USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 69
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The people could not readily secure the supply of glu- cose as it was not handled generally by dealers. In order to facilitate its use as a substitute for sugar, the Thrift Kitchens in Jamestown and Dunkirk bought large quantities which they retailed to consumers at practically its cost to them.
In cases where individuals or dealers secured sugar in excess of their proper allotment, the same procedure was followed as in other violations of Food Administra- tion rules.
The distribution of sugar under the card system would not have been possible, of course, except through the aid and support of the retail grocers throughout the county. The most of them, in this as in all other matters in which the Food Administration was concerned, were patriotic, loyal, and vigilant. They cheerfully met every demand and the sacrifices which the exigencies of the situation required.
The problems of sugar were not confined to domestic consumption ; as has been indicated, they were found in cases of hotels, restaurants, bakers, and manufacturers of marmalades, jellies, grape products, etc. Many ques- tions arose in dealing with such concerns, and it was frequently very difficult to determine the right and justice as between the concern desiring sugar on the one hand, and the Food Administration in its effort to restrict consumption on the other. Many conferences were held by the Food Administrator and the concerns involved, as well as with the State Food Administrator and the various departments of the Sugar Division in New York: visits to headquarters in New York were made, the long distance telephone and the telegraph wires were utilized freely, and finally a solution would
be found which was both just and satisfactory to all concerned.
Another feature of the Administration, in connection with sugar, was in providing sugar for canning and preserving. Obviously the meager allowance for do- mestic consumption left none for use in preserving. It was important that fruit be preserved in order that it should not be wasted, and also to increase the general food supply. Sugar was essential, and was dispensed to housewives for canning under perinits issued by the County Food Administrator. The individual made a written application stating the character and quantity of fruit to be preserved, and agreeing thereupon that the sugar should be used for no other purpose whatso- ever. Upon such applications permits were issued au- thorizing the applicant to procure the amount of sugar stated in the permit. There were some abuses, hut gen- erally the contract of the user was strictly observed.
It is difficult to schedule the activities of the Food Administration. Multitudes of problems were presented. We constantly received requests covering a wide range of subjects from every quarter of the county. These requests came by mail, by telephone, by telegraph, and by personal visit. They all had to be dealt with promptly. The Local Food Administrator sought at all times to effect an equitable distribution of food through- out the county. There were periods of severe shortage of various staple articles, principally sugar and flour. The problems of so distributing the commodities of which there was a shortage so that every family could be equally served, was a most difficult one. The un- selfish cooperation of practically all of the wholesalers and retailers in the county enabled the Food Adminis- tration to accomplish, in a substantial way, its purpose in this respect. It was seldom that any one community, or any one dealer, had a surplus of any particular item of food in excess of any other community or dealer during times of scarcity. It was the aim of the Local Food Administrator to enforce the laws, rules, and regulations with strict impartiality. The fact that no firm or individual, no matter how wealthy, powerful, or influential, had any advantage over the weakest or most obscure, served to win the confidence of the peo- ple generally and to enlist aid in our work from all sources.
Men sometimes seek, through the high and influential positions which they occupy, by means of political in- fluence, or by pressure from powerful financial sources, to affect the conduct of those having to do with the judicial, legislative, and administrative branches of the government. It is unfortunately a fact that legislation often favors those of wealth and power ; that advantage is often given to that class by executive action, and that even the courts sometimes in their judicial de- terminations do not hold the scales evenly as to the various classes of our citizens. These abuses contribute largely to the discontent prevalent in the country, and to the promotion of radical thought and action and the creation of groups inimical to our government and ideals.
Notwithstanding the effort of men to seek discrimina- tion in their favor, those same men are the first to ap- plaud and command impartial action on the part of any official. An impartial course of official conduct is much the easier way to conduct business, and as soon as it is understood that the size of a man's bank ac- count, his social position, his standing in the business world or in politics, does not in the eyes of an in- dividual administering the law distinguish him in any respect from those of his fellows in any grade of
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society, wealth, or influence, the pressure toward dis- crimination will cease and cooperation and support will be had from every source.
