New Britain herald., 1925-05-08
BRITAIN MAY TAKE
 CONTROL OF FOOD
Establishment of Council for
 Supervision Recommended
REGULATE MEAT AND BREAD
Opening of Public Shops For Sale Of Necessities Of Life Suggestcd-- Fear of State Socialism Expressed By T. H. Ryland
By The Associated Press

l ] By T. H. Ryland
 By The Associated Press London, May 3.--The royal food
 commission. witch for many weeks
 has been hearing evidence regard , ing food prices, today issued its re- ports-one majority and two minor i ity.
 The majority report, signed with various reservations by Chairman Auckland Geddes and other mem. bcrs of the commission. recommends , the establishment of food council to maintain supervision over the staple food trades. This principal recommendation dominates most of
 the suggestions made. The commissioners recommend i that the food council closely watch future developments in connection with the importation of meat from
 the Argentine. They think 1t may become necessary for the govern- ment to intervene, either by acquir- 1 ing q controlling interest in the British companies operating in Ar gentina or in some other way. If at any time the supply of chilled and | frozen meat from this source should
 be dominated by an adverse trading combination.
 Control of Bread Prices In connection with the making and distribution Of bread, the com mission recommends that the food council investigate the apparent
 overlapping, maintain close supervi- 1 sion and intervene when prices tend to become unreasonable: watch the
 operations Of the milling and price, liking associations and intervene if
 necessary In the interests of the consumer.
 The suggestion is made that the port authorities give careful con
 sidera ton to their port charges on
 wheat with a view If possible 10 making reductions in the near fu- turc.
 The commission recommends that the proprietors ofcold storage plants
 be required 10 furnish statistics of
 the stocks of meat held, these fig
 ures to be published if the food council 30 decides.
 It may be desirable. the majority report continues, to discuss with the Dominion governments the pOsslbil' ity of encouraging the flow of food from the dominions to the markets here in the interests both of the producer and the consumer. The government, it Is suggested, should exercise it's influence to in- sure the continuous study of inter national food problems by the eCo- homie section of the League of Ma tions, and the preparation Of period teal reports for the council of the league.
 A minority report by T. H. Ky land maintains that the real issue is socialism versus the competitive sys- tenn, and asserts that the proposal 10 constitute a good council is a def nite advance in the direction of state socialism.
 Mir. Ryland declares the majority proposals provide all the setting for the creation Of another government department of first clnss dimensions which would be certain to be bur den on the taxpayers and entail the risk of seriously increasing the cost of the peoples food. He believes that any useful action could as eff cicntly and economically be carried ont hy the existing departments
 The Otter minority report, signed by Waiter Smith, suggests the gov ernmcnt take open responsibility for tho supplies and prices of food, that tignrcs showing Inc stocks Of meat In cold storage he regularly pub lished, and that imports of wheat and four h" centralized in the hands of q statutory import hoard and meat imports similarly centralized.
 This country, he holds, should ac- quirc meat rofrigcra'ing works in South America. as recommended hy previous committees, and the milling industry should be formed into statutory corporation. the mill own CTS possessing thc dehentures and the government a majority Of the ordinary shares.
 Municipal Bread and Meat Shops
 The local authorities should have power 10 opon municipal bread and
 meat shops. and food council should he established strongly rep resentative of the working class cus- toners.
 Dealing with the growth Of trade combines, Mr. Smiths report refers to tho "Amcrican meat trust" and the British Nestcy group, and says 1t seems clear that the object of this combine is now 10 prevent the total quantity of chilled heef reaching ihis country from being in exccss of what the country can assimilate on profit able terms"
 'In other words fhe combines object is to maintain sellers mar ket- We are now facing position in which st any timo an agreement between Inc two Erours might cs- tablIsh p virtual monopoly in our imported hset gUoriieS."