REPORTS OP STORAGE HOLDINGS. 9 



of each month, the form mailed on the 8th being for the reports of the 

 15th, and those on the 24th to be used for the 1st of the following 

 month. Warehouses in the States of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, 

 New Mexico, and west thereof are requested to telegraph their 

 reports in addition to submitting the regular form by mail. 



Prior to September 1, 1917, the success of the work was dependent 

 upon the voluntary cooperation of the cold-storage warehouses. 

 Naturally in such a large list of firms there were a few delinquents, 

 some of which reported irregularly, and there were a few who abso- 

 lutely refused their cooperation. Although the reports were not 

 then entirely complete, the statements compiled from them gave a 

 very clear idea as to the quantities stored and the percentage of 

 movement. 



After the entrance of the United States into the war the Sixty-fifth 

 Congress passed legislation by which these reports may be required 

 by the Secretary of Agriculture. Section 2 of Public No. 40, ap- 

 proved August 10, 1917, provides as follows : 



That the Secretary of Agriculture, with the approval of the President, is 

 authorized to investigate and ascertain the demand for, the supply, consump- 

 tion, costs, and prices of, and the basic facts, relating to the ownership, pro- 

 duction, transportation, manufacture, storage, and distribution of, foods, food 

 materials, feeds, seeds, fertilizers, agricultural implements and machinery, and 

 any article required in connection with the production, distribution, or utiliza- 

 tion of food. It shall be the duty of any person, when requested t»y the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, or any agent acting under his instructions, to answer 

 correctly, to the best of his knowledge, under oath or otherwise, all questions 

 touching his knowledge of any matter authorized to be investigated under 

 this section, or to produce all books, letters, papers, or documents in his 

 possession, or under his control, relating to such matter. Any person who shall, 

 within a reasonable time, to be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 not exceeding 30 days from the date of the request, willfully fail or refuse to 

 answer such questions or to produce such books, letters, papers, or documents, 

 or who shall willfully give any answer that is false or misleading, shall be 

 guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a 

 fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both. 



On August 17, 1917, the Secretary ©f Agriculture authorized and 

 instructed the Chief of the Bureau of Markets to take such steps as 

 might be necessary to acquire authorative information for the pur- 

 poses of the act. As cold storage is an important factor in the 

 conservation of food, information such as that covered by the monthly 

 storage reports was considered essential to a thorough investigation 

 under the act. Under the provisions of the Act three business days 

 after the 1st or the 15th of each month are allowed by the Secretary 

 for the preparation of the returns, and they must be mailed or tele- 

 graphed not later than the fourth business day. 

 60188°— 18— Bull. 709 2 



