The sun., 1917-02-24
Committee Headed by &. w.
Perkins in Move to Foil
Food Gamblers.
FISH CONSIGNMENT
ALSO ON WAY HERE
Board Of Estimate FavOrs
City Selling Provisions
ut Cost.
FEW NEEDY FAMILIES
FOUND IN NEW YORK
Inquiry Among lap
Households Show Only
y in Actual Want.

A determination to do something to
overcome an intolerable economic situ.
alton that has converted the commonest
Il food necessities into actual table
Injuries led yesterday to the adoption
II a number Of radical programmes for
relief.
Some OF the principal features OF the
days fight. official and otherwise.
against high prices were as follows:
1. The Mayors food supply commit
tee, OF which George W. Perkins Is
chairman, began campaign to popu-
arize rice as a substitute for high
prices foods. II will carry on its edu-
cational work by means of pamphlets
to be distributed In the public schools.
Il advises that consumers pay no more
than cents pound for II. II the
retail price goes up as the result of
increased demand the committee hopes
to put ii down again by means Of
100000 pounds OF rice which II has
purchased and Is now holding, but will
sell at present prices. This. the COM
mittee says. will insure the continua-
ton of to-day's price of from 5 to
cents a pound. Mr. Perkins and his
colleagues also bought Il carload Of
Pacific coast smelts for sale here.
Buyers' Names Kept secret.
Ar. Perkins would not tell who put
w the money for the rice.
Members Of the committee and
some OF their friends" he said. IL
don't believe the names matter. No.
! did not put up all the money. POSI-
lively no.
AT Az cents. 100000 pounds of
rce would cost S1S0,000.
But one doesn't have to pay any
such sum all at once" MIR. Perkins re-
marked when the sum was mentioned.
Not more than $4,000 or $4,000 is
involved in the deal so far"
.. Joseph Hartigsn, Commissioner
Of Weights and Measures. announced
that IL public spirited citizens sub
scribe 100000 he can buy from new
market sources white potatoes, red
onions and sweet potatoes and retail
them in this city within twelve days at
% per cent. below the present prices.
Those who put up the cash would get
their money back. he said. and there
would be continuous arrival OF these
products for the next three months.
with the consequent lowering OF gen.
eral market prices here.
2. The Board of Estimate and Ap-
portionment passed a proposed amend
ment to the city Charter, which must
be authorized by the Legislature to
become operative, giving the board
power to appropriate city funds, in
the case of emergencies. with which
TO buy foodstuffs and sell at cost
Few Families In Actual Want.
4. John 4. Kingsbury, Commissioner
0! Charities, submitted a preliminary
report OF survey of conditions among
The city's poor, showing there Is no
evidence of real starvation existing In
the poorer sections. Only e2 out OF
lfIa families interrogated are suffer-
Ing from privation and are In imne-
d!ate need. 1t was shown that de-
nosits in savings banks in the poorer
districts had increased.
0. District Attorney Swami started
an investigation for the purpose Of
HndinS out just whether any combina-
non Of foodstuifs concerns or dealers
= responsible for the big boost In
prices. Several dealers, called as wit
hesses, blamed economic conditions,
shortage of supplies. lack Of labor on
the farms and shrewd moneymaking
o. Mayor Mitchell received from vari-
Gus parts OF the country letters asking
u New York city was really suffering
from shortage OF foodstuffs and sug-
gesting where various commodities
were obtainable.
Il Commissioner Hartigan spent
IRON midnight until A. NJ. at re-
ctiving piers and other terminals and
eaushed himself. he said, that lots OF
onions and potatoes arrived. but little
was sold because Of prohibitive prices
which are being asked.
>. Because of the boycott by Jews
OF poultry on account Of abnormal
prices the live chicken market was
oenoralized. Thirty carloads re.
mained on the tracks unsold. From
eight 70 ten carloads remained unsold
N the hands Of the wholesalers. Many
dF'r!buters said they would have to
return live chickens to shippers be-
cause they couldn't sell at any price. :.
D. The Mothers Anti-High Cost
League completed plans for protest
parade which will take place to-day.
housewives will march from all parts
OF the city. converging at Union and
Madison squares. A mass meeting
VIII take place at Madison Square at
NJ. The league sent an appeal
70 President Wilson asking him to In
s't that Congress shall appropriate
100000 for Federal investiga tion
INTO the high cost OF living.
10. Mother Jones Issued call TO
NE American people to get together
70 help the starving children Of great
e..y,
Pamphlets Praise Rice as Food.
The Mayors Food Supply committs
enlisted the aid OF President Wilcox {
'Ae Board Of Education in Its plan
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