Evening star., 1918-11-23
FOOD COUNCIL Plan
MEETS.APPROVAL
Wants Municipal Market With
Organized Buying Through
Motor Truck Service.
CITIZEN SUPPORT ASKED

A municipal market eventually. with
organized community buying through
the post Office motor truck service as
a means Of affording immediate re-
lief. IL the twofold plan Of the citi-
zens' food council for lowering food
prices in the District. which has re-
Neived the approval of the Commits
sioners and the local food admins
traitor.
every citizens association In the Dis
trict will be asked to give its imme-
date and active support, was formu-
lated last night at meeting in the
boardroom Of the municipal building.
Commissioners Brownlow and Gardi-
ner, District Food Administrator Will
son, Health Officer Fowler and repre-
sentatives Of practically every section
Of the District participated.
Park Organization Endorsed.
The action Of Park View residents
in organizing to take advantage Of
farm-to-table buying through the
post Office motor truck service was
indorsed and the delegates instructed
to proceed with the organization OF
other communities along the same line.
It was announced the Post Office
motor transport stations. which would
cradle the entire District to take ad-
vantage of this service.
The council approved a proclama-
tion to be issued to the people of the
District, calling upon them to prac-
tice strictest economy in food con-
sumption that they may help to dispei
the specter of famine that hangs over
Europe. A mass meeting Of all men,
bers Of citizens associations will be
to discuss food conservation meas
ures.
Commissioner Gardeners inquiry.
Commissioner Gardiner took the
council into his confidence as to some
private Investigations he has been
making Of the local food situation.
The result of his inquiry convinced
him, he said. that the plan of the
grading wheat and fixing a price ON
it should be established for all prod
uce coming into the market. 1t gives
the farmer fair price. means lower
prices to the consumer and makes
profiteering impossible, he said. Such
a plan, he said, would necessitate
providing a municipal warehouse and
designation of an official to receive
and value the produce. The Commis-
sioner said this work might be done
by the department of weights, meas
ures and markets under congressional
authorization.
Turkey Gobbler Experiment.
Mr.. Gardiner asserted that he re-
Gently has engaged in transactions
on the local market both as a buyer
and seller for the purpose of compar-
ing prices. Accompanied by a Dis
trict official, he visited the market
on Saturday evening and purchased
a turkey gobbler at % cents a pound
He fed the bird over Sunday and re-
turned with it to the market Monday
morning to see what price it would
bring. Most Of the dealers offered
from 1e to Is cents. Finally. he sold
purchased it at 20 cents, or q loss Of
cents.
The Commissioner told of some
ridiculously low prices offered him
by local meat men for steers raised
on his MARYLAND farm. the dealers
that the market was "off," whereas
the retail prices Of meat at that time
did not show that the market was
''off."
Other transactions showing a wide
margin between the prices at which
food is obtained from the farmer and
sold to the consumer were related by
the Commissioner. He said the move
ment of local citizens to buy direct
from the farmer through the post
Office service is good one.
Plea for Food Saving.
Commissioner Brownlow, also an
advocate of the municipal wholesale
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