The Washington times., 1919-08-21
CARS
Of FARMYFOOD
ARRIVE IN Dc.
Half of Capitals Quota Here
Hold Postal Sales Till More
Cars Come.

Washington's quota OF surplus arm.
food is arriving piecemeal, a tota
Of thirty cars OF food out OF the sixtl
cars allotted to the District havins
arrived by noon today.
Postoffice officials today declares
that as soon as a sufficient variet!
OF articles OF food had arrived. 81
that all the items on any order coulg
be filled. the work Of taking ORDER
would be resumed again and distrt
button BY parcel post would begin
Six cars arrived this morning. but az
to noon today they had not been In.
spected by War Department officials
and their contents were not known
Assistant Postmaster Kerliw toda!
said some Of the cargo had been en-
route since August :. Officials a
the War Department, however. asser
that every possible effort is being
made to bring the foOd here, despit,
freight embargoes and labor troublt
on the railroads. Part OF the ship
ment from New Orleans has ALREADY
arrived. il was stated, and tomatoes
from Baltimore are on the way e
Washington. Shipments are also re.
ported en- route from Chicago anf
Norfolk.
Urge Quick DlstributiOn.
Housewives are warned not to Civ,
their orders for the food that viii
be delivered by parcel post to an!
one except their regular mail carrier
Officials in the office OF the d.
rector OF sales OF the War Depart
ment are still urging postoffiee au
thorities 10 distribute the supply tina;
is now on hand
The list Of surplus army food
which will be distributed by the city
postoffice here to consumers in the
District now includes quantities OF
corned beef, roast beef. peas, corn
dried beans, baked beans, sweet po-
tatoes, asparagus, pineapple, pota
toes, pumpkin, squash, syrup and jam
Direct Buying Urged
In the meantime, local officials are
advocating that housewives take ad
vantage of the cash and carry mar.
ket plan. An appreciabIe saving, II is
claimed, can be made by buying di.
rectly from the producer at the mu.
nicipal market
Retail and wholesale food dealers Of
Washington will meet tonight in tn,
Business High school, on Rhode Is
land avenue between Eighth ant
Ninth street, with Clarence r. Wilson
chairman Of the fair price committee
to discuss the matter Of fair margin.
Of profit.
Tomorrow. night in the Distrie
building the special committee on CO
operative buying Of the Federal En-
pIoyes' Union. No. ?, will present
plan to the union. and it Is expected
that steps will be taken to form .
permanent organization OF grouI
buying.
Urges Community Store.
One Of the most novel. and probablJ
one Of the most effective, schemes yef
advanced to solve the local high cosf
of living problem is that suggested
by an official in one Of the Govern
ment departments Of a cooperative
buying and selling store.
The idea, to establish a sort oi
community" store in the subbase.
ment Of one OF the big Governmenf
buildings, il developed
may prove one Of the most effective
ways Of helping the $4,000 employees
Of that department to save money on
their foodstuffs.
Inc pldn as OuLlueu proposes &c
sell tickets in denominations from 81
to SO to the employees Of the depart
ment, thereby gaining a capital with
which to purchase a store OF supplies
It is then intended to purchase a large
variety Of foodstuffs in carload lots
and allowing the employees to buy a.
to their needs with the tickets pre-
viously purchased.
Means Big Saving.
BY buying in carload lots and elm
mating the profits accruing to deal
ers, il is expected that from IS to sc
per cent on all commodities can be
saved. It was said that the overhead
and selling charges in this undertak-
ing would amount to a fraction OF I
per cent.
In outlining the probable success
of such a plan. it was explained that
butter clubs, which now exist in some
Of the departments. were able to save
their patrons as much as 20 to SC
cents on a pound OF butter. by a sys-
tenn OF cooperating buying directly
from the producer.