Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-21
LOOK FOR STORAGE
IN CITY FOOD PLAN
Leaders in Citizens Council
Take Steps to Establish
Central Plant Here.
Mr.. GARDINER TO ASSIST

With the aid of Commissioner Card
iner the Citizens Food Council today
is taking steps to establish in Wash
ington a central storage house to
meet the needs here for a municipal
market.
At meeting of the council in the
District building last night, Commits
sioner Gardiner offered to contribute
$50 d month or more toward the rent
al of a building for this purpose. for
d period of three months, by which
time the institution is expected to be
OH a self-supporting basis.
Through Community Centers.
The plan of the council for reducing
food prices in Washington, as tenta-
lively agreed t. last night, is to use
the post office motor truck service for
bringing supplies in to a central point
for distribution. From this center the
foodStuffs will be distributed through
the various community ccnters.
John G- MctiraJn, preSioent of the
council. reported that as a result OF
trips he has made into southern
Maryland in the last few days he is
prepared TO order a shipment to
Washington of large quantities OF
foodstuffS considerably reduced in
price. He said he had visited sec
lions which are oversupplied with
produce for which they practically
have no outlet. 1t is proposed to
bring this produce to Washington by
the post office trucks that operate
over what L. known as the Leonard
town route.
1t was the sense of the meeting
that the chief problem to be worked
out in connection with cooperative
community buying wa; that of, dis
tribution, and that the central stor-
age house suggestion seemed to ofer
the only solution. The executive COM
mittee was instructed to work out
the details of the plan and report
back at the next meeting, but in the
meantime arrange for the handling
of all foodStUffS that may be shipped
here. a special committee of five
also was named to consider u plan
for financing distribution.
Food Administrator Clarence K.
Wilson expressed the opinion that the
council is on the right track in en-
deaVorinG to increase shipment OF
produce into Washington from near
by territories. thereby making the
capital less dependent upon dtStan,
sections for supplies. He said that
the splendid opportunity is presented
Washington to set a national exam
PIE of how the cost of living may
he reduced through the establish
ment of more extensive trade re.a-
tons between the consumers and the
producers in the Immediately adj
jacent territory.
Charles S. Myers of the Post Office
Department. VINO accompanied MIR.
McGrath Thursday on an extended
trip into southern Maryland, agreed
with Administrator Wilson that
about 40 per cent of the food raised
in the country never reaches the con-
sumner. He said that any quantity
of poultry. eggs. butter. oysters.
vegetables and other produce which
does not now come to Washington
could easily be brought in here and
distributed at reduced costs through
the plan outlined by the council.
1t developed that Mr. McGrath had
purchased 100 turkeys on his Mary
land trip, and could have bought a
thousand or more if he had had the
facilities in Washington for handling
them.
Purchase of Eggs.
dollars worth of eggs and other prod
ice. which is now being distributed
through the community center store
at the Park View School, Newton and
Warder streets.
II the proposed central storehouse
is provided. it will be equipped with
refrigeratinG facilities for handling
large quantities of produce. Each
community center will be permitted
to work out its own plan of distribu-
ton. but will have the central store
house to draw upon for its supplies.
Delegates from a large number of
citizens associations and community
centers participated in discussion of
the plan last night. and agreed that
II was the most practical solution of
the problem of reducing the cost of
W, ~;