84 INFORMATION REI.ATING TO AGRICUI.TURAL ECONOMY IN GENERAL 



supply and equitable distribution, and to facilitate the movement of foods, 

 feeds, fuel including fuel oil and natural gas, and fertilizer ingredients, 

 tools, utensils, implements, machinery, and equipment required for the 

 actual production of foods, feeds and fuel, hereafter in this Act called 

 necessaries ; to prevent, locally or generally, scarcity, monopolization, 

 hoarding, injurious speculation, manipulations, and private controls, affecting 

 such supply, distribution, and movement ; and to establish and maintain 

 governmental control of such necessaries during the war ". 



The Act confers greatly extended powers upon the president during the 

 existence of a state of war and imposes drastic penalities for violation of 

 its provisions. Many of these powers deal with the control and distribution 

 of food as well as a number of other commodities. In administering the 

 Act, the president is authorized to use any department or agency of the 

 government, as well as to establish and work with other agencies. The en- 

 forcement of the provisions relating to the control and distribution of foods 

 has been entrusted by him to a Food Administrator. 



Among practices specifically prohibited in the Act are the wilful des- 

 truction of necessaries for the purpose of enhancing price or restricting 

 supply, any conspiring to restrict their production or manufacture for the 

 same purposes, and the holding of or the attempt to monopolize neces- 

 saries as defined in the Act. A system of licensing various operations is 

 authorized when it is deemed essential, and the president in certain condi- 

 tions may seize factories, packing-houses, or other plants and operate them. 

 He may requisition food, fodder, fuel and other supplies needed by the 

 army or navy, and may purchase, store, and sell to the public wheat, flour, 

 meal, beans and potatoes, as well as procure nitrate of soda to sell at cost 

 price if the emergency requires it and it is possible to secure the material-. 

 In an emergency requiring the stimulation of wheat production, he may fix 

 a minimum guaranteed price. For the crop of 1918 this guarantee is 

 made absolute until i May 1919, and is fixed at not less than §2.00 per 

 bushel for No. i northern spring wheat or its equivalent at the principal 

 home markets. 



The use of foods, fruits, food materials, or fodder for the production 

 of distilled spirits as beverages is proliibited after 8 September 1917. 

 The president is also empowered to restrict or prohibit the use of these 

 materials for the production of malt or vinous liquors if this be deemed 

 essential to the food supply or national security and defence. 



An appropriation of § 152,500,000 is provided for the enforcement of 

 the Act, with additional $10,000,000 for the purchase of nitrate of soda. 



RUGGERI ALFREDO, gereute resiwnsable. 



