Evening star., 1925-05-08
BRITISH CONTROL
. OF FOOD PROPOSED
Commission Submits Drastic
Plan to Curb Gouging
After Study.
By the Associated Press.


LONDON, May S.-The Royal Food
Commission, which for many weeks
has been hearing evidence regarding
food prices, today issued it's reports
one ma ajority and two minority.
The majority report, signed with
various reservations by Chairman
Auckland Geddes and other members
of the commission, recommends the
establishment of food council TO
maintain supervision over the staple
food trades. This principal recon-
dominates most of the sug-
gestions made.
The commissioners recommended
that the food council closely watch
future developments in connection
with the Importation of meat from
Argentina.
Government May Intervene.
They think it may become necessary
for the government TO intervene,
either by acquiring a controlling in
terest in the British companies operat-
ing in Argentina or in some other
way, if at any time the supply of
chilled and frozen meat from this
source should be dominated by an ad
verse trading combination.
In connection with the baking and
distribution of bread, the commission
recommends that the food council
investigate the apparent overlapping,
maintain close supervision and in
tervene when prices tend to become
unreasonable: watch the operations of
the milling and price-fiXing associa
tions and intervene If necessary in the
interests of the consumer.
The suggestion is made that the
port authorities give careful consid-
Grafton to their port charges on wheat,
with a view if possible to making re-
ductions in the near future.
Statistics Are Asked.
The committee recommends that
the proprietors of cold storage plants
be required to furnish statistics of
the stocks of meat held, these figures
to be published If the food council so
decides.
1t may be desirable, the ma jority
report continues, to discuss with the
Dominion governments the possibility
of encouraging the flow of food from
the DominionS to the markets here,
in the interests both of the producer
and the consumer.
l.
should exercise itsfinfluence to insure
the continuous study of international
food problems by the economic sec
tions of the League of Nations, and
the preparation of periodical reports
for the council of the league.
A minority report by r. II. Ryland
maintains that the real issue is social
ism versus the competitive system,
and asserts that the proposal to con-
stitute a food council is a definite
advance in the direction of State
socialism.
Sees Burden to Taxpayers.
Mr.. Ryland says the ma jority pro-
posals provide all the setting for the
creation of another Government de-
partment of first-class dimensions,
which would be certain to be bur-
den on the taxpayers, and believes
that any useful action could be as
efficiently and economically carried
out by the existing departments
The other minority report. signed
by Walter Smith, suggests the Gov
ernment take open responsibility for
the supplies and prices of food; that
figures showing the stocks of meat in
cold storage be regularly published,
and that imports of wheat and flour
be centralized in the hands of a stat
utory import board and meat imports
similarly centralized.
The country, he holds, should ac-
quire meat refrigerating works in
South America, as recommended by
previous committees, and the milling
industry should be formed into stat
utory corporation, the mill owners
possessing the debentures and the
Government a majority of the ordi-
nary shares.
Favors Municipal Shops.
Local authorities should have power
to open municipal bread and meat
shops, and a food council should be
established strongly representative of
the working class customers.
Dealing with the growth of trade
combines, Mr.. Smiths report refers
to the American meat trust" and the
British Wesley group. and says it
seems clear that the object of this
combine now is to prevent the total
quantity of chilled beef reaching this
country from being in excess of what
the country can assimilate on profit.
able terms"