Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-12-31
UNCLE SANS LAR DER
First Yesr.end Food Inventory Being
Taken as Provided BY Congress
Proves Big JGo.

Washington. Dee Il How 'nUci
food has Uncle Sam in his nationa
| ;ardcr with which 10 start The New
Tear? Hcw adequately can he fcct
until harvest time his many million:
or civilians and soldiers? VIII it bt
necessary during the coming Twelve
months for his citizens TO eat Wal
brcade Can he furnish tho share
Which he ought OF the daily ration
needed by The fighting men OF the al
Iiese And can he supplement some
what, perhaps, the meager fare Of tne
friendly neusgals to whom the war has
| Drought the pinch Of hunger?
These are the big and vital ques-
,ions, 50 important to the conduct O.
the war, which the Bureau Of Mar
rcfs ni The United States Department.
!. Agriculture is seeking to answe
o. carrying out the war emergency
food surrey provided for by the lsst
Congress. All over The country TO
day first steps are being taken 70 an
;wcr these questions. Hundreds o:
thousands NJ persons IN control o
food supplies, large AMI small, arr
nIl;ne o,s schedules mailed 20 then
1y the army OF employees which tn
Errc9u cf Markets has assembled /:
Washington to conduct the big year
md food Inventory. These schedule
xili SHOW the quantities C more thai
me hundred different foods on nan
December 81, 1917, quantities on han
Dccenybat 81, 1916, for comparison
and the quantities shipped out b,
freight or express that have not bee
delivered to the consignee. To tht
totals CT these figures will be adce
Quantities he1a by retail food dealer
ii certain counties where storc-tc
store canvasses are being made. TIT
latter intensive surveys viii be mad
in order that the figures for tic er
eerFrrcysit. 4i;;s;;.. RI
tition. about 10000 selected fam!l;e*
will report on specia, schedule
regarding the stocks OF ZOO
on hand, and the ways
n which they utilize certain food pro
duets. These figures will be used
J. basis upca whic: 20 estimate IN
amour; of food in the more than ,
million homes %, Jne country. Vine
ali this information has been tahr
lated. Uncle Sam will have ay;tiiaoi
for the first time. Gsarcly needed dat
anon which to formulate plans &c
efficient production, and wise use
Inc nuai;ion which IS Of creates; I'm
portance in winning the war--food
I'm the Trail of the Food Supply
The nail of tho country's 100
supply IS a winding and ,nany-brantE
ed one. the Rurea" Of MARKETS. Ia
found. \ surprising variety of dca
ars and ..holders" 20 10 make up liz
's.st army CT individuals and concern
that have in their! hands the pntcmtia
/ breakfasts. dinners, and suppcTS
the nation. Among the most import
ant custodian Of this vast food suppl
are owners OF grain elevators. COR
non and cold storage concerns, mea
rackcrs, carriers. exporters, whole
sale and retail groceEs, bakers, t0A
,ectioners. butchers. and ether dealers
Schools, hospitals, asylums and ot.Ie
institutions, it has been coNnd. II
| much larger htiders oi fc"a than ha'
been supposed, while another import
ant group whi,h carries cons'derao.
quantities Of foodstufs in It's pan.
s~ies is made up of hotels. restaurant
sommiSsa"ies. etc.
| Within = few days, the first OF if'
more than rhrcc-luarters OF 8 MI
lion schedules will begin pouring nacs
20 Washington. bearing the ntoflna
tiCn which Congress was wili!n% I
spend S600.000. ,o obtain. IN W@l:aIne
IN, tie schedules VII b. t1buat'd a
promptly as possible by staff 0
special clerks. When information u
the last OF the hundred or more food
"rder Investigation have h,en taou
lated, Uncle Sam can apply consun.p
tion figures, obtained from other I'll
vestigations. and find approximately
what his food balance IS from tim
to time. Then he can take steps .
word CT any thr"at"""d sh"rte"a
can share his store intelligently VIII!
the allies. and can. in short, con
slider with his oves open all the prom
lens Of MS commissary department
Relief in Sight.