The Alaska daily empire., 1920-12-29
FEDERAL CONTROL
 OF FOOD DEALERS IS RECOMMENDED
Fedefal Trade. Commission Declares. U. s. Action [.
 AtnOnce Is Needed.

WASHINGTON, Dcc. Z5.--EStdu- lishment of central markets for perishable food products in all large cities and the setting up of a Fed eral system applicable to all deal CTS in such foods at those markets is proposed by the Federal Trade Commission in it's annual report today to Congress.
 The commissions conclusions are based on an investigation covering many months and it declares that Federal kaction. is necessary to ob- tain effective regulation and to avoid unfair and wasteful practices with the consenp ent effect on prices. In the present system the commis- sion sees as a hinderance to the proper passage of perishables from the producer to the consumer cer- tain inter-trade dealings which 1t believes should be eliminated and it suggests that the handling of these products be, surrounded by numerous, regulations and restric- tions such as the recording of avail able supplies, the, dating ofs-cold storage periods and provisions for auction marketing. tstef
 Facilities should be made ade- quate, .the commission says, to en- able the producer to ship freely into tKe central markets and with proper protection of his interests v The marketing system should be so governed that objectionable hoard ing would be eliminated and pro per coordination of transportation facilities should be accomplished to make deliveries certain when re- quired.
 Co-0peration Doubtful.
 The commission says that the needed reforms can hardly be ex- pected to be accomplished by the initiative of the dealers" and as serts that state and municipal authorities Jack adequate power to effectively regulate the handling of the food supplies. Although coop eration of state and local authori- ties and railroads might accomplish the ends sought, the commission believes this plan does not hold out much hope for satisfactory solution of the problem.
 Turning to wheat products, the commission says it has found that concentration of the milling in- dustry has progressed far enough so that probably ten of the largest milling concerns could supply the demand of the country for flour. '" The commission mentions incident ally that its figures from 37 mill ing corporations showed that their sales had increased from 160,000,- 900 to $354, 900 between 1914 and 1918 while their annual profits had grown from $5,500,000 to $20,- 0,OO0 in the same period.
 Records of the commission seem to demonstrate, the report con tinues, "that the criticism so often charged against United States ex- porters of failing to cultivate and maintain permanent trade relations abroad and too often withdrawing from a particular foreign market as soon as more attractive oppor- tunities present themselves at home or elsewhere will not apply to as- sociations operating under the ex- port trade act.
 Export Trade Act O. K.
 "In reply to questionnaires sent out by the commission requesting an expression of opinion as to the actual working out of the export trade act, the replies received for the most part expressed satisfaction over results obtained under the law. It was reported that the sys- tenn of collective advertising and selling makes for the elimination of much useless expense and duplica- tion of effort. Several associations reported that their system of con ducting business abroad is meeting with the hearty approval of the foreign customers"
 The commission says also that the law instead of increasing the strength of the already great Amer