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Show r ..-! rtlft - - , - - - --tut i- ' As Jimmie Durante says, "Everbody's getting in the act." Leaders of independent business, even labor, looking at the newest proposal of the Food and Drug Administration, are wondering "What meat doth this Caesar eat that he waxes so great?" It's amazing but true. The Food and Drug Administration n'nnlq in fnrnt rinurn ihe cfnnrl- ards on white bread. Washington Wash-ington observers observ-ers say, "Next thing we know Stalin will be announcing his conversion t o Christianity." Congress rtnscprithpPiirp I' J . Paul Dunbar, commissioner of the Administration, has received scores of protests on this bureaucratic bureau-cratic move to force on the public pub-lic a poorer quality bread. The Senate Small Business Committee, headed by Hon. John Sparkman, may launch an investigation inves-tigation to ascertain why a bureau bu-reau is trying to help the woulcl-be woulcl-be bread monopoly; by what legal right the bureau attempts this action. In fact, this bureaucratic kicking kick-ing around of Congressional prerogatives pre-rogatives and wishes is making many solons indignant, especially when so many of these subversions subver-sions of bureau authority directly aid huge financial interests. As reported last week, the sale of a government industrial alcohol alco-hol plant in Kansas City for a small amount to Schenley during a war period, after Sen. Johnson, Chairman of the Preparedness Sub-Committee, had been assured the sale was stopped, is leading many Congressmen to stop and think where the nation "founded for the people, with the people, and of the people" has drifted. Angry Congressmen, supported by Independent businessmen and other citizens, could change this trend. This thought is growing: "What will we gain to fight an obnoxious foreign system if we permit an obnoxious system io take root at home?" The question has been asked, "What will be the effect of the government action in taking over all rubber supplies on tire dealers deal-ers and tire users?" This question is involved: many factors have to be weighed; more facts must be brought to light, before a sound answer can be drawn. In the next week or two this column will bring you the answer. I Food and Drug C. W. Harder Act to protect the public from inferior in-ferior products. The Pure Food and Drug Administration enforces en-forces the Act. Acting in this capacity, ca-pacity, great good has heen done. But the bureau was never given policy-making powers. Here's the proposed order: White bread with a wheat germ content of more than 1.5 can no longer be called white bread, even though it is white. Here's the background: The commercial baking business is practically the only mass food industry not almost totally monopolized mo-nopolized by S or 4 combines, but a few huge bakery corporations are trying to change this. However, almost every town has an independent baker who survives bone-crushing competition competi-tion because he puts out a better bread than the baking combines. The amount of wheat germ in the flour is a big factor. However, if by bureaucratic edict no one could bake a better loaf of bread, it's easy to see that national monopoly monop-oly in the baking industry would result. Nitlontl Federation of Independent Bullae! |