Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-30
FEAR FOOD FAMINE HERE
IF BIC STRIKE COMES
Cary Street Dealers Declare Supply
on Hand Would Last Only
One Week.
PRICES WOULD BE pRoHIBITIvE
Fruits. Vegetables, Chickens and
Meats Would Fail Within Six
Days After City Is Isolated by
Transportation Tic-Up.

within single week after the i'm
pending national railroad strike he
came effective. Richmond's food stores
particularly those of perisha BILE ma
turc. would approach exhaustion, and
there would cnsue Il shortage which.
with respect to some of the most i'm
portant necessities, would amount TO
Il famine.
This is the belief Of leading Cary
street dealers. who discussed with
growing alarm yesterday the progress
OF the great transportation contro-
vcrsy. Richmonds frcsh-f food depot.
they pointed out. carries only enough
to provision the city for 4 few days.
Except for the milk that is brought
here 10y wagon and electric car. and
the garden truck that comes by cart,
practically everything that goes on the
table is shipped in by rail. River traf-
iic would do little towards relieving
the pressure, and auto trucks would
he totally inadequate.
NOT ENOUGH PROVISIONS
TO LAST CITY 4 WEEK
II don't believe there arc enough
provisions in Richmond TO last IL week
If a railroad strike should cut of tho
supply" said Graham Il. Curric. of
Currie " Co, commission merchants.
yesterday. Nearby truck farms
might send in enough food by wagons
10 last two weeks longer, and then the
city would face starvation. Meanwhile,
the prices on the nccessaries of life
would so sky high. Only very small
part Of Richmond's supplies arc
brought by boat. and most of that has
been shipped part Of the way on the
railroad"
Other produce dealers. expressed
practically the same belief All con-
Cured in the opinion that an enor-
nous amount Of loss and much suffer-
ing would inevitably result from a
strike. Richmond lives from hand to
mouth. and one days food has for the
most part arrived but the day before
Few cities in the country could long
avoid famine if cut off from rail COM
munication with their sources OF food
supply, and Richmond is no exception
Not piece Of fruit will be left
in Richmond week after the rail-
roads stop operations" declared w. c.
Crcnshaw, Of W. G. Crenshaw x Co.
Fruit has to he handled quickly, or
il will spoil. 1t must be eaten n few
days after ii is picked. II is impos-
sihle to accumulate a stock to prepare
for n shortage. About $4,000 is spent
every week in Richmond for fruit"
Richmond consumes about two car
loads of potatoes a day" said Richard
NJ. Mclntrc of j. S. McIntirc x Co
The supply is brought in at this sea-
son of the year from outlying districts
Of Virginia but it would be impossiblc
to obtain it If the railroads stopped
II IL were in wintcrtime. the merchants
would have quantity of potatoes on
hand. but now they depend on the
supply brought in daily"
Produce merchants estimated that
most Of the staple articles Of food
would be gone before the first week
OF isolation. Butter. chickens. apples.
potatoes, onions and all sorts Of fruits
and vegetables would be exhausted
Eggs. tlour and meats could hold out
longer. hut would fail after a few
weeks Of The strike. The local mill,
supply is independent OF the railroads.
Most of i, is brought in by electric
car and by wagon
MEAT SUPPLY WOULD
HOLD OUT SIN DAYS
There would be enough fresh meat
in the city at the time the strike came
l" last week thought @. II. Landgrcn.
manager of the local branch of Armour
Il 60. OF other meat products. such as
nam. bacon and lard. there would prob
ably be enough to supply the city for.
month. Although some Of the meat
is shipped in on the hoof aud butchcred
here. the greater part of ii comes from
Western packing-hous
The weekly shipments of meat OF
all kinds into Richmond. ii is cstimatcd
amount to between l.50o.OOO and 1000
600 pounds. More than two-thirds of
this is distributed TO points outside the
city. Richmond alone consumes about
$4,000 worth OF meat every week
Dealers in hay. grain and feed would
be better able to withstand the strain
Of general railroad strike, thought
Secretary Y. T.. Eookcr. of the Rich
mond Cotton and Grain Exchange Al
though most Of the products OF that
nature consumed here are brought from
tn" West, there is a greater store on
tcontimucd on Second page)
Spend Week End and Labor DAY In Norfolk