New-York tribune., 1919-08-01
Canned Goods, Produce
and Meats Will Be
Distributed Far Under
Present Retail Prices
Food Cards
Are Proposed
Fire and Police Stations
and Schools Centres as
Long as Supply Lasts
Ne,0 York Tribune
TL.L


Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, July 31.-Army food
Of every variety, from canned vege-
tables to cold storage poultry, is to be
offered for sale to the people of New
York City at cost, under an agreement
reached to-day by the War Department
and f. j. O'Mallcy, Deputy Market
Commissioner, representing the Mu-
nicipality of New York
The War Department agrees to con-
sign the army food to the city gov
ernme,nt at a figure greatly below the
prevailing retail market price, and the
municipality will be given thirty days
in which to pay the government for the
food.
Among the foods that will be avail
able for distribution in New York are
the following:
Evaporated apples, bacon, baked
beans, lima beans, stringless beans,
corned beef, roast beef, dchydratcd
carrots, canned cherries, sweet corn,
cornmeal, white cornmeal, .ellow
cornmeal, ginger crackers, graham
crackers, soda crackers, farina, dried
goldfish, barley -four, corn -four,
white corn -four, yellow corn aour,
cornstarch -four, graham flour, issue
-four, oatmeal flour, potato -four, rice
-four, rye -four, substitute bran -four,
substitute buckwheat -four. ham,
sugar-cured ham, corned beef hash,
coarse hominy, fine hominy, Austria
lan assorted jam, macaroni, cvapo-
rated milk, oatmeal rolled oats,
evaporated peaches, canned peas,
cucumber pickles, fresh frozen poul
try, canned pumpkin, prunes, raisiAs.
spaghe etti canned squash and canned
tomatoes.
City Takes No Money Risk :
The municipality of New York will
be the governments agent in disposing
of the food supplies, but will assume
no financial risk Similar agreements
will be entered into by the surplus
food division Of the War Department
with every municipality in the coun-
try which will agree to distribute the
food to its citizens. and refund to the
government the price the food brings
less the cost of distribution.
"The War Department consented to
permit New York City to act as agent
when we showed the surplus property
officers that the food would reach the
greatest number of people at the least
cost to them" Deputy Commissioner of
Markets O'Malley said, after the con
ference with army food officials. "The
government agrees to appoint some city
official as its agent, and viii cons ign
the food to him. and The city Will
guarantee that the price fixed by the
War Department will be turned over
within a period of thirty days. The
municipality takes no risk except to
give assurance that the commodities
will be generally distributed to the
people.
Prices To Be Lowered
The War Department experts arc
now working on d scale OF prices to be
charged for the foods, and We have
been assured that the schedule to be
fixed Will be materially lower than the
prevailing retail market price in New
York City.
Il Immediately will begin The work
Of placing with the army's zone supply
officer there Ii list of commodities that
we believe New York people will buy
Upon the delivery of these goods they
will be distributed to all the fire
houses. police stations, school houses
city market places and other available
distributing points in the five boroughs
so that each community will have an
opportunity to buy the foods at re
duction. ] believe New ork can dis
pose of between twenty and twenty-five
carloads of army foods, ranging from
canned goods to cold storage poultry.
Assistant Secretary OF War Crowell
and Assistant Director Of Sales r. G.
Morse, who have been deputized by
Secretary Baker to handle the question
Of food sales, put a staff Of officials to
work ascertaining the minimum price
the government Will expect to receive
for the foods turned over to munici-
paltics. 1t is the intention of the War
Department to take into consideration
the prevailing market prices in each
community and reach an average MIN
imum for the war foods, regardless OF
the actual cost of the foods to the
government.
Far Under Market Prices
1t was predicted by Director Morse
that the foods to be consigned to New
York City would be made available tc
the purchasers there a figure so Low
in some cases as 20 per cent under the
prevailing retail market quotations. II
was pointed out that New York will re-
ceive the foods at a cheaper figure
than other cities by reason of the fac
that the goods are stored there and nc
freight charges will be added.
The schedule of prices will not be
completed before next week, Mr.. Moore
said. AS an indication of the price
the government, ,will expect to receive
for the commodities, ne referred tc
the figures set on eight carloads oi
commodities ordered by the District Of
Columbia. These prices, which follow
he said, would doubtless be somewhat
Continued ON uert oooe