The law, and the rules and regulations in connection with the Food Administration were applied to all alike. If there was any discrimination shown, it was to the obscure citizen who had transgressed by reason of ignorance or the limitations of his environment. There- fore those accustomed to luxurious living, readily and cheerfully, after a brief time, brought themselves to make the sacrifice which were encumbent upon all citizens, in every walk of life, if the great assault against our civilization was to be stayed.
Complaints of violations of rules were investigated, sometimes by the inspectors, sometimes by a patriotic volunteer citizen. Inspectors frequently visited various portions of the county and looked into suspected cases where there was good reason to believe that an in- dividual or firm had been guilty of a violation of the law or the rules of the Food Administration; a sum- mons was served requiring their appearance before the Food Administrator at a specified time, and the case was heard and a determination made. Large numbers of those summoned were fully exonerated; others were dismissed with a warning, where it was believed the violation arose through ignorance and no evil intent. Others were subjected to penalties. A considerable amount of money was contributed to the Red Cross and to other organizations engaged in war work, by those who had been found guilty of infractions of the rules. The money penalties ranged from $5 to $500. Many concerns were closed for various periods from one day to two months, depending upon the seriousness of the offense. A few concerns were closed for the duration of the war. A limited number of cases were presented to the United States District Attorney for ac- tion in the criminal courts. The hearings held by the Food Administrator were of course very numerous. It became necessary to set aside certain dates for these matters, and not infrequently there would be from ten to twenty cases upon the docket to be heard upon those occasions.
The Food Administrator called to his aid, from various parts of the county, prominent members of the bar to assist in the prosecution of violators of the law and rules. In Jamestown the legal staff consisted of Mr. Wilson C. Price and Mr. Marion H. Fisher, both well known lawyers of high standing. The legal staff in other places in the county was made up of prominent and capable members of the bar as follows: Dunkirk, Albert E. Nugent and John K. Patterson; Fredonia, Herman J. Westwood; Silver Creek, C. B. Livermore ; Westfield, Arthur S. Tennant. Upon a few occasions the assistance of the General Counsel of the Federal Food Board of New York City, Hon. Charles P. Robin- son, former Deputy Attorney General, was had.
Much difficulty was experienced with certain classes of our foreign born population who had an imperfect understanding of the American language. This was particularly true of some Italians, of whom there are many in the county. These cases were difficult to deal with. Like the Frenchman, the Italian feels that he must have wheat flour. In Italy it forms ninety per cent. of his diet. He could not understand the logic of his being deprived of this article of food. In dealing with these people, therefore, it was essential to have the assistance of someone understanding the Italian lan- guage, and the Food Administrator was most fortunate in securing the services of Mrs. Anna Glase, a young woman of Jamestown, of Italian parentage, who not only interpreted upon occasions of hearings and other-
wise, but who did most valuable work in pointing out to those people the patriotic duties which they should follow. Mrs. Glase also performed most valuable and important work in connection with the Thrift Kitchen and the establishment and operation of the sugar card system which was inaugurated by the Food Administra- tor.
Some idea of the penalties imposed may be acquired from a brief statement thereof. There were many contributions for the possession of excessive quantities of flour or of sugar; for securing flour without at the same time procuring the required substitutes; from hotels for failure to observe the limitations in serving guests an excessive amount of sugar, butter or meat ; for failure to observe the requirements of meatless days and wheatless days ; for failure to use required sub- stitutes in the preparation of their baked goods, etc .; from retail grocers for selling excess amounts of flour, and for selling flour without at the same time selling required substitutes; for procuring excessive quanti- ties of either flour or sugar. One concern operating a chain of retail stores throughout the county was penal- ized by having all its stores closed for a period of one week. Other places of business were closed from one day to two weeks. Some bakers were penalized because of their failure to observe the rules in using sub- stitutes with their wheat in the preparation of bread and other goods. Macaroni factories in some instances violated the rules and submitted to penalties. In one case a factory was closed for the duration of the war. The stocks of many dealers, where it was found no equivalent substitutes were on hand and the flour was being sold without substitutes, were confiscated and sold, and the proceeds turned over to patriotic so- cieties. The list might be extended indefinitely, but enough has been stated to afford something of an idea of the operations of the Food Administration in this respect.
