must be made available In
that community daily or at least two
or three times a week." Mr. Houston
wrote to the House, THE information
for the benefit of consumers must be
published In the newspapers OF the city,
since in no other way can large numbers
OF consumers be reached The informa-
ton for the benefit Of farmers. which
through its tendency to stabilize the
market and prevent loss also benefits
consumers, must be mimeographed and
| got into the hands of the farmers either
through the mails or by distribution on
| farmers markets
1T is believed this can he best ac-
complished by establishing a service in
the largest cities of the country, since
one organization in very large city
can reach several times the number of
consumers that could he reached by a
single organization in a city of moderate
size. The sum indicated above is based
| on service in twenty of the largest
| cities, probably New York. Chicago Phil
aoelphia. st. Louis. Boston. Cleveland.
Baltimore. Pittsburg. Los Angeles. Buff
falo San Francisco, Milwaukee, Cincin-
natl. New Orleans. Minneapolis, Wash
! ington. Seattle, Kansas City, Portland.
Oregon and Indianapolis.
The cities of Newark and Jersey City
| are not included because it is felt that
prices published in New York will be
| more or less applicable to them.
There are being maintained at pres
ent at the expense of the State of Con-
necticut services similar to those for
| which these estimates provide in the CT
les of New Haven. Bridgeport. Water
bury and Norwich. The bureau of mar
kets maintains cooperative relations with
"A
coordinated with the larger work for
which these estimates arc submitted.
Storage REPORTS Lacking.
THE cold storage reports now issued
by the Department do not cover the
q ound as adequately and are not is-
sued as promptly as desirable. With an
appropriation of $4,000 complete reports
will be issued at an earlier date than IL
now possible certain important com
modities will be reported twice month
and tabulations also will be made show
,ng the monthly movement In and out o.
storage With the proposed appropria-
lion reports from the Far West viii be
sent in by telegraph and delinquent firms
also will be communicated with by wire
II this is done II will be possible to pub
lish the summary on the 10th OF the
month.
Information regarding movement OF
products in and out OF storage cannot
he tabulated with the present force. al
though II is now obtained. 1t is be-
lieyed monthly reports should be issued
to show the stocks of important food
commodities held by elevators, mills,
warehouses and wholesale dealers.
These reports would show the quantity
of certain commodities held in storage
or stock each month. the number OF firms
byswhom held and would give compare
tive figures for the current and preceding
year. Among commodities to be re-
ported would be wheat. corn, oats, bar
ley rye. wheat -four, white, whole wheat
and graham -four. barley -four, rye flour.
corn -four. sc. beans, rice. rolled oats.
canned salmon. canned tomatoes. canned
corn, sugar, condensed milk and evapo-
rated milk.
THE Department feels that service OF
much value in the present emergency
can be rendered to the country at this
time By the conduct Of its market news
services on fruits and vegetables and
live stocks and meat on adequate scales.
The services facilitate distribution and
| furnish information which makes 1t pos
sible to avoid market gluts. Their OPP
Grafton has a most important bearing on
| the problem or supplying the markets in
| large cities with fresh food
The need for the $4,000 was stated
| by Director Philip b. Kennedy Of the
| Bureau of Domestic and Foreign Com
| mere thus: THE bureau would, II
| funds requested are made available, I'M
| dertake to have its statistics of imports
and exports analysed and put into con-
venient and Understandable form that
could be readily assimilated by the pub
| lie. and would also employ economists to
! study the situation in the light Of such
statistics and other information gathered
by our commercial attaches and special
| agents and consular officers with a view
| to pointing out wherein the public could
be benefited by improved methods Of dis.
tribution, marketing and conservation"
Palmer stirs Opposition.
Attorney-General Palmers appearance
before the Senate Agricultural Commit
tee stirred UP hornets nest about the
Presidents chief legal adviser. The
ttorney-General had appeared in advo-
cacy OF new legislation, to continue In
force as we'll as to ampllfy the existing
food control act He found In Senators
Smith Is C.), Smith (Ga) and Rams
| dell (La.) bitter opponents of any fur
ther Federal regulation of the commodi-
ties markets They told Mr. Palmer
bluntly they did not think much of his
plans.
Republican committee members re.
manned to great extent outside the
general discussion. leaving to the Demo.
cratic trio the Office OF inquisltors of the
! Attorney General.
L