PART VI 



State Food and Dairy Commissioner's Report for 



Year 1919 



W. B. BARNEY, Commissioner 



Post war conditions have affected our national life almost as acutely as 

 did those of war times. High prices, restlessness, speculation and dis- 

 turbed economic conditions, in general, have been the after-math of every 

 great war and it is not at all surprising that they should be experienced 

 after the greatest of all wars. As a matter of fact, the reconstruction 

 period, to date, has not seen crises as far reaching in their effects as 

 might have been anticipated after such a titanic struggle, involving as It 

 did, the entire world. This country renewed its normal life with sur- 

 prisingly little friction and even now, one year from the time when the 

 whole energies of the country were absorbed in the task of making war, 

 evidences of the shadow which overhung the world, are rapidly dis- 

 appearing. The country, as a whole, has mobilized itself for peace with 

 the same energy and determination with which it mobilized for war. The 

 task of absorbing an army of 5,000,000 men into our economic life and 

 changing our industry to fit the suddenly changed conditions has been 

 a tremendous one but one which patience and the will to do right has 

 practically succeeded in accomplishing. The task is not finished, but the 

 most critical period has passed. 



This department, has from the very nature of its work, felt keenly 

 the stress of the times and various situations, particularly that of 

 increased living costs, have arisen which have demanded time and at- 

 tention. Because of the critical situation brought about by the stress 

 of high prices, it was necessary for the men in the field to devote a 

 large amount of time to various situations which arose, and this at a 

 time when routine inspection work was heaviest. Complaints of 

 hoarding, discrimination and like illegalities were frequent and while 

 many of these, on the face, appeared exaggerated, if not entirely without 

 foundation, it was necessary to trace every complaint and report to the 

 complainant before the incident could be considered closed. In connection 

 with this work, hundreds of establishments were visited by the depart- 

 ment inspectors for the purpose of obtaining information regarding the 

 buying and selling costs of hundreds of commodities in order that 

 some idea might be obtained as to the profits being made by merchants 

 of the state. 



