Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-24
NATIONWIDE SURVEY
or FOOD ~ 90 MADE
BY U. s. GOVERNMENT

In order that the president, congress,
and the other officials Of the govern
ment may be able to base needed
action on knowledge of what the ma
tional larder contains, and how n
measures UP to the needs of the mill
lions Of breakfast, dinner and sup
per tables Of the nation, the United
States department of agriculture Will
begin Immediately to make a quick
survey Of available foods and feeds
throughout the country. This will
cover supplies on the farms, in fac
tories, and commercial stores and
warehouses. in retail shops, and on the
shelves and in the bins Of the FAM
lily pantry. The work will be carried
on principally by the bureau Of mar
kets. the bureau Of crop estimates.
the bureau Of chemistry. and states
relations service of the department.
with funds appropriated for the pur-
pose In the recently enacted food pro-
duction bill.
The survey IL to be made IL Of the
date, Aug. 81, and It ID expected
that statistics on the amounts Of cer-
tain important products can be had
within three or four weeks after the
food survey is begun.
inventories and Estimates
In carrying out the nation wide food
survey, both actual inventories and es-
of the food and feed products on farms
will be made for the whole country
by the bureau Of crop estimates
through $4,000 picked co-operators in
the field.
Information regarding stocks in
wholesale, jobbing, storing, manufac-
turing, and other commercial establish
ments, including large retail houses,
will be obtained by requesting from
each concern a statement Of the exact
amount Of each Of the various products
held by 1t. Comprehensive lists Of
such establishments compiled by the
bureau Of markets within the last few
years will be employed in this work.
The stocks on hand in small retail
shops will be estimated from informa-
ton gained from a detailed survey OF
stocks in a number Of representative
districts. Stocks in the hands OF all
the consumers OF the country will bO
estimated similarly from canvasses Of
large number of representative FAM
lilies. both in the country and in the
cities. The study OF families will be
concerned even more with the current
consumption per month than with the
actual stock OF food supplies on hand
Small retail stocks will be reported
for representative cities by the bureau
Of chemistry through its food and
$nfA
health officials and inspectors, and
for representative country districts by
the States Relations Service through
county agents and local farm bureaus
and other local agencies. Thru
these agencies certain selected dis
tricts will be canvassed and an esti-
mate will then be made TO- the entire
country.
Products to Be Surveyed.
The nearly 100 items On which sta.t
tistics are to be gathered include
grains and seeds, grain-fo.,d products,
dried fruits and nuts Vegetable fats.
sugar, syrup, starch. meat and meat
products, food products preserved in
tin and other containers. dairy and re-
lated products, fish and feeds.
The departments plans contemplate
making Immediately q quick survey OF
the holding of approximately IA OF tbs
more important products, following
this with monthly reports on such
products and making a more COM
plete survey after the cops have been
gathered 1t is proposed to utilizs N
SO far as possible ex,siins established
agencies within the department in the
conduct of the survey, hnt the depart
men af course, desires the hearty Cos
operation and support Of all state and
local agencies.