Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-27
$4,000 REQUIRED
TO" SELL ATCOST"
Director Wilson Says That
Sum Will Relieve Food
Stringency in This City
STORAGE BILL MENACE
Jones Measure, Extending Time
to Year, Reported Unfavor-
ably by Experts


delphia, according to Director of Public
Safety Wilson. who assisted in drawing up
the COX bill authorizing the plan which
was passed on FIRST reading by the House
of Representatives last night Director
Wilson has been assured that the bill will
be rushed through the Legislature and re-
ceive the approval Of the Governor. so
that the city will be selling foodstuffs in
the congested districts of the city within
several weeks
Il think $4,000 will be sufficient, but
every dollar OF this sum can he used at
once to buy food. Every department of city
work will be asked to cooperate with the
Department Of Supplies to furnish automo-
biles and men needed to transport food
from docks and freight stations to the
various food depots. There will be no
overhead charges and the $4,000 can be
used as long as there is need II can be
turned over and over again.
I'VE have been assured that there will
be no difficulty in getting food at the sources
OF supply. Producers will ship directly to
the city as soon as we are ready for
them. As soon as the bill passes, Councils
can appropriate the s50000 at once TO the
Department of Supplies"
The promised relief has halted the dis
orders In the poorer districts of the city.
For the first time in almost a week there
were no serious demonstrations and no
arrests in the downtown sections today.
The leaders of the boycotting women, how
ever, still insist that there will be a march
TO City Hall very soon, although they have
announced no definite plans.
JONES STORAGE BILL OPPOSED
In addition to the measure for the i'm
mediate relief of the food situation there
is much discussion on the cold storage
measure introduced in the Legislature by
Senator Il. +. Jones, of Susquehanna Coun-
ty. officials and food experts declare that
| such law would prove a public injustice.
THE Jones BILL" said Director Wilson,
us nothing more than the sweeping away
of all restrictions cold storage II the
| bill passes, the storage men, their allies
among bankers and the food gamblers will
| he in great glee. A law fixing a year as
| the limit means nothing but an extension
| of the field of gambling in foods
Prof. Charles II. laval. chemist for
the Pennsylvania Dairy and Food Depart
ment, who is also n member of the faculty
of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy,
and Dr. Alonzo L. Taylor, professor Of
| physiological chemistry at the University,
| both noted experts on the subject of food
| stuffs, say that the measure will not pro-
| tect the consumer as effectively as the pres
| ent law which limits the time of keeping
| articles in cold storage to eight months.
| The proposed bill which has been referred
| to the Committee on Public Health and
| Sanitation, along with two other measures
| Qeallng with tne question OF lOOu, WOulu
| extend the time limit to one year
PROFESSOR LAwALL's VIEW
| Professor La Wall said:
| | fail to see wherein the proposed
I act would benefit the public in any way
The definition of cold storage is so diff
| ferent from that under the present act
| that much injustice to the consuming
| public would result,
For instance, an article of food under
the definition of this act would have to
| be in storage for thirty days or more
| in order to be denomnated cold storage
and by the terms of the bill all articles
held for less period than this time at
| the above-named temperature (to or
below n temperature above zero to "a
degrees FahrenheiD are entitled to the
term fresh
DO you think that the consumer of
| eggs would be willing to take a twen-
ty-nne -day-old egg as a fresh egg?
| Yet this bill legalizes such procedure.
| I am not in favor of condemning
as unfit for food an article which Is
wholesome, even though it may have
| exceeded the time limit but any bill
providing for an extension of the time
limit (now eight months on most
articles) should have more protection
against unwholesomeness of the food
than this bill affords.
The wise provision of the present
law, which provides for the plain mark
ing of each package of cold storage
food as sold to the consumer, Is miss
ing in this bill, and in its place is
requirement that the bulk stock dis
played for retail shall have a placard
prominently displayed. What protec-
ton Is this to the consumer who sends
servant who is careless or cannot
read or a child to the store. or who
orders foods by telephone. as so many
do now?
If this bill is to have an extension
of the time limit over the present bill,
il should also retain the present method
| of notifying the purchaser, and in the
case of eggs should have the require
ment Of the present New York city law
| that each egg be plainly stamped with
the date when it was placed In storage.
| What we need first Of all is ma
| tonal storage act and then 1t will be
time 10 alter and amend our State act
so as to bring it in harmony with the
| national act
Professor La Walls opinion regarding thu
measure was heartily approved by Docto
Taylor who said:
Experience with the present cold storag
law has indicated that while not perfec
in it's operation il, on the whole, protects
the interests of the consumer without in
juring the producer.
I'm my opinion the proposed measur
would not protect the consumer as enect
| iyely as does the present law