Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964
Identifier
WWP19257
Date
1917 November 17
Description
Herbert Hoover writes to Woodrow Wilson concerning action by New York State appointing an independent commission regarding food conservation and regulations.
Source
Hoover-Wilson Correspondence, Hoover Institution, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford, California
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
United States Food Administration
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964--Correspondence
Language
English
Text
COPY
Dear Mr. President
We have a difficult situation in New York state with regard to the organization of the Food Administration there. The State of New York has passed special legislation and created a commission comprising Mr. John P. Mitchell, Chairman; Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman and Mr. Charles E. Wieting, and has given this commission an appropriation of $1,300,000. Its duties are practically identical with the Federal Administration and it has been necessary for us to find some basis of cooperation in order to prevent conflict and overlapping of activities and to secure the benefit of the State appropriation for common purposes.
After lengthy negotiation we have made an agreement, subject to your approval, by which we are to nominate two men to be added to the New York commission, these gentlemen being: Mr. Arthur Williams, who had already been approved by you as the Food Administrator for New York City and who is doing a very efficient work, and Mr. Charles Tremen of Ithaca, New York, a member of the Democratic Committee for New York who has been Chairman of our State Campaign Committee on household enrollment.
The new commission will elect its own chairman and apportion the duties of its various members. It is agreed, however, that Mr. Williams will reamain in charge of the Federal Administration work in New York City directly responsible to the Food Administration here. Mr. Charles Tremen will be directly responsible to the Food Administration here for the up-State.
The above plan is somewhat complicated but it seems to us the only solution for an otherwise very difficult situation and we have confidence that the character of the men involved will enable them to work out satisfactory relationships.
I would be glad indeed if you could give me your views on this plan as early as possible as some busy-bodies have already started gossip as to conflict between state and federal authorities. The plan has the great advantage that it attaches the responsibility to state authorities in the whole matter of food control in the state of New York; and this state, as you can imagine, is one of our most difficult problems. One object of the arrangement set up is to separate the consumer’s problems in the city from the producer’s problems up-State.
Your obedient servant,
[Herbert Hoover]
Dear Mr. President
We have a difficult situation in New York state with regard to the organization of the Food Administration there. The State of New York has passed special legislation and created a commission comprising Mr. John P. Mitchell, Chairman; Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman and Mr. Charles E. Wieting, and has given this commission an appropriation of $1,300,000. Its duties are practically identical with the Federal Administration and it has been necessary for us to find some basis of cooperation in order to prevent conflict and overlapping of activities and to secure the benefit of the State appropriation for common purposes.
After lengthy negotiation we have made an agreement, subject to your approval, by which we are to nominate two men to be added to the New York commission, these gentlemen being: Mr. Arthur Williams, who had already been approved by you as the Food Administrator for New York City and who is doing a very efficient work, and Mr. Charles Tremen of Ithaca, New York, a member of the Democratic Committee for New York who has been Chairman of our State Campaign Committee on household enrollment.
The new commission will elect its own chairman and apportion the duties of its various members. It is agreed, however, that Mr. Williams will reamain in charge of the Federal Administration work in New York City directly responsible to the Food Administration here. Mr. Charles Tremen will be directly responsible to the Food Administration here for the up-State.
The above plan is somewhat complicated but it seems to us the only solution for an otherwise very difficult situation and we have confidence that the character of the men involved will enable them to work out satisfactory relationships.
I would be glad indeed if you could give me your views on this plan as early as possible as some busy-bodies have already started gossip as to conflict between state and federal authorities. The plan has the great advantage that it attaches the responsibility to state authorities in the whole matter of food control in the state of New York; and this state, as you can imagine, is one of our most difficult problems. One object of the arrangement set up is to separate the consumer’s problems in the city from the producer’s problems up-State.
Your obedient servant,
[Herbert Hoover]
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Citation
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, “Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson,” 1917 November 17, WWP19257, Hoover Institute at Stanford University Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.