The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-23
RUSH SWAMPS
SCHOOL STORES
Trucks Unable to Cart Army
Food Fast Enough to Meet
Demand.
THURSDAY SALES S41, 900
Crowds Sometimes Overwhelm
Sales Force-BacOn Proves
Most Popular.
THURSDAY SALES S+1, 900

The second days retail sales by the
city OF surplus army foodstuffs in
school buildings-the list is still lin
tied TO flfty-eight ht-was pronounced
last evening by the Rev. DR.. Jonathan
c. Day, Commissioner of Public Mar
kets. to be IAN overwhelming sue
cess" A far greater number of woman
marketers turned out at the school
stores" than on the preceding day and
the sales forces actually were over
whelmed in many instances.
The demand for the army food ex-
ceeded the supply, and this was be-
cause it was found utterly impossible
to truck the stuff from the army
warehouses in sufficient quantities to
fill the orders. even though the store
machinery was able to stand the
strain.
I'VE can't sell goods fast enough"
Mr.. Day said. What We have got to
have Is more goods and more cashiers.
One cashier In a store cannot take in the
money fast enough. At one school one
cashier faced $500 people who were
waiting in the line. If We could sell to
the people as fast as they come up we
would have been able to sell 100000
worth OF stun to-day
1876 Trucks Not Fast Enough.
Transportation Of foodstuffs is the
biggest thing we are up against. We
had 1875 trucks carrying food from the
army warehouses to the schools to-day
and they couldn't carry It fast enough.
We are sending twenty-five trucks to
Port Newark and the congestion is so
great there that. although they start to
load up at 10 In the morning, they are
not able to get away until o'clock in
the afternoon. Nevertheless the sales in
the schools are an overwhelming sue
cess"
DR.. Day said that reports show that
sales were made at forty-one schools on
the opening day and each turned in an
average OF $1,000 to the department
cashier. He was quite sure that all OF
the fifty-eight schools in the first an
Icunced list were in operation yester-
day. He added that he cannot tell just
yet when the sales will be extended to
additional schools
One of the busiest centres of tho city's
system of chain stores was tho d!stTlbut-
Ing station under the greensboro Bridge
at Fifty-ninth street 1t was here the
big task was going on of opening up
500 900 pounds OF bacon as 1t came from
the army warehouses. cutting II up into
salable pieces, weighing 1t out, &C.
The help at this point was hired" and
tho progress OF the work didn't at all
keep up with the demands that kept
coming In all along the line TO send us
more bacon" Eight five ton trucks,
some OF which, DR.. Day said. carried
seven tons, kept taking the bacon to the
schools all day. There are 3l2,OO0,OOO
pounds Of army bacon IN the country TO
be distributed, OF which 1,soO Is in TINS
neighborhood.
DR.. Day believes that II he can have
the supplies lightered from Port Newark
and tho Brooklyn warehouses to the
various boroughs instead OF being obliged
TO depend altogether upon motor and
horse drawn trucks the problem of get
ting enough foodstufrs to the schools
within a given time to meet tho demand
will have been solved, 1t also Will be
cheaper to lighter II than TO truck 1t all
tho way in. he said.
East Side Crowds Smallest,
Curiously enough. the crowds of women
who went to the lower East Side stores
looking for food at cheap prices wert
not as large as the crowds in some other
parts OF the city. This was noticeably
SO at the schools at Delaney and Ludlow
To
Folks looking for an explanation said
| they guessed the housewives OF these
| neighbors hadn't read the English Ian
guage newspapers and didn't know what
was going on.
However, above Fourteenth street or
| the East Side. women customers ap-
| peared at the school IN large numbers
and many stood in line for two or three
hours before It was possible to gel
waited on. In many cares the schoo
approaches were Jammed by eager buy
| ers long before the sales forces were
ready to begin business ct 10 A. NJ.
A big crowd of whites and blaclS'
made a descent on School S5 at 1851
street and Lenox avenue, in the hear
| of Harlem's colored colony. There were
| 1000 pounds OF bacon In the improviset
| store and everybody wanted some.
There apparently was greater de
mand for bacon at "a cents a pound a
all the schools than FOR any other city
offering. Many asked for ham. insteaC
of bacon. and were disappointed wher
informed that the city had been unable
| TO get any
Up in The Bronx some OF the storei
were closed at 3 instead Of 4 o'clock
contrary to orders. The early CLOSING
movement was inaugurated by certain
policemen, It was alleged. because the.
didn't care TO be delayed in going of
! duty at their usual hour OF o'clock. \
complaint was made TO Inspector Jame
| Savage OF The Bronx.
Small boys with express wagons an'
a great variety OF nondescrtpt vehicle
organized a pony express delivery ser
vice at many OF the schools and carried
home purchases at or 10 cents
load. depending on the distance.
Here and there in the neishborhood o
the schools regular store keepers, wh,
pay city taxes and believe for that rea
son they are entitled to be exempt from
city competition, growled ana said thing
undar shAAs ereathA