Arizona republican., 1918-05-13
CARD RAT|ON|NC
 SYSTEM 0N FLOUR
 ADOPTED BY STORES

In line with a suggestion which ap peared in the editorial columns of The Republican few weeks ago, the Phoe nix Retail Grocers association, repre- senting 96 per cent of the trade, has adopted a card rationing system foI flour, bread and other wheat products, and this will be placed in effect Mon- day. This system was devised as simple and effective plan for distdibut- ing wheat products in accordance With the food administration ,program,lim- iting the consumption to six pounds per person, per month.
 As far as known Phoenix is the first city of any size in the United States to adopt such a plan. Already the idea has spread and is soon to be adopted in a half dozen other com munities in the state, with the prospect that the play may be made state wide through it's adoption by grocery or ganizations.
 Eliminating Hog Feature
 The proposed system eliminates the undemocratic feature of bread lines and at the same time guards against the food stacker who would go from store to store to obtain more than his just share of flour and bread. This is done through the simple process of every householder electing the dealer 1 from whom he expects to purchase. l To make the plan more effective a central clearing house is maintained, where duplicates of all cards issued are kept on file. Any indication of misuse of the cards through misrep- resentations on the part of the con- sumers will be called to the attention of. the food administration for the pur- of hnir Atr of boarding. The office of the central clearing house is at 710 West Adams | street, with S. c. Irwin, secretary of the association in charge.
 | Plans in Detail
 The details of the new plans were explained last night by MT. Irwin as follows:
 Three forms of cards are used; one by the grocer in selling flour bread and paste (macaroni, wheat crackers and wheat breakfast foods) one by the baker in selling bread and pastry and the third to be used in sell ing wheat products to ranchers, cotton camps and the like who maintain separate eating establishments fol their workers.
 Beginning Monday the person de. siring to purchase flour will be asked to fill out a statement to the effect that he has no flour on hand, giving the number of persons In his family the average number of meals served each month. and the name of the deal. CT from whom he intends to purchase These forms are now in the hands O. the grocers.
 The dealer then completes the fill ing out of the card to show the nam, and address of the customer, the mum Der of persons served each day, tn, monthly allowance for the household and the date of issue. The card is re tained by the dealer and the sale! checked off on a table arranged fo the purpose.
 May Change Dealers
 Should a person desire at any tim, to change from one Sealer to anothe
 he is permitted to do so by taking ou a new card with the merchant whom he desires to transfer his trade, but ol the new card he is debited with tn
 amount of flour. etc, which he ha
 previously purchased.
 There is nothing to prevent a per
 son buying flour of a grocer and brea } of a baker, but he cannot buy flour 0 two grocers at the same time nor brea from two bakers at the same time" In endorsing the plan of the Phoeni
 merchants the food administraticl says:
 "The food administration approve of any voluntary system among tn l dealers tending toward an equalize, } distribution of flour and wheat pro } ducts to the consumer If there ar any merchants who have not signed u with the grocers' association we urg
 them to do so as 8. matter of busi , ness, for it is much easier to keep check on their sales through an asso ciation of this character than by re quiring the merchant to furnish de , tailed reports showing the amounts c flour disposed of each day and t l whom, and the amornts left on han r at the close of each day"