Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-03
s TO PUT THE PROFITEERS- IN FOODSTUFFS
AND OTHER NECESSITIES OUT OF BUSINESS

to win the war, through mobili-
zation Of industries and the system
of price agreements, which was
equivalent to price fixing.
There's one thing certain about
such plan-politics must not
enter into the operation Of such an
agency 1t is also certain that 1t
must be SO organized as not to be
dominated by any big interests
with a personal profit in the high
prices.
A Corner on Experts.
The United States FOOD Admins
tration did some. very effective
work during the war, and its very
existence made it possible often
times to thwart profiteering and
price manipulation. In Congress,
in official circles, even in the food
administration itself it was COM
mon talk that "the food admins
tration is packed with packers"
Perhaps an explanation Of this is
found in a Federal Trade Commits
sion report which points out that
through control Of more than 100
selling organizations and sub
troll the market for everything
from hides and candles to banjo
strings. II the packers thus
monopolize all Of the food-han-
ding agencies there are no food
experts available who are not
business associates Of the packers.
Be. that as it may. those who are
considering this solution-of cost
of necessities reduction admins
tration-are determined that it
must and will be free from any
I faint of packer control. Since the
report to Congress by the Federal
Trade Commission on the menace
of the big packers 1t is hard to
make any one believe that the big
five" have not been profiteering
tremendously in foodstuffs. 1t is
pointed out that it will be possi-
BILE to get a cost-of-living admin
with force of efficient and fear
less men. not controlled in any
way by the packers; and in proof
those who are urging this plan
point to the Federal Trade Com
mission, which has come out most
strongly in expose of the packers
system and charged them with do
ing about everything that packers
and proper business men ought not
to do.
Add to Meat Costs.
Those who have been studying
the food situation, particularly
with view to government action,
point out that besides whatever
sins of corporate conspiracy, mar
ket manipulation. price agreement,
ETC.. the packers may be found
guilty Of, there are also very
serious costs that can be reduced
and from which the consumers
might benefit.
Some Of these costs are due to
the system of establishing pack
ing centers. Cattle from Texas
have to be hauled to Chicago or
Denver and the meat shipped back
to Texas. All cattle from New
England have to be hauled to Chi
\ cago and the meat hauled back.
All this transportation has to be
paid for and every person handling
the cattle or meat products has to
get pay, thus increasing always
the cost to the consumer.
Men from Buffalo or from Dem
yer, or from Florida or from Cali
fornia are visiting government Of
ficials or writing to them or to
their congressman asking why
these long transportation prac-
tees, necessitating iced cars, ETC.,
cannot be minimized and a decen-
tralized packing system estab-
lished.
The same is true with regard to
oranges from California-they are
Grated in. California and shipped
clear across the continent and then
shipped back for retail
Here's another illustration: The,
deputy inspector of markets In
New York city was here during the
week. He complained that on the
docks where the produce comes I'm,
say from Long Island, motor
trucks have to stand at one end
of the dock. The produce is un-
loaded at the other. The trucks
cannot go under trafic system
and get the produce, but must
wait for the stevedores to handle
1t couple of times. In the mean
while motor trucks by the hun
dreds. with chauffeurs who get at
least $35 a week, are kept stand
ing idle-so much invested capi-
tai not at work.
So it is not the cost Of the prod
nee at the farm that makes the
high cost of living, but the trans
portation cost and the cost of Ia
Dor in handling 1t several times
between producer and consumer.
The reduction. to a minimum of
this intermediate expense is going
to go long way toward reducing
the costs Of living.
A system of licensing under such
cost of living administrator is
being considered as a good way to
reduce profiteerfng-a sort of sys-
tenn by which offenders would be
thrown into moral bankruptcy.