The regulatory work of the Food Administration per- haps attracted the most attention from the public. Cases of violations and penalties inflicted were of course given wide publicity. In consequence, many people became possessed of the idea that the principal business of the Food Administration was searching for violations of rules and inflicting punishments therefor. That, of course, was an erroneous impression. The public in general did not understand the work which the Food Administration did in securing food supplies and in the promotion of the business of those engaged in the manu- facture and distribution of food.
A multitude of rules applying to wholesalers, retailers, and dealers were made by the Food Administration based upon developed necessity as the war progressed. These rules were frequently modified by the local Food Administrator to meet local conditions. These rules were given publicity day by day through the press, and by such other means as were available, and of course were transmitted to the local representatives of the Food Administrator throughout the county, and to the dealers in the particular line affected. These dealers and purveyors of food commodities included wholesale groc- ers, retail grocers, bakers, millers and feed dealers, hotels and public eating houses, etc. A day seldom passed without receiving from headquarters some change in the rules affecting one or more of the enumerated classes. Sometimes several new orders were received in a single day. The physical task of putting those orders into form for the guidance of the dealers and the public, and in transmitting them to the press, to local repre- sentatives, and to the dealers affected, was obviously a large one, and the facilities of the local office were
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taxed to the utmost by the large volume of work in- volved in this feature alone.
All of these matters involved also a large amount of correspondence, not only with the State Administrator to whose authority the local Food Administrator was subjected. but with various divisions of the Federal Food Board in New York, and departments in Washing- ton. There was further continuous flow of letters from the local representatives throughout the county from dealers and from individuals. New questions were con- stantly arising. Interpretations of rules were con- stantly called for from numerous sources. Information concerning violations were received from every part of the county. Appeals for assistance from dealers and individuals came in large numbers and all of these had to be given prompt attention. To illustrate a few of the problems which were from day to day presented to the Food Administration :
A farmer, by letter, telephone, or a personal visit, would complain that he was unable to get his grain threshed, although a threshing machine was operating within reasonable proximity to his farm. As the thresh- ing of the grain was important to the food supply, or to sustain the stock of the farmer through the winter, which latter, of course, affected either dairy products or meat, the thresher was called to account and directed to go to the assistance of the farmer whose work he had refused. There were many cases of that kind.
A canning factory would report that its supply of cans was exhausted; that a car of cans was upon a railroad siding in Dunkirk; that the railroad had re- fused to deliver the cans; that the canning factory must close unless immediate delivery was secured. The Food Administrator would get into communication with the superintendent of the railroad, and he would be directed to move the car of cans immediately; and the orders were obeyed.
A farmer would complain that a car of phosphate, necessary as a fertilizer to enable him to put in his crop, had been lost in transit: that he could get no satisfaction from the freight agents of the railroad com- pany, and that unless immediate delivery could be se- cured his farming operations would suffer substantial damage. All facts obtainable would be wired to the traffic department of the Food Administration in New York. The machinery for tracing that shipment would be set in motion and, almost invariably, the car would be located within a few hours and appropriate orders given for its immediate transportation to its destination.
Some one engaged in operating a threshing machine would report that his operations must cease as his coal supply was exhausted. We would then appeal to the Fuel Administrator and enlist his aid in securing fuel so that the threshing machine could continue its opera- tions.
