minimum necessity of the allies. Even if this be done, the allies will be obliged to use substitutes for 150,000,000 bushels, precisely as we ourselves. It is to be hoped that America will be sufficiently patriotic so that the allies may be well off in the matter of that most fundamental food, bread, as are our own people.

REDUCE THE SUGAR USED.

For sugar, the problem is not so much that of substitution as reduction. If we eliminated confectionery altogether it would probably be a benefit rather than a detriment. The same may be said of sweet soft drinks. Sugar could be left out of tea or coffee or reduced to one-half or one-third of the amount now used. Beets and carrots contain much sugar, and an increase of their use will compensate for the decrease in sugar. With a little self-denial and thought on the part of all there would be no difficulty in reducing the daily consumption of sugar per person from 4 ounces to 3 ounces. If this be done the saving will this year give 1,100,000 tons of sugar to the allies.

Even if we make the reduction suggested we shall be using three times as much sugar as the allies. The only defense for not further reducing the amount of sugar on our part and giving the allies more than an ounce per day per person is the fact that this is all they have been accustomed to under war conditions.

REDUCE THE MEATS AND FATS.

The use of meats should be reduced by using beef, mutton, lamb, or pork only one meal each day; veal should not be used. The necessary saving in fats will come by reducing the amounts used of fat meat, butter, lard, etc. As partial substitutes for meat, beans and peas serve admirably; and an increase in their use and other legumes will decrease the amount of meat needed.

The consumption of all the available fish will help. Milk and cheese serve the same purpose as meat and fat. A saving of fat of one-third ounce per person per day would add in one year to our exports to the allies more than 375,000 tons.

INCREASE THE USE OF VEGETABLES.

Additional help in the matter of wheat, meat, fat, and sugar will be an increased use of vegetables. This we can do this year because of the extensive and successful campaign to increase the acreage of potatoes and the number of vegetable gardens. Potatoes especially are a valuable general food, the use of which may be wisely increased. The vegetables which have been grown should be used as near their source as possible, and the surplus of vegetables not needed in the season should be canned or dried. If the consumption of potatoes

were to be increased 3 or 4 ounces per day, and in addition turnips, carrots, beets, cabbage, etc., were used more largely than before, all this would help greatly in reducing the amount of food which heretofore has been supplied by wheat, meat, and butter.

AMPLE FOOD FOR ALL.

In short, a survey of the situation shows that there is an ample amount of wholesome food for all, besides furnishing a minimum sufficient amount of wheat, sugar, meats, and fats to the allies. We need but eliminate waste and readjust our daily food program in order that these things shall be accomplished.

But how shall we succeed in getting the people of the United States to make the necessary changes? First, all the educational forces of the country should harmoniously cooperate to place the facts before the people and induce them to adopt the program. In the schools of the country, from the primary school to the university, courses should be given, adapted in each case to the pupils, in the elimination of waste and in the readjustment of the daily food program to accomplish the purposes desired.

If courses of this kind are given in an intelligent and interesting way in the elementary schools, the children will carry back to their parents the story and thus get quick reaction in the household.

Second, the State, county, city, and township war agencies should cooperate in carrying on the campaign of increasing production, reducing waste, and readjusting the household program.

Third, the religious, social, fraternal, and business organizations have a great opportunity to assist in carrying on the campaign of education.

However, a campaign of education, while it will arouse a public interest and general conviction, is not sufficient. It is necessary that each household be furnished with a definite program. To this end the Food Administration has prepared a home card, which gives instructions not only in regard to the conservative use of the wheat, meats and fats, and sugar, but gives supplementary instructions concerning other foods. It is planned to furnish each family with one of these home cards. The head of the household is to be asked to sign an agreement to put the contained instructions into operation in her household. She will then receive a card showing that she is a member of the United States Food Administration. Also, she will be furnished with a button for 10 cents if she desires which will show that she is in this service.

In order that this may be accomplished it is necessary that there be a house-to-house canvass made of the homes of the country. Naturally, this house-to-house canvass can best be done by the women, and this the women's organizations of the country, in cooperation with the Food Administration, have already very effectively begun.

FEDERAL REGULATORY LEGISLATION.

THE WAR COMPELS REGULATION.

The situation in regard to the inadequacy of the supplies of essential products and their ever enhancing prices led President Wilson, shortly after the entrance of the United States into the war, to realize that the laws of supply and demand and competition were not sufficient to secure the necessary increased production and to hold prices at proper levels. If the war is to be carried to a successful conclusion the output of the United States must be enormously increased to meet our needs and those of the allies. If the people of the United States and the allies paid the prices asked by producers all would be subject to extortion. This situation led the President to ask for comprehensive governmental regulation. He asked that such regulation be authorized through a number of acts. Some of these are the so-called food administration bill, the food survey bill, and the priority bill. In addition to these the espionage act gave the President embargo powers. In the urgent deficiency bill he is given power to commandeer shipbuilding plants and shipbuilding materials during the war. By Public Act No. 2, he is given power to take over vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States owned by the subjects of the nations at war with this country. The trading with the enemy act gives the President absolute powers in the matter of determining what is trading with the enemy and preventing such business.

