Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-28

Washington, D. c., Aug. 21.-Food
stocks held in retail establishments in
New York city and rural portions Of 43
counties in various parts Of the coun-
try are to inventoried on Aug. 81 by
detailed and personally supervised
survey, conducted by the United States
Department of Agriculture. Estimates
from these figures will make it pos
sible to approximate the quantity OF ali
OF the food on hand in such establish
suit the counties have been selected
with great care, including some as
presenting conditions which will re-
fleet varied types of life and industry.
The survey of retail stocks is only one
of the four row under way, the other
three being the stocks on farms. in
wholesale commercial establishments
and storae es, and in the homes of the
I consumers. Aside from the cities and
counties in which the detailed work
will be done. the survey of retail stocks
of food will be handled bv schedules
through the mails
I The actual work of making the sur
veys will be directed by the Bureau of
Markets of the Department, assisted
locally by the agents of the Bureau Of
Chemistry and of the States Rela tons
Service. Other local agencies such a
boards of trade, chambers of COM
rnerce, retail grocers' associations
farm bureau agents, and other State
county, and city officials have assured
the Department of their assistance.
The blanks for detailed reporting of
stocks on hand are distributed locally
in cities by local health and police of
fcials under the direction Of the Blu
reau Of Chemistry, and in rural -om-
munities by county agents and patriot
ic organizations under the general d-
rection of the States Relations Service
Counties Selected
Aside from New York where an in
ventory will be made. the largest CITY
selected as a part of the basis of es-
t!mating Is Cleveland, Ohio. It's
county. Cuyahoga, was selected be-
cause Cleveland is centrally located
with reference to large Industrial cen
ters and may be considered as a fvp-
zeal manufacturing and commercial
center. A detailed survey of New York
CITY VIII be made as a separate prob
lem, but owing to its large size Il can
not he used as part Of the basis for
estimating for the entire country since
1t would completely oversha dow the
total of all the other selected districts
combined.
The second group of counties in
cludes the cities of Syracuse. y. Y.
Dallas. Tex. and Altoona. Pa, with
its outlying towns of Tyrone and .Iu-
Rata. These three are thought to rep
resent conditions as they exist in a CITY
which depends on manufacturing one
which has big agricultural back
country. and one which depends on the
mining industry.
The grouping, as a whole Is in ac-
ccrdance with population The first
ercup, represented by cleveland tCuv-
ahoga Coz is for metropolitan dis
triCts with a population of 900. Goo or
more; the second group includes coun-
ties with cities Of a population Of So
600 to 100000 The third group takes
counties with cities 25.000 to 1000:
fourth. from 10000 to $4,000: and so on
down to 200 and then certain counties
having no city or village Of $500 popu-
lat.on.
Other Group Divisions.
In the third group of countless are
the cities of Montgomery, Ala: Tone
Ia kans: Binghamton, n. Y: and
Sacramento Cal
The fourth group includes Concord,
\. H; Butler. Pa; Jackson. Tenn:
Iowa City, Ia; and Walla Walla,
Wash.
Group five has five cities with their
outlying county population. They are
Oneonta n, y; Americas, Ca: De
kalb, Ill; Bowling Green, Ky; and
Provo, Utah
Group six includes ten counties with
cities Of from $500 to 500 and the index
cities are Springfield, VT: Strouds
burg Pa; South Boston. Va; AIleean.
Mich; Lake Geneva, Wis: Mcpherson.
Kan; Marshall, Mo; Canton, Miss:
saltwater, Okla; and Marshfield, Ore
The final group. in couties having no
towns as large as $500 population. in
cludes Is towns, as follows: Eaton
ton. Ca; Carthage. \. c., Seaford.
Eel; Rosedale. Ind: Pembina. n. D.:
Marysville, Kans.; Hartford. KY;
Lawrencehurg, Tenn; Enterprise,
Ala; Fairhope, Ala; Rector, Ark:
Mansfield, La; La Grange. Tex:
Castle Rock. Colo; and Raymond.
Wash.
Why the Places Were Chosen
These places have been selected be-
cause Of the impossibiitv of making
q complete inventory Of the stocks of
the smaller retail concerns throughout
the country. This careful and detailed
/ survey Of the retail stocks in the rep
nj !
together with results obtained from
schedules that are mailed out, forms
the basis on which the retail stocks of
the whole country will be estimated.
It is known. Of course. just what is
the actual population Of each Of the
seven groups represented by the forty
three counties, and just what propor-
ton their population bears to the pop
/ ulation Of the group and to the country
as whole.
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