The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-06-17

finally offered for sale to the public
Eo eager were the people to buy 1t
that they almost tore the doors from
the storehouses.
Unholy Alliance With Gamers As
ISOLATION.
The National Gamers association
became much disturbed lest this enor-
nous quantity of vegetables should
be dumped upon the market, thereby
disturbing industrial conditions" in
the vegetable market and the testi-
mony shows that the president of the
association, one Frank Gerber, wrote
a letter to General II. J. Rogers. pro-
t. sting That letter was referred to
Colonel A. NJ Davis director of stor-
age quartermaster corps of the war
department. an officer of this admin
istraton. who wrote the following let
ter in reply:
"War Department,
Purchase. Storage and Traffic Division
Office Of the Director of Purchase and
Storage.
Washington. d. c., March II, 1919.
Mr. Frank Gerber,
President National Gamers Assn,
Washington d. c.
my Dear Mr.. Gerber: Your letter
of March IS TO Major General II. J.
Rogers has been delivered to me for
lreply. 1 am glad to be able TO relieve
your mind on the subject of any sur
plus canned vegetables to be dumped
on the market
Acting along lines suggested by
You. canned peas. corn. squash and
string beans will be added to the ra-
ton list, which has always contained
tomatoes This will entirely dispose
of our stock and eliminate surplus.
81 trust this letter will relieve your
mind and those of your associates in
the Gamers association.
Yours very truly
"A. NJ DAVIS.
Colonel, Quartermaster Corps, Di-
rector of Storage"
Colonel Davis was called before the
committee Of congress investigating
war expenditures. was asked to ex-
plain the meaning of such letter His
testimony indicates that it was the
purpose of the war department, in Or
der to avoid the danger of disturbing
Industrial conditions. to dispose Of
this enormous quantity of vegetables
so as to prevent them from coming
upon the food market in this coun-
try and in this connection the fol-
lowing extract from his testimony is
interesting;
Mr.. Reavis: That is, you mean
that the American people would have
no opportunity of buying this sur
plus?"
~col. Davis; That is the point ex-
actly"
"Alr Reavis: And that was done to
protect the canners?"
"Col Davis: Yes. sir"
Administrative camouflage.
Think of such evidence showing
that officials in Washington were
holding food and trying to sell it in
Europe in order to keep from reduc-
ing prices of food in the United
states. And that at time when the
people of this country were led to be-
heve that the administration was do
ing everything within it's power to
reduce the high cost of living.
Sold Our Sugar Abroad at 2 Cents
Pound.
You viii doubtless recall that dur
ing the sumemr and fan of last year
tho supply of sugar in this country
was so short that sugar was selling
for 20 cents per pound and that the
public was subjected to rations even
at that price and yet the testimony
taken by the committee shows that
during the same period the war de-
partment sold 100000 pounds of
rather than hazard industrial condi-
lions by shipping it home and plac-
ing it upon the American market.
More Camouflage.
The testimony shows that when the
armistice was igned our government
had i'm France foodstuffs, clothing,
textiles, automobiles and other sup
plies Of an approximate value of 81
600. 600 600 and that the representa-
tives of this administration sold that
enormous quantity of supplies to the
French government for 100000 O00 !
or 20 per cent of its real value on
long-term payments in order to avoid |
disturbing industrial conditions in
this country.
Let Hoarded Supplies Spoil.
Not only has the administration in |
power and for which the democratic |
party is responsible. kept millions of |
dollars worth of foodstuffs off the
American market in order to avoid
disturbing industrial conditions, but
it has permitted large quantities of
this foodstuh to spoil thereby de-
priving the people of its use. 1 do
not know to what extent this waste
has gone. but the evidence taken by
the committee on war expenditures
shows that 100000 pounds of ham
were permitted TO spoil in the store
houses at Baltimore and 1,49z00O
pounds of bacon We're destroyed in the
same way at Norfolk, Va