◆ SpookStack

nae f (Arion: F “OaD SUPPL* | PP peaErIece: ELCOE iO ny N THE course of the Congressional! ‘debate over extension of the Federal Price Control Act and the Office of Price Administration for another year, an amazing revelation was made of the depletion of the Nation’s food stocks by SPOILAGE. A subcommittee of the House Appro- riations Committee, after a lengthy “undercover” investigation, reported that mismanagement in the War Food Administration has cost “many millions of doilars” in food spoilage | - Speaking frankly’ and specifically of “inefficiency and dereliction on the part of some of ficials,” the report made an outright accusation against the War Food Administration of wasteful ware- housing practices, poor bookkeeping and inadequate records, and lax hiring methods. There is no way of knowing what pro- portion of the national food supply has been LOST in this manner, since the ! investigation was admittedly confined) toa “sampling” of warehouse operations and does not reflect the total loss. But as far as it went, according to the subcommittee report, the disclosure of known and actual loss “justifies. the feeling that it has been considerable, probably amounting to many millions of dollars.” That loss of millions of dollars worth of food very likely ACCOUNTS for the ' food shortage in a considerable degree. Authoritative observers have always said there was never a real food shortage in this country, but only a shortage of capable and honest MANAGEMENT. ' The sources and supply of essential foods in the United States have always| been more than ample to sustain the! porte - health and strength of the Americ any! people, even in years of limited produc tion. ° a Bele In all of the war years ‘thus far, die Wi ‘ to providential growing conditions: to the industry and skill of the Americ people engaged in agriculture and: the : food processing industries, . there - ‘haslt been RECORD production. “er. In consequence, the American art forces have been abundantly sapped i with food, subject only to the difficd!-fe ‘*. ties and limitations of wartime fraps it, . a. 4 oe The “American. civilize ‘populatio should have been at least adequatelyp} supplied at the same. time — althougl stocks and even the empty shelves of hi food dealer knows it has NOT. sf But of course the prolific and aburi dant American sources of food do notity constitute an INEXHAUSTIBLE he “horn of plenty.” America does not have ehough food ry to warrant GIVING JT AWAY pro-ff digally and profligately, as has. been done under a lend-lease policy that takeliamh, no account of minimum domestic needs ag America surely does not have erioughmy) food to allow “many millions of dollara’# worth of it to rot and spoil, in ° r houses and on docks and in the fieldsam ey pa as the War Food Administration is’ Tlow ‘ authoritatively accused. of doing. *, If price controls and “ationing"in wartime are as necessary AS Conran 3 continues to believe, ‘at least should be made the: "esponsibility, of 2 men COMPETENT to perform. thejz§ duties efficiently and honestly, | not by men against whom a commit of Congress is corpelled- to. repor “inefficiency and dereliction. Sy