Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1918 — UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION [ARTICLE]

UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION

HARRY A. WHEELER FEDERAL FOOD ADMINISTRATOR FOR ILLINOIS . 11l WEST WASHINGTON STREET f Chicago,; Jane 18, 1918. Mr. John Eger, 1 Rensselaer, Indiana. '■■■> / * ' Dear Sir: I Referring to our conversation of today, the writer has gone over to l the Saratoga Hotel and tried to trace Mr. Ed Oliver, who claimed to be one of the proprietors and owners, but without success. We wish to give ■ you a detailed statement of this matter. This gentleman came into our office on the 4th day* of June and wished a certificate, saying that for years he had been buying this amount of sugar in Chicago and shipping it tb Rensselaer, Indiana, where he j manufactured preserves. He claimed that he had large quantities of strawberries which would ! go to waste unless he secured the sugar. He had always bought it through his hotel along with his other goods, and shipped it for this purpose. I asked him distinctly if it was for family use and he distinctly said that he was perfectly willing to pick iip what sugar he wanted for his family use from his local grocer; that this particular lot was for his preserving business which was an established institution. I asked him particularly how large a business he did and he said that he had sixty or seventy people working for him. I referred him to Dr. Barnard, at Indianapolis, who I told him I thought was the proper person from whom to secure his certificates, but upon his plea that the time that it would take would work a hardship and loss of food, and in view of the fact that upon his representations he was a Chicago man, we decided to take his affidavit, a copy of which we enclose. We considered that this was somewhat stronger than having him fill out our regular statement B, to which we attached this affidavit. We feel that we have been imposed upon in our endeavor to take care of what we considered an emergency situation. We must congratulate you gentlemen on your good work, and we are free to confess that we were “asleep at the switch” on this matter. We regret that is has occassioned you as much trouble as it has, but it has been a lesson to us which will be very helpful in the future. If there is anything further that we can add to this, kindly let us know, and oblige, Very respectfully, U. S. FOOD ADMINISTRATION, By Chas. Stevenson. DEPT. OF SUGAR FOR USE IN MFG. The above letter was presented to the county council of defense at their meeting in this city Thursday afternoon by County Food Administrator John Eger. Mr. Eger said that 500 pounds of sugar had been purchased by Mr. Oliver through the G. E. Murray Co., of Rensselaer. The shipment had been made direct from a Frankfort wholesale grocery firm to Mr. Oliver at Newland. That when he was informed that the sugar was at Newland, he ordered Mr. Oliver to bring it to Rensselaer. This Mr. Oliver had done and the sugar was returned to the Murray Co. here and later to Mr. Eger who now has it in his possession. * Mr. Eger said that in the discharge of his duty as food administrator, he felt compelled to take the matter up with higher authorities either at Indianapolis or at Chicago. He asked the council for an endorsement of his action in the matter and this was unnamiously given. The affidavit signed by Mr. Oliver was not presented to the council and there is considerable conflict between the contents of the above letter and the statement given the Republican by Mr. Oliver --The penalty for hoarding sugar is a fine of $5,000.00 and two years improisonment.