Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-04
PRICE FIXED FOR
y. S. FOOD SALES
BY PARCEL POST

Washington, Aug. 4.-Sale of sur
plus Army food to the consumer )
through the parcel post to begin
Monday, August IS, will be tho
greatest bargain sale ever attempt
ed. More than $4,000 postmasters
will act as agents. About $4,000,
600 cans of meats and vegetables
will be available to the public
through the parcel post.
This system of distribution was
first proposed by Congressman
Clyde Kelly, of Pennsylvania, and
was approved by the House OF
Representatives in an amendment
presented by Kelly to a resolution
requesting the War Department to
sell it's surplus food to the public.
Disposition of all surplus sub
sistence commodities held by the
department is provided for in modi-
hcations of the original plans. Sale
of only canned and cured meat ana
canned vegetables was planned at
first.
Prices Are Announced
The announcement gives prices
per can for the food to be sold by
parcel post. The announcement sa ID
sales would be made in case or car
ton lots only and that purchasers
would have to add the cost of de-
livery by parcel post from the stor-
age points where the food now Is
held.
Surplus property officers at Bos-
ton, New York, Baltimore, New
port News, Atlanta, Chicago, st.
Louis, New Orleans, Fort Sam
Houston, Ell Paso, Omaha and San
FRANCISCO have been directed to
make the sales. Presumably the
regular zones rates for parcel post
Will apply from these cities in de-
termining the cost to purchasers by
the parcel post system.
Prices for the food were quoted
as follows:
Meats: Corned beef, No. 1 can, so
cents; No. can, 6S cents; .6-pound
can, 81. Roast beef, No. L can, 20
cents; 1-pound can, Al cents; q
pound can, Sc cents; 6-pound can,
S2.20. Corn beef hash, 1-pound can,
2S cents; 2-pound can, 40 cents. Ba-
con in crates, "a cents per pound;
in 12-pound tins, SO cents per
pound.
Vegetables: Baked beans, No.
can, Z cents; No. can, 13 cents
No. 3. Is cents. Stringless beans,
No. 2 can, IL cents; No. 10 can,
4S cents. Corn, No. can, ~ cents.
Peas, No. 2 can, II cents. Toma-
toes, No. 2 can, II cents; No. 2 1-2
can, 13 cents; No. can, Is cents;
No. 10 can, As cents. Pumpkin, No.
2 can, cents; No. can, cents:
No. 10 can, "a cents. Squash, No
can, cents.
The number of cans available for
sale in each commodity range from
22,OS0,2S5 of the No. cans of to-
matoes to 1925 cans No. 10 size of
pumpkin. The largest amounts
otherwise are 100000 No. l cans
and 100000 No. 2 cans of corned
beef, 100000 each of the / and
2 pound cans of roast beef, II, ,OO0,-
900 each of the l and pound cans
of corned beef hash, 100000 cans
No. size baked beans, 100000
No. 2 cans of corn, 100000
pounds of Grated bacon and 6,00O,-
900 of bacon in 12-pound tins.
The sale, the War Department
said, will be the largest direct sale
to the American people ever at
The prices were stated TO
be materially lower" than those
in the commercial mar
ket, and the food was described as
being in excellent condition.
"All of the commodities" the
continued, were govern
ment inspected and prepared in ac-
cordance with Army specifications"
No. cans contain slightly less
than a pound. No. cans contain
twice as much as No. /.
Forms and other data required by
the Post Office Department to pe-
gin operating the new plan will be
furnished by the War Department
within a few days.
August Is was set as the date
for inaugurating the parcel post
plan, in order to give the Post Of
five Department opportunity to III
- Of liz. n. e. j.