The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-07
GOVERNMENT
SELLSFO0D TO
BASKET BRIGADE
Experiment Proved Highly
Successful in Baltimore in
Disposing of War Depart
nent Surplus.
BY a. e. GECDHOF

| Baltimore. July 6.-At the first sale
of the army's canned meats and veg
| etables, held here as test at one of
/ BaItimore'S municipal markets. people
scrambled, scratched and cfafnored to
! buy the supplies before the limited
stock was exhausted.
| They had to call out the police to
keep order in the crowd waiting its
| turn to buy,
Only $4,000 worth of canned corned
beef, pork and beans, peas, corn to-
matoes and corn syrup We're placed on
sale This sale started at o'clock and
before noon there wasn't a thing left
but a lot of bursted empty crates
As result Baltimore is to have
regular sales of the army supplies in
all the city markets until the war de-
partment's Baltimore storehouse is
empty. This week SIS, 900 worth is
to be sold. and If the public shows that
il wants more. it will get it, Further
more, clothing and other supplies are
to be placed on sale also.
The goods are sold at the price they
cost the government, which is two
thirds. and in some cases half the
present retail price. Members of the
Women's Civic League volunteered
their services as sales women, but If
the sales get too big. as they threaten
to. the city will add a fraction of a
cent to the cost of each article sold
and use the extra amount thus gained
to pay hired statesmen to sell the
goods.
Howard Branch. president Of the sec
ond branch of the Baltimore city coun-
ell and acting mayor is the man to
whose initiative and enterprise the
success of Baltimore's effort to cut the
cost of living is due. He is enthusiast
tic over the success of his venture. and
declares that the city government has
permanently broken the backbone of
the high cost of living.
Bryant was in communication with
zoe war department last week, before
Secretary Baker announced that he
would refuse to sell the vast amount
of surplus foodstuffs back to the pack
ers at 35 per cent of it's cost, and would
make it available to the public. Bry-
ants offer therefore was the first one
accepted.
This live-wire acting mayor lost no
time. He called number of public
spirited women into his office. laid
the proposition before them, bundled
them into his car and drove them to
the army warehouse, where they picked
out the supplies they thought Ba1ti- 4,
more people wanted most.
Then Bryant hastened back to the
city hall. called n meeting of the board i!
of estimates. and asked them for ST. 500
out of the city's contingent fund with
which to pay the army for supplies. |
That was last Thursday.
It's only loan" he explained. The |
money will be back in the city treas |
ury Saturday night"
1t was. And the profits that ordi- /
narily go to the food trust are in the t
pockets of several thousand people of
Baltimore.
The money in hand. Acting Mayor
Bryant went back to Colonel Merriam. /
zone supply officer for Baltimore. and /
paid him. Merriam was taken by sur /
prise. but he promised to have the
goods ready next day.
Friday the city's motor trucks back
ed up to the storehouse and took the
supplies to Richmond market. An i'm
provised counter was thrown up and
the tops were knocked off the pack
ing boxes containing the canned food.
Saturday morning the goods were
placed sale-and oh. man, How
they did goi Each customer was re-
stricted to six cans of any one variety.
Nearly every one took his six cans of
every variety. The poor volunteer
never had such hard work
n their lives they had figuring UP