The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-11
Especial to Free Press. ]


How much food has Uncle Sam in
his national larder with which to
start the New Year? How adequately
can he feed until harvest time his
millions of civilians and soldiers? Will
it be necessary during the coming
twelve months for his citizens to eat
war bread? Can he furnish the share
which he ought of the daily ration
needed by the fighting men of the al
lies? And can he supplement some
what, perhaps, the meager fare OF the
friendly neutrals to whom the war
has brought the pinch of hunger?
These are the big and vital ques-
tons, so important to the conduct of
the war, which the bureau of markets
of the United States department. of
agriculture is seeking to answer by
carrying out the war emergency food
survey provided for by the last con-
gress. All over the country today
first steps are being taken to answer
these questions. Hundreds of thou
sands of persons in control of food
supplies, large and small, are filling
out schedules mailed to them by the
army of employees which the bureau
of markets has assembled in Wash
ington to conduct the big year end
food inventory.
What Schedules Will Show.
These schedules will show the
quantities of more than one hundred
different foods on hand December 81,
1917, quantities on hand December
81, 1916, for comparison, and the
quantities shipped out by freight or
express that have not been delivered
to the consignee. To the totals of
these figures will be added quantities
held by retail food dealers in certain
counties where store-to- can
vases are being made The latter in
tensive shrves will be made in order
that the figures for the entire country
can be checked. In addition, about
10000 selected families will report
on special schedules regarding the
stocks on hand, and the ways in
which they utilize certain food prod
ucts These figures will be used as a
i basis upon which to estimate the
amount of food in the more than
| twenty million homes of the country
| When all this information has been
| tabulated Uncle Sam will have avail
| able for the first time, sorely needed
data upon which to formulate plans
| for efficient production and wise use
of the munition which is of greatest
| Importance in winning the war-food
, On the Trail of the Food Supply.
| The trail of the country's food sup
ply is a winding and many branched
| one, the bureau of markets has found
| A surprising variety of dealers and
| holders" go to make up the vast ar
my of individuals and concerns that
have in their hands the potential
breakfasts, dinners, and suppers Of
| the nation. Among the most import
ant custodians, of this vast food sup
| ply are owners of grain elevators,
common and cold storage concerns
meat packers, carriers, exporters,
wholesale and retail grocers, bakers
confectionerS, butchers, and other
| dealers. Schools, hospitals, asylums
and other institutions, lit has been
found, are much larger holders of food
than had been supposed, while an
other important group which carries
| considerable quantities of foodstuffs
in its pantries is made up of hotels,
restaurants, commissaries, etc.
| Uncle Sam himself holds large
stores of edibles. These are not alone
at army and navy bases, but also at
immigration stations, in hospitals, on
reclamation and other engineering
projects. Large quantities of food also
are held by the purchasing agencies
in this country of foreign govern
ments.
| To every dealer and holder of food,
the bureau of markets has attempted
! to mail a schedule on which the Off
cial returns of holdings is to be made.
This has involved vast amount of
! preliminary work, for before a blank
was sent out, the most complete list
ever made of handlers and holders of
food had to be built up from various
sources and checked and rechecked.
| This list now contains between a half
and three quarters of a million
| names, and covers concerns from the
vast packing plants of Chicago and
the great -four mills of Minneapolis,
to the "hole- in the wall' shops of
New York's east side and the cross
| roads stores of the Ozarks.
Food Survey Act Has Teeth.
To guard against any food handlers
| being missed by failure to include
them in the mailing list, the bureau
of markets has sent supplies of
| schedules to it's agents througout the
| country for distribution, and at the
same time has announced that all in
dividuals and concerns handling foods
who do not receive schedules through
the mails by January 2, will be ex-
pected TO apply to the local agencies
for copies. Congress put teeth in the
act authorizing the making of food
survey by providing that persons will
fully failing to make returns when
| called upon, or willfully making in
correct returns, will be subjected to
a fine of not more than $1,000, or
imprisonment for not more than one
year. The bureau of markets, however,
! is counting on receiving the willing CO.
operation of all persons in possession
of foodstuffs who should make reports.
and hopes that there will be very
few cases in which it will be neces-
sary to make use of the laws teeth.
/ Within few days. the first of the
more than three quarters of a mil
| lion schedules will begin pouring back
! to Washington, bearing the infcrma-
| ton which congress was willing to
spend 100000 to obtain. In Washing
| ton, the schedules will be tabulated
as promntlv as nossibIe bv staff of
special clerks When information on