New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-30
Orders Staple Goods La
beIled as to Quality
Quantity and Price
Stock Inventory
To Be Taken Here
LEGISLATION to Close Up
Prohteers Planned by
Commission

These we're the important develop
ments in the food situation YESTERDAY;
The State Food Commission adopt
ed a ruling requiring all retailers 70
label staple commodities as to grade
quantity and price.
John Mitchell, chairman Of the
State Commission. and Arthur WIZ
Jams. Food Commissioner for Ne"
York City. announced their determ!-
nation 20 have enacted Legislation
licensing retailers in order 20 curo
the tendency toward price imitation,
Railroads having freight terminals
in New York City called upon Com-
missioner Williams for his coopera,,
ton in compelling consignees OF fooc
shipments to remove such shipment;
more promptly, thus releasing freight
cars and relieving the shortage oi
food.
Inventory To Be Taken Here
BEGINNING tomorrow an inventory
will be taken Of the stock held by all
the retail dealers of this city. Forty
five thousand shopkeepers will DE
asked to make complete report of The
quantity of foodstuis held by their,
together with its quality and the
prices asked for il. The Federal food
administration is being aided by the
Department of Agriculture. the Po'
lice Department and the Bureau )t
Drugs and Food Of the Health De-
partment.
The publication OF the ruling by the
State Food Commission was the first
drastic step 10 hold the retailer in r.
straint. Such dealers are affected il
New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Ri,h
mond, Suffolk, Nassau and Westchestel
counties, and those of other counties
will be included in the provisions o.
the ruling as soon as the local fo0c
boards in those communities are or
ganized.
Heavy Fine for Violations
The state commission announced il:
belief that certain retailers were sell.
ing certain necessaries in "other than
their true kind, quantity and quality
These necesssries were listed as bread
butter, cheese, cabbage, cornmeal, dried
beans, eggs, msccaroni, milk, oatmeal
onions, prunes, potatoes, sugar and
wheat -four. The retailers hereafter
will be required 10 abide by rigid reg
ulations. Violations will be a misde-
meanor, punishable by a heavy fine
The salient points of the resolution are
these:
/. Goods sold in a container must
have sign affixed stating the price,
grade and kind of commodity.
,. Goods displayed in a container
which is not sold with such goods
must be marked with sign diselos-
ing the price for a deiinire weight,
measure or count.
5. Goods neither displayed nor
sold in container must have affixed
a sign giving the price for a definite
weight. measure or count.
1. All signs must be printed in
English, readable at ten feet, and IL
one-third or more of a retailers
patrons speak a foreign language,
signs must be printed in such Ian
guage.
Rule Effective January 10
The rule becomes effective January
10, and, ten days after its publication
in two newspapers in the county IN
which il is adopted, it automatically be-
comes state statute.
Cyrus c. Miller, chairman of the bu-
reau of distribution and transporta-
ton of the State Food Commission, said
that eventually retail dealers in fish
poultry and meats would come under
the ruling.
Federal Food Administrator Williams
conferred with Mr.. Mitchell for the
purpose of formulating plans for the
enactment of legislation making the
licensing OF retailers possible. Now
Mr.. Williams points out, the wholesaler
often faces the loss of his license for
infractions of Federal rulings, while
the retailer cannot be reached. II the
retailer we're licensed, however, the
State Food Commission would be EN-
10 revoke his license for in
fractions, and Mr.. Williams believes
Price imitation would not be so ia
grant.
The request by the railroads that
Mr.. Williams cooperate with them in
.1.,H,lIsno. ba e u q