The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-27
Retail Stores of City and Rural Portions of 43 Coun- ties to Be Used As Basis SURVEY TO BE MADE IN VARIOUS PARTS OF COUNTRY BY EXPERTS Civic Organizations, Retail Grocers. and Farm Bureau Agents
 to Be Utilized by the
 Government

Washington, August 26.-Food stocks
 held in retail stores of city and rural
 portions of 4s counties in various parts
 of the country will be inventoried on
 August 31 to furnish the basis for
 an estimate by the department of agri-
 cultures bureau of markets of the
 amount of food products in the hands
 of retail dealers A detailed survey
 also will be made in New York city
 which is to be handled as a seperate
 problem
 The survey of retail stocks. the plan for which was made public tonight. Is one of four branches of the great task of estimating the countrys entire stock of food as of August q, which has been undertaken by the bureau of markets for the department of agriculture and the food administration. Other surveys will cover stocks on farms. in wholesale con- mercial establishments and storages and in the homes of the consumers. Local work will be directed for the bureau by agents of the bureau of chem istry and of the states relations serv- ice Boards of trade, chambers of com nterce, retail grocers' associations and farm bureau agents and other state, county and city officials have promised their assistance. Blanks for detailed re- porting of stocks on hand are being dis tributed locally in cities by local health and police officials under the direction of the bureau of chemistry and in rural communities by county agents and pa triotic organizations under the general direction of,the states relations service Aside from New York. the largest city selected is Cleveland, o. It's county. Cuya- hoga, was chosen as centrally located with reference to large industrial centefs and as typical manufacturing and com mercial center.
 SECOND GROUP The second group includes the cities of Syracuse. N. Y, Dallas, Tex, ana Altoona, Pa, with its outlying towns of Tyrone and Juniata These three are thought to represent conditions as they exist in a city which depends o,a nanu- facturing in one which has | bss agfi- cultural back country, and-in one wh5. i, depends on the mining industry
 The grouping, as a whole. is in ac- cordance with population The first group, represented by Clevelanh is for mstro- politan districts with a population Of ZQo,00o or more; the second includes coun- ties with cities Of q population of 5o0eO to 100000; the third takes counties with cities of 25.oOO to 5o,O90, the fourth from l,eco to 25,00o, and so on down to 25pl. and then certain counties having no city or village of 25oo populations.
 THIRD GROUP The third group are the cities of Mont gomery. Ala; Topeka, Kan; Bnghamton, \. T., and Sacramento. Cal. the fourth includes Concord, N. H.; Butler, Pa Jackson. Tenn; Iowa City Ia. and Wala Wala,; and the fifth Oneonta, N Y Americus, Ga.; De Kalb, H.; Nf3owIins Green Ky, and Provo Utah. with their outlying populations.
 Group six includes 10 counties with cities of from 250O to 5000. and the index cities are Springfield, Vt; Stroudsburg, Pa; South Boston, Va; Alegan, Mich. Lake Geneva, Wis; McPherson. Kan; Mar shall. Mo-; Canton, Miss. Saltwater, Okla. and Marshfieid, Ore
 The final group, in counties having no tContinued on Page Three,