POLITICIANS AND FOOD PRICES.
[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR:1 SIR,—The country is under a deep debt of gratitude to you for your sound, logical articles on food prices and politicians. May I submit a few particulars regarding their attempts to control bacon prices? My firm is engaged in that business, importing, handling, and distributing to retailers considerable quantities of American bacon and hams. About six weeks ago the Food Controller stepped into the arena and fixed maximum prices for the various cuts of American hog meats, with this result, that now no importer can boy goods from the American packers unless to sell at a loss of from 6s. to 10s. per hundredweight. That naturally is too great a demand on any importer's patriotism, and buying has ceased. There are considerable quantities of these goods at present in transit, purchased before the Government interfered with prices, enough probably to meet the consumptive demand during this and next mouth; but the present embargo on buying is making for a famine in the summer months as surely as night follows the day. It is supreme folly for any Department of our Government to think that they can, in London, control the Chicago Hog Market. Since this movement was started, the Food Controller has had periodic opportunities of meeting with representatives of the trade from all the large centres, at conferences in London, called at his request, but he has never met them, except by deputy. You would naturally expect, if he really wished to adjust this difficult problem on sound economic lines, he would at least have met those experienced, representative men, and talked the matter over with them; but no, he sends them a message by his man "Friday "- that they must do so-and-so, or he will do it.—I am, Sir, &c., 51 to 55 Ingrain Street, Glasgow. WM. DAVIDSON.
[We publish this letter, as the subject is of national importance; but it must not be assumed that we endorse the allegations in regard to Lord Devonport. The facts are not within our know- ledge. As to the folly of manipulating prices in such a way as to destroy the incentive of profits for traders, there cannot be two opinions outside political and official circles.—ED. Spectator.]
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