Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1918-01-22
CUST0MH0uSE
men GIVEN A
TASK; FOOD
II CARDSARE
IN ORDER


thousand passports held by Matamoros
residents, seeing that the holder CORES
ponded with the photograph on the pass
port, dating each food card, placing the
official seal of the treasury department
on IT and on the passport, and writing the
number OF the passport in record was
the task that faced United States Gus
toms officials at the headquarters office
in the federal building when it opened for
business this morning With only two Of
ticIal sales available II was possible 10 AS
sign only two men To the work, and II l.
probable that several days VIII be required
90 complete the work OF approving the food
cards oG all the applicants.
Deputy Collector H. l.. Ginn of the port
OF Brownsville said tins morning that he
believed the inauguration OF the food card
system Will put a stop 10 the practice of
hundreds of people obtaining more than
their allotment OF foods, which resulted IN
hundreds of tons of supplies gong across
the river IN violation OF the president
cials, 1t had reached enormous wholesale
proportions in retail quantities. including
such staples a, lard, sugar and flour.
Printing establishment, yesterday were
supplied with form Tor the food cards,
each OF which has blank space for the
ilame of the holder OF a passport, and
also a space for the passport number, a
~. - In,
,lar. These cards are obtainable at all
stores today. Each person will he allowed
TO make an exportatlon OF staple food sup
Splies once every three days, and customs
inspectors at the bridge and ferry, when
the Inspection i made. will punch one of
the dates. When a card has been used up
a new one will have to be obtained by the
holder and again taken To the cu,tomhouse
for the record
AT an early hour this morning Matamo-
ros people, each bearing their passports
and food CARDS, began 10 appear al ;he
customshouse To have their cards duly APP
proved and filled in. The crowds became
SO large that ii was found necessary to
herd them into the courtyard in the rear
more were permitted 10 enter the Offices,
passing ont through the front when their
cards had been issued. This system WAS
odopicd % a. not to crowd the -dcwuk-
on Elizabeth street.
The inauguration of the food card sys-
tenn for residents on TIE Mexican side o1
the border who do their buying IN the
American towns opposite. will put To an end
n highly profitable industry that has de
veloped in the past few wek~, since the
food administration authorized customs
Officials to permit the export OF lard. ~Il-
gar and other staples IN quantities ~uifl-
cicnt To last one normal family tw" or
three davS. A. about six thousand pass
morris have been ISSUED to Matamoro~ peo-
ple the customs inspectors AT the bridge
and ferry found il impossible Ia check
those who were making more than one trip
daily. and il was discovered that hun
dred> of men. women and children were
making numerous trips every day. carry
inc their purchases to Matamoro~ where
they disposed OF them al profitable prices,
some aking three. four. five and six dol
lars daily Stores in Maiamoro~ began to
display signs announcing that they bought
sugar. lard and other foods scarce there
in small quantities. and they in turn reSold
mt profitable PRICES. II was even reported
10 officials that huge quantitsAof foods
bought in Brownsville in this manner were
being shipped into the interior of the state.
Under the impetus of enormous amounts
of retail buving numerous small GROCERIES
began IA spring M III Brownsville. pariic-
ularlv along the board walk and along
Twelfth street which leads to the ferry.
These stores have been doing thriving
business What effect the new order l.
likely 10 have on these establishments VIII
be revealed within the next few days. Tor
customs officials believe that the card
system will make il impossible for one
family ia obtain more than the amount al
lotted to them.
= The Brownsville Ferry Company boats
for davS have been taxed 10 their capacity
four boats with capacity OF about twenty
people each, hauling : many n 5000 pe"-
ule between the Two sides of The nver ~
single day often.