A large fish company doing extensive business in the city of Dunkirk and operating a fleet of tugs, which con- tributed thousands of pounds daily to the food supply. was hampered in its operations because of the refusal of a railroad company to furnish refrigerator cars to transport the large daily catch of fish from Dunkirk to the New York market. Because of the inadequate facilities furnished by this railroad, large quantities of fish were spoiled before reaching their destination. A telephonic conversation with the railroad official in charge of that department of the railroad's activities not bringing satisfactory results, the local Food Administra- tor issued an order directing the railroad to furnish a refrigerator car upon a certain express train daily from Dunkirk to New York City. The car was furnished,
and a large contribution to the food supply was thereby effected.
Some branches of the food business were seasonable, such as the canneries. Telephones were necessary in the prosecution of their business. When they were ready to begin their season's operations, the telephone com- pany refused to install telephones or furnish telephone service. The facts were presented to the Food Ad- ministrator, and if conditions justified he would issue an order to the telephone company to install a telephone for the use of the business affected, and to render to the person or concern telephone service. Such orders were in every case promptly complied with.
The embargoes upon transportation were a constant source of trouble. A resident in one of the small towns decided to install a mill for grinding wheat, as the facilities in that line in the county were very meager. He was able to purchase his machinery, but unable to get shipment because of the embargo which another de- partment of the government had laid upon freight transportation. The Food Administration secured an order for the shipment of the machinery in question. Through the Food Administration a great many freight shipments, essential in increasing the food supply, were relieved of the embargoes which had impeded delivery.
A baker at some point would find himself without a supply of flour and unable to procure any from any jobher. This was frequently true during the periods of serious shortage. The office of the local Food Ad- ministrator kept a very close watch upon available sup- plies of that character. The jobbers quite naturally wished to distribute their often meager supply to their favored customers. In one case the jobber refused to supply a baker who was confronted with the necessity of securing an immediate supply of flour, or closing his place of business. The Food Administrator at once commandeered the jobber's supply of flour and dis- tributed it in accordance with the public necessities. It is well to add here, that generally the jobbers of Chau- tauqua county placed their supplies unreservedly at the orders of the Food Administrator, and his requests for shipments to meet public emergencies anywhere within the county were promptly, graciously, and patriotically observed.
The Food Administrator was also very frequently called to the aid of the jobbers themselves. They were frequently hampered in procuring the stocks which they required. There were many times when the supply of flour and sugar in Chautauqua county, as in other coun- ties, would have been completely exhausted hut for the appeals by telegraph and telephone to the Federal Food Administrator of the State and to the departments of the Federal Food Board having particular jurisdiction over those commodities.
Another subject that engaged the attention of the local Food Administrator was the relation of the milk pro- ducers with the condensories. Those situations present- ed questions of great difficulty. Various controversies calculated to embarrass the dairy interests frequently arose. Complaints were made that one condensory was rejecting daily large quantities of milk. In one day the rejections amounted to 20,000 pounds. and the milk rejected was a total loss, as the farmers had no other market for it and no facilities for its manufacture into butter or cheese. The rejections were made upon the ground that when delivered to the condensory's dumping can the temperatures were found to be above the es- tablished limit of 70°. A thorough investigation re- vealed the fact that many of the loads of milk taken to the condensory in question were compelled to stand for two to four hours in the hot sun awaiting their turn
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to unload milk in the condensory. The Food Ad- ministrator held that under the exigencies of the situa- tion, it was incumbent upon the Condensory Company to provide facilities for the prompt unloading of the milk delivered to it; that it was unreasonable to com- pel a farmer to wait with his load for hours in the sun and expect him to get his milk to the dumping can at a temperature of 70°. It was a practical impossibility. An order was consequently made that the temperature ·of all milk delivered should be taken upon arrival at the company's yard, and that at that time the responsibility of the farmer ceased; that if the milk was delivered at the yard within the prescribed temperature no rejection could be made. The Food Administrator thereby in- curred the serious displeasure of the Condensory Com- pany, but the plan worked well and the wholesale re- jections ceased. Unloading of milk was facilitated and a large saving to the food supply affected. Another condensory notified its patrons of its purpose to dis- continue its operations entirely upon a certain date. The Food Administration interferred. A full hearing was had. An order was made directing that particular com- pany to continue its operations. It did continue. and an enormous quantity of dairy products was thereby saved to the people in that time of great need. These are only illustrations of the many difficulties arising between the dairymen and the condensories which were adjusted by the Food Administrator.
