Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1918 — OFFICIAL FOOD NEWS [ARTICLE]

OFFICIAL FOOD NEWS

By Dr. Harry E. Barnard,

Federal

Food Administrator for Indiana.

Officers of the J. P. Michael Company of Indianapolis signed admissions as having violated the food regulations knowingly, and Were penalized in the sum of $3,000 which was distributed among the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and K. of C. equally. Upon receipt of their signed admissions, Dr. Barnard in addition to the, penalty named above, revoked the firm’s license as wholesalers and jobbers and permitted it to continue business on a suspension of the revocation. E. A. Carman, a grocer of Lafayette, sold pancake flour as a wheat flour substitute and retailed flour at an excessive price, with the result that he was forced to suspend business for a week beginning May 12. The action was taken on the recommendation of the Tippecanoe county food administrator, / An investigation of prices for wheat flour substitutes is being made by Carl Simms, chairman of the Milling Division, at the direction of the Washington authorities. Millers will be required to report prices they are paying for cereals and the prices the} are charging for the products thereof. Herbert Hoover, federal food administrator, in a special wire to Dr. Barnard, says: “Corn meal should be selling at the mill door at not to exceed 25 per cent, less than wheat flour and white corn flour at from 1C to 15 per cent, below wheat flour." He holds there is no justification for the present high priced levels in this commodity in many sections and promises “summary action” where higher figure obtains.

No justification exists for an in creased price of bread due to the high price of substitutes, Mr. Hoover asserts. He says the price tendency for corn meal and corn flour is and has been downward and that dealers who have been proposing to raise the price of bread must furnish a more sufficient reason or be liable to charges of profiteering. The practice of shipping ice to communities where adequate facili ties for supplying the local demand already exist, is frowned on by the food administration as being wasteful of shipping facilities, storage and ol the man power required for dupli cated delivery service. The practice is said to obtain in Princeton, Mar tinsville and other communities where the food administrator will order it discontinued. Offers of thrift stamp bonuses oi any other combination for stimulat ing the sale of wheat , flour, wheat products or sugar are taboo. The federal food administration announces that no variation or modification ol the stringent regulations which pro vide for limited rations in both these staples, will be countenanced.