Newspaper Page Text
THE DEMOCRAT
SUBSCIUPTION, 1 00 PEll YEAH
Butered at the i'ostolHce at Monroe
City, Mo. an Si-cond-Claes Matter
FRIDAY. JANUARY 25, 1918
When that registration of alien
enemies is completed, it is safe to
predict that the Rogues' Gallery wilt
be enriched with a choice lot of new
mugs.
Nick Romanoff is said to have
plenty of cash in the bank of Eng
land. Uncle Sum might attach it
as security for money loaned s
government.
What in the world will most of
the state legislatures have to do
next winter when there are no rail
toads at hand for them to pass reg
ulatory bills for?
Fuel Administration Garfield says
the coal shortage was "largely
psychological." We are glad to
know it wasn't the dreadful reality
the suffering poor imagined it
It is only about nine weeks until
spring will be officially declared,
and while the weather may not
agree to act the part, it will help
some to know that calendar spring
has come.
An exchange advocates tipping
waiters with thrift stamps. Won't
do. When a fellow has to cough up
bertv bond for a square meal,
to keep a stamp or two.
Red tape is very useful in the ty
ing up of packages to send to the
boys abroad, but it is a hindrance
when used in the departments at
Washington. As the surgeon said
to the mm with the nfi-imed
pendix, "let's cut it out"
Everything comes to him who
waits, and the engineer of the coal
train is. now the autocrat the
right of way, fast freights, limited
passenger trains and even specials
carrying railway officials being forc
ed to "head in" while the coal train
goes whizzing by.
If we are to judge by the rapacity
of some of our well known profiteers,
they are of the opinion that there is j
something to all this talk about the I
second coming of the kingdom of!
the Lord after the war. They belong j
to that race of men that believe in
getting while the getting's good.
Considerable mystery seems to
surround the new invention which
is said to be capable of driving a
battleship without fuel. If it can
be also harnessed up to the domesti
cated furnace a grateful people will
be gald to do the handsome thing
in the way of a moument for the
inventor.
The farmer who has to pay forty
and fifty cent a pound at the meat
market for the hog that he shipped
to Chicago for fifteen cents a pound
may be pardmed for refusing to
believe that the development of
transportation and the progress of
invention have been of much prac
tical benefit to mankind.
The federal fuel administration
of Iowa is performing a service that
is worthy of emulation elsewhere.
He has secured the services of six
expert firemen, who visit every
city of consequence in the state and
give instructions to the firemen in
the apartment houses, hotels, etc.,
as to the proper method of using
their coal.
The magazines are sending out
letters asking their readers to bom
bard their congressmen w tb tele
grams and letters protesting against
the zone system, the law recently
passed by congress governing the
handling of magazines by the pos
tal authorities, which may be all
right and proper, but in our opinion,
the reader who decides to let the
magazines fight their own battles
has adopted the right course.
HOME PRICE HELD AT 9 CENTS,
This Nation's Sugar Supply Reduced
to Seventy Per Cent, of Normal.
Java Stock Unavailable.
Sugar control has Raved tb Amer
ica public $180,000,000, Herbert Hoev
r, United State food administrator,
declared the other day.
Bo pointed out that sugar was sell
tog for Jl Cents a pound lat August
and that It would have advanced to 20
conta a pound, with the world short
age i a stimulus, had not tli food
administration aecured the co-operation
of the refiners and wholesalers
and fixed a angar price that today en
ables housewives to buy sugar at from
SK to 0 cants a pound.
"Every l.cent raise in sugar from
September I to January 1 means $18,
000,000 to the American consumer,"
Mr. Hoover said. "Numbers of gen
tlemen will tell you that 20 cent sugar
would have prevailed and tha public
robbed of $180,000,000 this year If w
had not taken these actions." Later
Mr. Hoover called attention to the fact
that uncontrolled sugar advanced to
80 conta a pound during the Civil War.
France Got Our Sugar.
Today the American public has been
allotted 70 per cent, of its normal sup
fly. Before the war the average an
nual household consumption here waa
.05 pounds a person. In England th
annual consumption during the war la
,24 pounds, and in France each person
4s allotted a little over on pound a
month.
"Jn August the French government
found itself unnlile' to mn In tain even
this ration," Mr. Hoover declared.
"An appeal was mnde to America.
France needed 100,000 tona. Wt
agreed to fill this demnnd and up to
December had shipped 85,426 tons. In
the meantime an nppenl was made to
th American public to reduce its sug
ar consumption, nnd requests were
mode to distributors to supply the
confectionary and sweet drinks trade
with 60 per cent, of normal supply.
This has been generally followed, al
though such regulations were volun
tary, as the food administration had
no authority to Impose them."
Domestic Price I &'2 to 9 Cent.
Retail grocers throughout the Coun
try Tire supposed to take a profit of no
more than DO cents a hundred half a
cent a pound on sugar. By reason of
food administration regulations, bind
ing refiners and wholesalers, the re
taller Is able today to buy sugar at
from 8 to Shi cents a pound. This
enables him to sell to the housewife at
8H to 9 cents a pound.
