The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-30
Former Food Administrator
Thinks 1t Will Be Estab-
lished Soon
GREAT SURPLUS
IN THE COUNTRY
More Food Stored Today Than Ever
Our Distributing System the Most
Expensive of the World Cities
Can't Control Prices.

Expensive OF Cne WOTlu - SltlcS
Can't Control Prices.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30.-"I
should not be surprised to see some
form of government food control in
stituted within the next three or four
MONTHS" said Ralph P. Merritt, for
mer United States food administrator
for California, in a recent address be-
fore the Commonwealth club of Cali
fornia. The announced intention of the
United States attorney general to pros
ecute all eases of boarding and profit
eering has. been without visible re-
suits, he said, Sin spite of the known
fact that there is a greater volume of
foodstuffs stored in this country today
than there ever has been at this period
of the year. :" The speaker also as
serted that 1--WE have today surplus
of foodstuffs even beyond the necessi-
ties of this country
In calling attention to other import
| ant phases of the food situation in the
United States Mr.. Merritt said that
| it is estimated that 90 per cent of the
school children of San Francisco are
| unable to obtain fresh milk, which is
| now selling for 10 cents a quart. -Four
years ago butter substitutes were al
most unknown in California, the maxi
mum sale never exceeding 100000
pounds a year, he said, while during the
present year the sale of these products
viii exceed 100000 pounds and may
reach 20,000,000 pounds.
The speaker reasons for believing
that government food regulation may
be necessary were stated in part as fol
lows: cit is idle to talk of munich
pal or state control of food prices
Prices have no regard for geography
That there is something wrong with our
system of distribution of food product,
is amply proven by the fact that tn,
cost of the distributing system now il
vogue in this country is greater thar
that of any other country in. the worlt
and this remains true even though sw
may exclude speculative profits.
1--WE have today a surplus of food
stuffs even beyond the necessities o
this country. Europe needs food il
exchange for its manufactured pro
ducts. If we do not sell our surplus
e prices of food will temporarily cras
and the producer will be the most sc
: verely hurt, with the consequent redue
2 ton in production which will mean i
? turn another wave of rising prices
If Europe purchases through synd
cate buying power br governments
} | agencies in our markets it will tend t
sustain or even increase our preser
food levels. These are the two poss
bilities either a stagnation of the ma
II ket and a crash in prices temperate
! benettlng the consumer and permanent
ly injuring the producer, or else Il
!. sustaining of the present market {
even an increase in present prices
Europe becomes an active purchase
II Both of these courses should be avoids
s. and the only conclusion is that the
3 must be temporary control on Il
part of the government of the pric
of and exports of foodstuffs
K "That control will have for its pu
I'd pose either the sustaining of reaso
able price to the producer in the eve,
: that there is no world buyer for t
American farmers product or else t
control of exports for the protection
the American consumer. | do n
know which form the control will taI
but present indications point to sor
form of control until Europe shall ha
harvested another crop and shall ha
stabilized her own affairs