FOOD PIRATES IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3171, 23 August 1917, Page 8

FOOD PIRATES IN AMERICA

AN OUTSPOKEN CONDEMNATION. Sena.tor Thomas, speaking in the United States Senate recently in favour of tho food control measure, said: "Our task is the mightiest of all the Allies, and T. sometimes wonder if we fully understand tho extent of the work ahead of us. and tho sacrifice which our people will be called upon to make. IV do not believe there should be any hesitation in giving the Administration any power essential to the accomplishment of this end." "Men who speculate to force exorbitant prices," he said, "arc more, deadly enemies to the American Republic than Germany. There is an aristocracy of middlemen, speculators, commission men, jobbers, and extortionists, who cxerciso more power over their communities than tho Kaiser docs over Berlin. I would rather be a professed disloyalist than a fowl ■ speculator," ■ Senator Thomas continued. "How can a man with a family on <£250 a. year be expected to love a country.that permits him to be robbed hy exortionato prices? How can he riso when the •Star-Spangled Banner' is played and bo enthusiastic? This robbery is going on all over the country. It dries up tho springs of patriotism, and unless we arouse a national spirit of devotion to.the. country, all our ships, our men, and our food will be organised in vain. This necessary national spirit, I am sorry to say, is sadly lacking, taking the country as a whole. We have been piling wealth upon wealth while Germany has been preparing to conquer the world and preaching to her people devotion to a principle." The Federal Trade Commission recently' reported in connection with its investigation into food prices, that wholesalers were .paying about 7t cents a can for corn, an'd about 91 cents for tomatoes and peas. F.o.b. The same cans were sold retail at an average of V cents for corn, 18 cen,ts for peas, and 20 cents for tomatoes. ' ! A large part of the canned goods now being sold at these prices is last year's pack," said a Commission statement, "and was sold by the canncrs at' considerably lower prices than now prevail." Tho statement docs not. attempt to analyse the difference in prices, but says: "Next autumn and winter, if complaints are made in any locality that unreasonable prices are being charged for the canned peas, corn, tomatoes, salmon, or similar products which are now being packed, the Commission will he in a position to promptly expose any extortion."