Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-13
POTATOES NEXT AS
FLOUR SUBSTITUTE
Plan to Compel Five Pounds
Sold for Each Pound of
Wheat
sIDETRACk FISH SUPPLY
Consider Cold Storage to Conserve
Supply of Tubers--Jersey
Crop Frozen
sIDETRACE FISH SUPPLY

Potatoes are to be added to the rul.
ing requiring the sale of an equal guam
,itv of cereal substitute with all pur.
chases Of wheat flour, according to ad.
vices received in this city today by
Iong-distancc telephone from Howard
Heinz, Federal food administrator for
PENNSYLVANIA, who is attending con.
ference of food officials IN Washington.
Tho plan at present $ to add potatoes
10 the combination in the ratio of five
hounds for each pound of wheat Thus
the housewife buying one pound Of
wheat flour would have to buy also one
no,Ind of n cereal substitute and five
hounds, or a twelfth of Il bushcl. of po.
tatoes was the announcement made to.
day at the administration luncheon in
wanamaker's tea room. Mr.. Heinz is
expected back in this city tomorrow
when the final announcement on the sub
jcct will be made.
The price of fish in this city is being
held up through the Pennsylvania laws
which have operated to divert from 5000
10 5000 pounds of this foodstuit to other
markets each week. was the statement
made by Hugh Denworth. assistant to
City Food Administrator Jay Cooke.
FISH LAW BOOSTS PRICE
hibitng the sale of black bass and sea
trout in this state irrespective of where
they are caught" he said. "Thc southern
fishermen pack all their fish together
In barrels. Their catches include these
forbidden fish. Therefore the dealer buy
ing this southern fish has to send the
black bass and seat trout out of the
State for sale or throw them away.
"The result has been thai the southern
I .I.-...
other markets The law was passed with
an idea of saving some Of our game
fish, but It has reacted on tho consumer
through the price of all fish,
The suggestion was made that this,
and other food matters should have the
immediate consideration of the state
legislature. and that Il special session
for this purpose might be advisable. 1t
was said the Governor wouldSwelcomc
such suggestion.
The TRANSPORTATION situation has also
been compicating the fish situation. Mr.
Denworth said. Ninety per cent Of the
fish eaten in this state arc caught out
side of it, he pointed out Shipments
that previously came from Boston in
two days now take five. Those from
the south ordinarily reach this city in
five days: they now take ten days for
the trip. This will he serious problem
for the local market when the hot
weather arrives, he said. BY taking
over the express companies, Mr.. Dem
worth believes the Government will ma =
terially improve these conditions.
UNLOAD FROZEN POTATOES
II you get bad potatoes from your
dealer, it is because they come from New
Jersey, according to J. r. Wilkinson.
potato expert of the administration The
Jersey farmer has had the novel OK
perence this winter of having his pota- =
toes freeze in his cellars. Mr.. Wilkinson
said. He is now trying to unload these
on the public as fast as possible.
On the contrary, all Pennsylvania
potatoes coming into the local market
are Of the best grade, he explained. and
are the best and cheapest food the
housewife can buy. The matter Cf put
ting potatoes in cold storage until Au-
gust Is being considered AS Il means
Of helping the situation. Wilkinson said.
There were siXty-eight cars of pcta.
toes on track yesterday afternoon.
Twenty-Five cars were sold yesterday,
and there were forty-four cars on track
this morning
Chester j. Tyson and Morris Phillips,
representatives of the farmer on the
administration, denied that the farmer
was getting rich on present prices. They
said there was no truth in the state
ment generally that deposits of the
farmers in the rural banks had doubled
within the last year. Mortgages are
not being lifted frCm the farms, they
maintained. That farmers in some sec
tions Of the country favored by special
circumstances have made money. they
admitted, but said that the condition
II was not at all general.
The process by which the revised price
OF S. cents per half bushe for potatoes
was fixed was explained today by otil-
cials Of the food administration
It was found that potatoes were SELL
Ing to the small dealer at 90 cents n
bushel at the car and that the cost OF
delivery to the store was about cents,
making a total of 9S cents per bushel
Adding 10 cents a bushel for bagging
and other containers and allowing a
margin of 20 per cent profit the price
per bushel to the customer. 1t was de-
clded, should be $1.30, or Go cents per
half bushel.
e# Complaints OF profteering in potatoes
have been received at the offices of tho
food administration and these COM
plants are being carefully investigated
with the assurance that vigorous steps
viii be taken against all who are found
guilty
State Administrator Howard Heinz
and County Administrator Jay Cooke are
still in Washington today. 1t was
learned that the object of the confer
ence with Herbert c. Hoover is to con-
slider the feasibility OF using potatoes
as substitute for wheat -four.