These measures so far as they relate to the subject under consideration will be summarized.

THE FOOD ADMINISTRATION BILL.

On May 19, 1917, the President issued a formal statement giving his plans for food regulation. Many of the powers asked at that time are embodied in the act summarized below. In this announcement the President stated that he had "asked Mr. Herbert Hoover to undertake this all-important task of food administration." A bill (H. R. 4961) was introduced into the House by Mr. Lever to accomplish the purposes which the President asked. A similar bill (S. 2463) was introduced into the Senate on June 15 by Senator Chamberlain. The Lever bill passed the House on June 23. After discussion in the Senate extending through about two months

50

upon the Lever and Chamberlain bills the House bill was amended in many particulars and passed by the Senate July 18.

The effect of most of the Senate modifications was to weaken the bill, but in two notable respects it was strengthened. Its scope was extended to include fuel oil and natural gas. But far more important than this, a comprehensive section in regard to coal and coke was written into the bill.

The bill went to conference on July 24. After a long contest the Senate committee receded upon most of the objectionable features which had been introduced in the Senate and the coal and coke section was retained. The conference report was unanimously adopted by the House on August 3, by a vote of 357 to 0; by the Senate on August 8 by a vote of 66 to 7. The bill was signed by the President August 10. Thus, after the general proposals of the President had been before the country and Congress for more than two months a law was in force to legalize them. On the same day that the President signed the bill he announced that Mr. Herbert Hoover had been appointed food administrator.

SUMMARY OF FOOD ADMINISTRATION BILL.

The food administration bill (H. R. 4961) is officially called "An act to provide further for the national security and defense by encouraging the production, conserving the supply, and controlling the distribution of food products and fuel."

Following is given a summary of the more important features of the bill:

Section 1.-This section declares for the reason that a state of war exists, it is essential for the national security and defense, for the successful prosecution of the war, and for the support and maintenance of the Army and Navy to assume governmental control of the commodities mentioned below in order to assure an adequate supply of them and their equitable distribution. Such governmental control is established and maintained over the supply, distribution, and movement of food, feeds, fuel, including fuel oil and natural gas, and fertilizer and fertilizer ingredients, tools, utensils, implements, machinery, and equipment required for the actual production of foods, feeds, and fuels. All commodities mentioned are called necessaries. In the exercise of the governmental control the President is authorized to make such regulations and issue such orders as are necessary to carry out the provision of the act.

Section 2.-This section authorizes the President to enter into voluntary arrangements or agreements to create and use any agency or agencies, to accept the services of any person without compensation, to cooperate with any person or agency, and to utilize any

department or agency of the Government in carrying out the provision of the act.

Section 3.-This section guards against interested persons who are acting as volunteers or paid agents from improperly influencing any transactions under the act to their own interests.

Section 4. This section makes it unlawful for any person willfully to destroy any necessaries for the purpose of enhancing the price or restricting the supply thereof; knowingly to commit waste or willfully to permit preventable deterioration of any necessaries; to hoard necessaries, as defined under section 6; to monopolize or attempt to monopolize necessaries; to engage in discriminatory, unfair, or wasteful practices; to make unjust or unreasonable charges in handling or dealing with necessaries. Also it is forbidden to combine, conspire, or agree with any other person to restrict the supply, distribution, or manufacture of necessaries in order to enhance the price, or to exact excessive prices for any necessaries.

Section 5.-This section authorizes the President from time to time, whenever he shall find it essential, to license the importation, manufacture, storage, mining, or distribution of any necessaries. After it is announced that a license is required no person shall, after a date fixed, engage in or carry on importation, manufacture, storage, mining, or distribution of any necessaries unless he shall secure and hold a license issued pursuant to this section. Whenever the President shall find that any storage charge, commission, profit, or practice of any licensee is unjust, or unreasonable, or discriminatory and unfair, or wasteful, and shall so order, such licensee shall, within the time prescribed in the order, discontinue the objectionable proceeding. The President may, in lieu of such objectionable proceeding, find what is a just, reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and fair storage charge, commission, profit, or practice, and in any action brought in any court such order of the President shall be prima facie evidence. However, this section does not apply to the producer of agricultural products, nor to cooperative associations dealing with agricultural products produced by their members, nor to retailers whose business is less than $100,000 per annum, nor to common carriers.

Section 6. This section provides that necessaries shall not be hoarded beyond the reasonable requirements of the individual or business. This section does not apply to boards of exchange and trade, covered by section 13, nor to agricultural producers, nor agricultural cooperative agencies in regard to products produced by individuals or members of such agencies.

Section 7.-This section provides for the disposal and distribution. of commodities which have been unlawfully hoarded.