There have been some violations of
th sugar rulings. Mr. Hoover said
recently: "Sales of sugar from 16 to
20 cents per pound have been reported
and followed up vigorously and stop
ped and is evidence Itself of the prices
at which consumers would have been
mulct had we not Intervened. We have
forfeited wholesalers' licenses In ag
gravated cases, and we have issued
warnings to first offenders In a great
many Instances through our local ad
ministrator" Effect on Military Situation.
American augar stocks could be fill
ed to normal very soon If ships could
be sent to Java, where 2.r0,000 tons of
sugar la waiting for shipment But
the shipping situation Is so acute that
the nation cannot spare the eleven
ships needed to transport this sugar.
It would take the boats one year to
haul 250,000 tons. In the same time
they could be used for transporting
200,000 soldiers to France.
The food administration believes
that the American public will diminish
its sugar consumption by 10 or 15 per
cant when It ia made clear that such
sugar saving la a patriotic act and
when U la understood that there are
plenty of sweeteners available to take
tha place of sugar, such as honey or
corn syrup.
Why Shortage Exist.
Tha three great sugar producing cen
ters of the world are Oermaaty, th
Wast and East Indlea. German sugar
la, of course, used at home. Th Bast
Indian sugar la unavailable because of
th ship shortage.
While U boats made big Inroads on
the world's shipping, France and Italy
ceaaed to b self sustaining in augar
manufacture. England In the mean
time was cut off from Oerman sugar
1,406,000 tons a year because of the
war. The result has been that th al
lied nations have been forced to turn
to America and the West Indies for
.their sugar.
EVADE RIGID FOOD CONTROL.
Food la Bought In Germany 8urrept.
tleualy In Violation of Auto
e ratio Rulings.
Even th autocratic food control of
Germany has been powerless to pre
vent surreptitious sales, according to
semi-official reports reaching the Unit
ad States food administration. Illegal
salea of butter are being made In Ger
many at prices ranging from $1.75 to
$2.25 a pound. Eggs sold contrary to
the German food regulations are
bringing 10 to 15 cents apiece, accord
lng to these reports. And bacon or
ham la bringing from $2.25 to $&25 a
pound.
uave a loaF
help
thewai
BIG HERDS GONE
World War Wastes Europe'!
Meat Supply.
American Stock Raisers Co-operati
With Food Administration tn Con
servation Measures.
It is probable that Europe for many
years after the war will look to a
great extent to America for its meat
supply. -
Europe'a herds are dwindling trader
war's demanda faster than they can be
replenished.
When tb German armies retired
from occupied portions of France and
Belgium approximately 1,800,000 head
of cattle were appropriated. This ad
dition virtually safeguarded Germany
from cattle shortage other nations now
suffer.
In England som 2,400,000 acres of
grass lands have by compulsory meas
ures been forced Into grain production,
thus reducing pasturage and hay lands.
A declining seal of maximum meat
prlcea for live cattle was ordained In
England, as follows: For September,
$17.76 per hundred pounds; October,
$17.28; November and December,
$16.08, and for January, $14,40. The
vident intent of this measure was to
drive the beef animals Into market as
soon as possible.
According to official French figures,
the cattle of France have decreased to
a total of 12,841,000 as compared with
14,807,000 In 1913. Today, due to lack
of forage principally, France is pro
ducing only one gallon of milk whera
before the war two and one-half gal
lons were produced.
Meantime the United Statea food ad
ministration has taken ateps to con
lerve our flocks and hards and to In
rrease their numbers. 33ie stock breed
ira of this country show a disposition
to co-operata with tha government In
this.
For many years it has been a prac
tice among many of th dairy people
f thla eountry to kill male calves at
birth and In many Instances the fe
males If not needed to replenish thels
serde rather than go to tha expense of
maturing them Into veal. The high
prices of meat oaused the virtual dis
continuance of this killing. Another
encouraging fact la. 75 per cent of
calves killed for veal this year war
Inales.
Somebody baa very aptly ssld that
the wars of the world have been won
Mth grease, meaning that bacon and
lard have been aa essential to success
In war aa powder, which la true.
The hogs of Europe have been very
greatly sacrificed to present day needs.
I'hls makes the American burden aU
he more heavy and makes doubly es
sential an increased pork production
In this nation. In Italy grain Is now
forbidden to be fed to hogs. In Den
mark" under a recent order one-fourth
Df tha hogs wet-.- ordered ho be killed.'
tt la estimated t one-half have now
been,kMed.
An Oregon man makes the state
tnent in bis questionnaire that he is
9 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 123
pounds. Evidently shallowed - a
string a shrunk to it
wi
n
EUROPE NEEDS FOOD
Food Administration Declarea It Is ani
Abaolute Sin to Waate Food Food
Haa Become Sacred.
Europe Is still sending an Insistent
call for more food. We must send It
if the war Is to go on efficiently. If
we eat It all we cannot ship It, and;
the food administration has already
'tried to picture how much that wheat)
is needed by people who will s .arve if
they do not get It, the food admlnlatra-i
tlon states.
