Evening journal., 1919-07-30
I|O0USE ORDERSARMYi
FOOD SURPLUS SOLD
Sl24,O0O. .000in Meats and
Canned Goods to Hit
Living Cost
TO DISTRIBUTE
BY PARCEL POST

I ffsA1iiitNb t-Nf duit ov- ht nlnt
definite Congressional action 10 try TO
bring down the high cost Of living was
taken last night.
BY a vote Of 266 TO tie House or
! dered Secretary OF War Baker 10 place
on sale forthwith" in the markets Of
this country exclusively the War De
parime1t's huge surplus OF food. totall-
ing about Si2iOO0.OO0 worth OF canned
meats and vegetables. The action was
taken by a House resolution. reported
out after an investigation by the special
committee on War Department ex-
penditures, and now goes direct 10
Secretary Baker as it does not require
Senate approval.
Just before the final vote was taken
the House adopted an amendment Of
Representative Kelley Pa. independ-
ent. providing that the governments
parcel post system shall be used in the
sl8siributiOn OF the food Mr.. Kelley
rccently proposed that prices Of the
eood be posted in all post offices, and
that orders for delivery by parcel post
from the warehouses where the sup
plies are now stored be taken by post
masters or postal employees. The Kelley
amendment was adopted by a vote Of
iJ2 10 i3O
The resolution, which 10 is asserted
VIII bring down food prices because of
its increase TO the available food supply
Of the country, was adopted after a Bit
Ter seyen-hOur partisan debate. Re
publicans attacked War Department
officials for their delay in marketing
The food at time when il could have |
reduced prices. while Democrats re-
piled the supplies could not be sold |
throughout the country until Congress !
had made a large appropriation for an !
extensive distribution system
They sought 90 amend the resolution I
by providing that the matter be re- |
ferred TO the appropriations committee. !
but this was voted down. 80 90 IA. /
Those voting against the final passage /
Of the bill were an DemOcrats-Garber
feX). Garrett Tenn Humphreys
Miss and Dominick s. c.. other
Democrats who talked against the reso-
luton voted for a.
IN addition 10 the passage Of The
resolution. assaults on the high cost OF
living were made along other lines. in
dicaiing that the cOClinuance OF war
prices and increases over war figures
in some instances are questions that are
forcing upon themselves the attention
OF Congress.
Representative Wood Indl intro
duced a resolution calling on the Presi-
dent 10 submit 90 The House an facts
corcerning The agreement OF The Food
Will the packers or any
other government agency 90 protect
from law Gamers packers and other
dealers in food supplies Mr.. Wood
'eferred 10 the agreement Of the War
Department with The National Gamers |
Association TO keep about 2000O00O0 J
ans OF vegetables 9nf the market until
ate This fall
The ilCht over the passage OF the reso-
uiion ordering the sale by the War
Department centred around these :
'harges. which We're made by Repre-
sentative Reayis fNebl. chairman OF
he special Subcommittee investigating
supplies and which were
igOr0usly denied by ihe Democrats.
That u was the policy Of Secre-
iary Of War Baker 10 withhold the
/ food from The market 10 protect
ca-ncrS packers and other food
/ dealers
That the War Department entered
into a definite agreement with Frank
Gerber. president OF The National
Gamers Association. 20 keep all
army canned vegetables or the mar
kct until after canning season this
fall
That the War Department after
c0-sulting only The big packers.
\promised 90 use IFS efforts TO dis
pose of the food abroad and that
Herbert Hoover as administrator Of
foreign relief was asked 10 buy the
food IN this country and ship it 90
France despite the fact that The
IA. +. T. had a large surplus there
That the War Department duib-
bird over Just how much surplus
I'D had until late in May. an The
tine knowing at The time OF the
Wmisiics supplies were on hand for
5000 600 men for eight months.
That large quantities OF the food
Baltimore and Norfolk. Va, in
(udirg J0OO00 pounds Of ham and
considerable bacon have spoiled as
he result Of the delay and that The
rsl Of the food VIII begin to
,eteriorats unless placed on the
markets i'm the near future.
.ir. Rcays, in making the main
mech on the resolution, claimed that
lt department. had Communicated 10
u cent. Of the nations food supply
Prices scared as a result Of the TAX
T Of this 40 per cert. out Of the nor
nl supply" Mr.. Beavis continued.
lriccs were bound to go up. There
re, why didn't they put back the 10
sr cent. when the armys need for 1t
B longer existed. even though IL might
siurb industrial conditions? Prices :
'ere sent up by taking IL out; why II
iquldn't they be sent down by put II
hs IL back? III
But The department finally did d I'LL
la'e a surplus OF meat and finally SOB
10 position whsre 10 could be sold
rlt then said that there was no do
esiic market Tor this meat. that %
as put mp in two pound cans. while |
le American people had been educated
use eight or ten ounce cans Our
sople wouldn't buy IT, they said II
~ quantity Of This meat was put on
lie at Newport News recently and The |
Dple broke down the doors tryiEg TO III
~ %. The sale was started at 2
clock in The morning and by i2 o'clock