A constant source of difficulty for the Food Adminis- tration was the question of prices. On many com- modities a definite rate of profit was established by the United States Food Administration. On others the ques- tion of fairness and reasonableness of the profit im- posed was one for the local Food Administrator to handle. Those problems were constant, and affected practically every article of food supply. Multitudes of complaints were received almost daily. In many cases penalties for profiteering were inflicted. A fair price committee of the local organization was created, whose business it was to meet every week and fix a schedule of prices upon various staple articles of food, in accord- ance with the rules of the United States Food Admin- istration, for the week to come. These fair prices were published.
The matter of retail prices of milk in the larger communities in the county was a source of constant trouble. It was finally found necessary to have ex- perts examine into the business of milk distribution for the purpose of ascertaining the amount of profits to which dealers were fairly entitled. When those facts were determined, appropriate orders were issued limit- ing the distributors to the profits which had been found to be fair and reasonable, and the public was thereby protected against extortion in that direction.
About the month of August, 1918, the Fuel Admin- istration decreed that motor cars, motor boats, and the like, should not operate on the Sabbath except in cases of absolute necessity. That season in Chautauqua coun- ty there was an immense crop of apples. It was im- possible for the farmers generally to harvest the crop. The Food Administrator made every effort to pro- vide means by which the crop could be harvested, so that the apple supply should be saved to the people. In furtherance of those efforts an arrangement was made by the Local Food Administrator with Charles M. Dow, Fuel Administrator of the county, by which automobiles, under a permit of the Food Administrator, could be used on Sunday for the purpose of transporting harvesters from the city to the farms. The farmers were very glad to have apples picked upon shares, and in many cases to sell the crop upon the trees at a nominal
price. It was therefore announced that persons desiring to go to the country on Sundays for the purpose of harvesting apples might have a permit from the Food Administrator, under an application which contained an agreement to the effect that the automobiles should not be driven except directly to the farm where the apples were to be procured and thence home. Large placards were printed to attach to the automobiles so that the drivers should be immune from the jeers and abuse which were generally directed toward the individual using an automobile upon the public highways in viola- tion of the Sunday regulation. Many hundreds of people availed themselves of these permits, and as a consequence many thousands of bushels of apples were saved to the food supply.
Volumes could be written upon the subject of the conservation work of the Food Administration, but a brief resume of the features under this head will be sufficient. The American people had not been educated to the use of barley flour, corn flour, oat flour, and other grain flours that of necessity had to be used in the place of wheat flour. The appetite had not been trained to relish these foods and the housewife knew very little if anything of their use in baking operations. Considerable resentment was aroused, but women finally learned that very palatable breads could be produced from the sub- stitute flours when properly prepared. Experimentation disclosed that most delicious breads and cakes could be made wtihout the use of either sugar or butter, for there were many substitutes for sweetening and for shortening. Glucose, honey, maple syrup, and other substances, were utilized in large quantities in place of sugar. The State of New York, at Cornell University, had established an organization for the promotion of conservation of food supplies and had a large number of trained experts in this line. These experts were fur- nished to the local Food Administrators throughout the State. Conservation committees composed of women were organized in the various communities. The State experts, known as conservation agents, met these or- ganizations of women, gave talks upon the food values of the various articles of foods used as substitutes. This information was carried by the women of the conserva- tion committee to other women of the communities, and by that means thousands of women in Chautauqua county and elsewhere became proficient in the prepara- tion of food made of grains which had theretofore been known principally as food for horses and cattle.
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