The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-29
Customers Not Allowed to BUY
More Than Forty Eight
Pounds at One Time
SHORTAGE OF FRESH
MEATS SCHEDULED
Retailers of Richmond in Meet
ing Plan to Cooperate With
Food Administration to Pre-
vent Flour Gard

Housewives In Richmond as we'll a.
throughout the country at large WILL
beginning with today. be compelled 70
purchase with each pound of whea'
-four an equal amount of substitutes
-four, including cornmeal. rye, po-
tato, buckwheat. or any similar article
that has been specified by the 1000
administration, In addition. only a
limited amount OF wheat nour can be
purchased BIZ any one customer. that
amount not 10 exceed one-Quarter OF
a barrel at time.
These ultimatums w6a. issued to tbs
retailers OF the city by The local food
administration at meeting held last
night in the auditorium of the John
Marshall High school, which was at
tended by nearly a hundred OF ina
Richmond grocers, representing prac-
ticaliy all of the larger establishments
At the meeting the retail men agreed
10 cooperate with the food ~miniS-
tration In every possible me aer to
meet the existing food conditions,
which appear to grow gradually worse,
The meeting was held for the pur-
pose OF organizing the local grocsrs
and appointing committee which
will meet with the food admtnistra-
ton each week ard assist in the taou-
lation of a weekly price lirt OF all nee
essary foodstufTs, which VIII be pub
lirhed from time 10 time In the news
papers thus enabling the housewife
10 prepare m economic PURCHASING
list. All the food stores wifi conform
with this price list, which viii auto
matically prohibit any attempt on the
part Of the merchant to gain abnor-
mai profits.
The Wholesale men. ire eoraxais-
sion merchants and the produce mer
have already organized IN this move
naent, and from thaze bodies. aIone
with the retailers and the t0od ad-
ministration, central committee vii
be formed who Will, have direct
charge OF the prices which Will be oh
tanned by the merchants for all neces-
sary foodstufA The wholesalers vii
be represented by Hugh Antrim. the
food administration by r. C. Moomaw
Of the state markets commission, and
it Is rumored that the produce mer
will appoint w. r. Carpenter to looh
after their interests
Colonel f. b. White, federal food
administrator OF Virginia, was To have
addressed the meeting OF the retailers
lost night. but Was detained IN Wash
ington and could not be present Mr.
Noomaw made the address in his
stead and presented the needs Of co
operation on the part OF the grocery
men with the food administration
especially in the present -four crisis
He stated that II the retail food mer
and the housewives did not meet thu
orders Of the food department, ths
government would, of 81 necessity. b
compelled 10 resort 10 the use of the
-our card. At the present rate OF con
sumption there Will not be enough
aour TO last through the month OF
May, and conservation In the onlJ
means of saving the country from thu
bread line. To relieve the starving
conditions in foreign countries NOR
than one hundred million bushels o.
wheat has been exported in tho las
Few months.
In addition 10 this Il fresh meal
shortage Ia inevitable within the nex'
few days, This Is not due to B short
sge OF live stock but to the Ccng est
ed railroad conditions, and the AGAR
city liz scheduled 10 become acute
The food administration at washing
ton had issued an order TO all food
administrators throughout the coun.
try that the grocers must not I'm,
crease the price of fresh meats, and
that any cases OF violation reported
would mean a curtafIment of all fu.
ture orders from the wholesalers.
These questions were discussed al
length by the retailers last night, and
the most feasible plans for co-opera.
ton were adopted. A COMMITTEES
composed of the following men were
appointed: Downtown Gordon
wallace, Herman Schmidt. James NJ
CARRIER. Dave Wallerstein. and l.. f
Altman: neighborhood-J. t. Eu.
bank, J. NJ. Tfmberiake, Henry Win,
ston. and w. A. Gill: suburban--,A
N. Cosby. Barney Briel. A. p. CHI
holm, and r. r. whelton; outlying
d. r.. Baker. w. c. Garbett, Charles
Berry. and NJ. HiIlsman, This com.
nittee will meet Thursday with the
committees from the other ofganiga-
lions, and compile the price list OF
necessary foodstuffs for the benefit
OF the consumer which will bs pub
lished in all the daily papers. The
first price list will contain sugar
-four. meats, lard and it's substitutes
beans. cheese and others of the frs
essentials.
The prices OF all these necessary
articles will be suppressed to a nor
NAL average margin, and all in
Engagements will be made public
One of the most serious questions
that faced the retailers as we'll a.
the food administration. was that Of
\ method OF preventing the consum'
Or from securing flour from each OF
several grocery stores, 1t was final
ly decided that nothing could he done
except to make a direct appeal TO this
patriotism of the purchaser BY SONS
II was feared that panic-stricken con.
ditions would exist, but as that coule
only bring on the -four card thai
opinion did not receive much cred
ence.
The movement of the department
and other establishments OF sim
liar character to have the heatless
day changed over TO Saturday hal
Continued on Page Three.l