. "For the least bit of heedlessness!
on your part In food conservation some)
one somewhere In the world must suf-j
ifer privation,", an official statement
'declares. "The food administrations
;haa mastered the problem of Ameri-;
rca'a food In such a way that every!
jounce of food conserved and kept lnj
!the currents of trade goes to an empty!
jatomach In Europe.
"It Is an absolute sin to waste food..
Food haa become sacred.
"Food means life; It means some-i
body's life, and you cannot escape re-'
sponslbillty.
. "There la no waste of food among
the allied nations." '
!WAR BREAD COSTLY TO
BRITISH GOVERNMENT;
Every year th British government!
,'paya $200,000,000 toward the cost of)
that nation's war bread. That la thai
'principal reason why English bread!
'prices are lower today to the consumer!
than in America. Incidentally the
llrltlah bread is much poorer than the
American- !
I Great Britain has take aver all;
borne grown grain, bought at an arbl-i
trary price, and all Imported wheat;
bought In markets of th world at pre
vailing prlcea. This ta turned over to
the mills by th government at a price
that allows the adulterated war bread
loaf of four pounds to setl at 18 cents.:
The two pound loaf costs 9 cents, audi
the one pound loaf sells for 5 cents.
In miUlng, however, 14 par cn,tj
mora flour la extracted from the wheat
than in America. And there Is a com-,
pulsory adulteration of 20 per cent
and an allowable adulteration of 50
per cent
Compared with American bread, thai
British product Is only about 65 per
cent pure at lta best
In France, under conditions scene-'
what similar, but with a larger extrac
tion, the four pound loaf sells for' 16
cents.
The process of weeding out the
incompetent among the officers of
the various guardsmen now in the
regular army has been going on
steadily and clearly shows the pur
pose of the general staff is to put
none on guard except those who
can make good with the maximum
of ability. A politician may have
pull enough to get com missions for
his relatives, but it takes capacity
to command to bold them.
The year of 1917 established new
high production records for corn,
oats, rye, wheat and sweet potatoes
tobacco, beans, and onions.
Better State Roads.
' Missourians who have been look-'
ing forward many years to a time
when organized effort would be
made to develop bee .highways are
somewhat surprised to find that the
United States Government through
Us War Industries Board apparently
discounts the present essential value
of highways. Recently, in issuing
orders relating to the priority of
freight shipments, this board exclud?
ed road materials from its lists with
the statement that such articles are 1
not essential for the national de
fense and security. The layman
has heretofore believed differently,
according to Dean E. J McCaustland
of the University of Missouri
The School of Engineering and
the Engineering Experiment Station,
of which Dean McCaustland ifthead,
have in recent years been gYyin
much attention to Missouri toafc
problems. .
"If newepaper n ports from France
are correct," Eays Dean McCaust
land, "the only salvation of the
French nation in face of the Ger
man onslaught was ber admirable
and complete system of highways
that enabled her to move ber troops
and ber military sunnliea with i I
certainty and speed from place to -A
place. h
"In our'present condition, imagine j.
the celerity with which large bodies
of troons with their neceaurv V
equipment and supplies might be 1
transported across Missouri from
Unionville on the north through :.
Jefferson City to West Plains on the f
8outhl Literally, weeks would be V
required for the job. It is time for V
an entirely new idea regarding the I
place and purpose of highways in !
the general scheme of national I
development Lot only for war etioer- r
gencies, but also for the ordinary
activities of peace times. There $8 I
a growing appreciation of the rieedX I
of a national sy stem of transports-
tlOn. and the cnnnfrv hidhwnva U I
form the essential foundation of
any such system."
Must Save More Pork.
More rigid measures for the con
servation of meat, especially pork,
are ordered in a statement of the
meat situation issued recently by F.
B. Mumford. federal food adminis
trator for Missouri ' In addition to
a meatless Tuesday in Missouri, a
Porkless Saturday and at least one
meatless meal each day are re
quested. The statement said:
"The meat requirements of our
soldiers in France aud our associ
ates in the war, particularly in re
gard to pork, require that more
rigid measures for pork conservation
be inaugurated immediately. It is
therefore ordered thut in addition
to a meatless Tuesday in Missouri
there Bhould be observed nlan n
porkless Saturday and at least one
meatless meal each day. All
members of the United States FusJ?
Administration will please observe .
carefully this new regulation and !
urge all others to do likewise. On
meatless days no beef, pork , or (
mutton should be served. Poultry, 1
game and fish mav be served on
meatless days " (
Potato At Fiftrv HraI V I
Have an Irish potato on your i i
table at every meal. This is the
advice and request of the Missouri
Division of the Unite! States Food
i Jmini.t.nliA.. A - .
nuuiuiiaiimiuu campaign i tor
greater use of potatoes is to be urg-
ed on grocers as well as house-
keepers. Grocers will be asked to
have a potato day" each week,
selecting whatever day is slack in
deliveries and making special prices.
Fairly regular purchases are request
ed of the public, so that distribution
will be equal everywhere for the'
next five or six months, relieving
railroad congestion and encoumging
production of a larger crop next
spriug.
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