OCR Text |
Show FOOD PURCHASE BOARD CREATED I Washington, Dec. 12. Creation of a general food purchase board to coordinate co-ordinate tho buying of foodstuffs for the army and navy and for tho allied governments was announced tonight by Food Administration Hoover. Mombera of tho board named, with tho approval of tho secretaries secre-taries of war and navy, aro: Paymaster Pay-master General Samuel McGownn of tho navy, chairman; Ma. Gen, Henry a. Sharp, quartermaster general of tho army; W. V. S. Thorn, chief of the food administration's division of co crdln.it on of pur ha r . cd r - Scott of federal trade commission. "Tho functions of the board," said Mr. Hoover yesterday, "are far reaching. reach-ing. The plan Is so to co-ordinate tho purchasing as to place it strictly on an afllcial basis and to disturb as little as possible market conditions, having due regard for tho Interests of the producer and tho consumer, as well as our fighting forces and those countries dependent on us for their supplies of food." At Its first meeting yesterday the board drew up the following principles princi-ples of organization: "Tho demand for certain food commodities by army, navy, neutrals alles and civil population is greater than the supply of such commodities. "Ont of tho fundamental purposes of tho food administration Is to protect pro-tect these groups from exorbitant prices. "The shortage of supplies and the aggregation of buying In such large units has effectually suspended the law of supply and demand ns an effectual ef-fectual regulator "of fair prices and stimulates speculation. "It Is considered that it is vital to tho general welfare that these large purchases ln certain commodities shall be made by plans of allocation among sellers nt fair and just prices The federal trado commission's efforts ef-forts aro to bo directed to see that cost statements aro not Inflated." Th food purchase board will first decide what commodities are to be bought under the plan of allocation then call Into conference tho trades concerned. After n plan of purchase Is agreed on the board will turn to the federal trade commission for n determination of the cost of producing produc-ing tho commodity nnd then tho board will recommend u price. |