Imperial Valley press., 1917-08-28

FOOD SURVEY
UNDER WAY
SEEK TO ESTIMATE COUNTRf'S
SUPPLY OF EDIBLES
STOCKS
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
STARTS DIFFICULT TASK
Amount of Space in Storage Houses
in Factories: Amount of Flour in
Bakeries All To Be Shown

ment is to take stoc kof the nations
food supply.
In order that the President, Con-
gress and the other officials Of the
government may be able to base need
ed action on knowledge of what the
national harder contains, and how it
measures up to the needs of the mil
lions of breakfast, dinner and supper
tables of the nation, the United States
Department Of Agriculture will begin
Immediately to make a quick survey
of available foods and feeds through
out the country. This will cover sup
plies on the farms, in factories and
commercial stores and warehouses, in
retail shops and on the shelves and in
the bins of the family pantry. The
work will be carried on principally by
| the bureau Of markets, the bureau of
crop estimates, the bureau of chem
istry and state citations service of
| the department, with funds appropri
ated for the purpose in the recently
| enacted food production bill.
The survey is to be made as OF the
| late August 81, and it is expected
| that statistics on the amounts of Ger
! ain important products can be sup
| piled within three or four weeks after
the food survey is begun.
Iventories and Estimates to be Used
! Incarrying out the nationwide food
survey, both actual inventories and
estimates will be employed. Estimates
of the food and feed products on farms
viii be made for the whole country
by the burea uof crop estimates
through $4,000 picked co-operators in
he field.
Information regarding stocks in
wholesale, jobbing, storing. manufac-
uring and other commercial estab-
lishments. including large retail
'ouses, will be obtained by requesting
from each concern statement of tho
exact amount of each OF the various
'roducts held by it. Comprehensive
lists of such establishments compiled
~ the bureau of markets within the
'ast few years will be employed III
this work.
The stocks on hand in small retail
hops will be estimated from informa-
ion gained from detailed survey of
tocks in a number Of representative
districts. Stocks in the hands of all
he consumers of the country will be
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 drug
inspectors and State and local health
officials and inspectors, and for rep
resentative country districts by the
States relations service through coun-
ty agents and local form bureaus and
ether local agencies. Through these
agencies certain selected districts will
be canvassed and an estimate will
then be made for the entire country.
Products to be Surveyed
The nearly 100 items on which sta
tistics are to be gathered include
grains and seeds, grain.food products,
dried fruits and nuts, vegetable fats
sugar. sirups, starch, meat and meat
products, food products preserved in
TN and other containers. dairy and re-
lated products, fish and feeds.
The departments plans contemplate
making immediately a quick survey
Ut the holding Of approximately eigh-
teen Of the more important products,
following this with monthly reports
on such products an damnkig more
complete surrey after the crops have
been gathered. II is proposed 10 util.
ize III so far as possible existing estsb-
iished agencies within the department
N the conduct Of the survey, but the
department. Of course, desires the
hearty cooperation and support of all
state and local agencies.