The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-23
Wanted--A Food Policy
Present Set-up Has and Still Is Shifting Tenn
PORTING Development of Policies Controlled
and Confused by Pressure Group
/ n f u e n c e.
tFrom The Connecticut Economic CounciD

Subsidies should be employed only
with limited number of the most
essential foods where serious
shortage is threatened. They should
in such cases be paid to producers
only and solely for the purpose of
encouraging production.
Subsidies may clear a bottleneCk
in production if they are applied at
the right spot They will lift pro-
duction only if they help to turn
loss into profit.
The Armed Forces and Lend
Lease must have all the food they
reasonably need, but no more. 1t is
right and proper that they should
be allowed a so per cent higher meat
hation than civilians. 1t should go
without saying that they should be
subject to reasonable restraint in Or
der to avoid unnecessary waste,
spoilage and boarding. The en-
forcement of proper standards can
not be left solely to military COM
manders, who do not see the whole
picture.
The control Of food should be
centralized under one food admins
traitor covering all sources of sup
ply and distribution in order to
avoid duplication of effort and the
conflict of authority. There are
now seven different government
agencies attempting to deal with
the various aspects of the problem.
They are building huge bureau
cracy, and with independent CEN
tiers of influence they create many
unnecessary conflicts and jealous
les
The value of ration coupons must
be adjusted frequently both by sea-
sons and regions. Fixed and equal
alotmentS per person must be set
during periods of acute shortage.
Rationing should be reduced to as
simple a system as possible and
limited to those foods which are eS-
entail to maintain health and vigor.
Ration points, if frequently re-
adjusted, may help to keep avail
able supplies in balance with de-
mand. AS fixed measures they do
not balance anything. A surplus of
ration points is only an aggravation
IN the absence Of supplies.
Prices should be controlled only on
foods which are essential. and the
prices should be those which will
return the maximum production.
The maintenance of standard of
living sufficient to keep the civilian
population in Vigor and adequate to
win tho &c flaNaoIa,o+
the amount of production, than on
the maintenance within rather mar
row ranges of prices designed to
protect the consumer.
Prices at every level of distribu-
ton must return a reasonable but
low profit, otherwise valuable agen-
cies of production and distribution
will be destroyed.
Both rationing and price fixing
are artificial restraints to be en-
ployed as little as possible. They
are contrary to the principles of a
free enterprise system; they are
bound to break down and result in
black markets, if they do not take
account of existing realities, and if
they are not reasonably enforced.
Prices like subsidies will best fer
tilize crops when applied at plant
ing time. Raising retail prices will
encourage production about as
much as manure spread on at har-
vest time.
Summary: The more nearly we
can approach to rationing which
actually measures existing supplies:
to prices and subsidies fixed on a
few essentials to secure greater
production of them; to individual
and conscientious adherence to wise
regulation under the urge OF the