New-York tribune., 1919-09-07
Thousands of Cases Are
Released From Cold StOr.
age by Firms That Fear
Prosecution for HOarding
Retail Quotations Drop
Government Figures Are
Declared Too High in
View of New Conditions

The anti-hoarding campaign. which has
been carried on for four weeks in the
form Of investigations into cold storage
hosrdings and inventories taken by
Federal. state and municipal agencies,
has resulted in releasing thousands Of
cases Of frozen poultry on the market,
Charles Grismer, president Of the Ma
tional Retail Butchers Association,
said last night.
Mr. Grismer declared the wholesale
price of cold storage chickens has
dropped from 35 and 3S cents a pound
three weeks ago to 25 cents. He de-
clared firms holding these chickens
purchased them when the market was
3s cents. The growing agitation against
boarding, he said, caused the packers
to become nervous over the possibility
Of prosecution, and resulted in a gen.
eral scramble to unburden themselves
Of their excess holdings.
These chickens are being sold at re-
tail at present for 35 and 36 cents a
pound, compared to As cents pound
two weeks ago.
City to Take Over Poultry
DR.. Jonathan c. Day. Commissioner
Of Public Markets, announced yester-
day the city will take over 100000
pounds of poultry to be distributed
through retailers. August Sill. a
Wholesale poultry dealer, has offered
to store and distribute the poultry at
margin Of two cents pound over the
by DR.. Day to be altruism rather than
business, as a margin of four or flve
cents would be justified. DR.. Day said.
Mr.. Grismer declared, however, the
governments price of 32 cents pound
is entirely too high, since the packers
are releasing chickens at 25 cents.
ut would be difficult for me to enlist
butchers to aid in distributing the
poultry if the government asked more
than the packers" Mr.. Grismer said
"The butchers are eager to aid the
government and the city to reduce the
cost of living, but they fail to see how
they can benefit the consumers by
purchasing a commodity for ~ cents
which they can obtain for 20.
"The government should revise its
quotations. The butchers gladly would
work on margin cons iderably smaller
than their regular one if the govern
ment's prices were reduced to a figure
below the packers quotation"
Federal Reduction Sought
Captain Hebblethwaite, in charge
of finance and transportation OF the
zone surplus property office, when he
learned of the reduction in the poultry
price on the open market wired TO the
governing sales board at Washington
asking for price reduction to 80 cents
pound. lie may ask for further re-
hnf a
government and market price warrants
Il, he said.
DR.. Day declared retailers could sell
the army surplus poultry at 81 cents
pound He said he expected to have
arrangements for distribution OF poul-
try completed by the end OF next week.
More than 100000 pounds Of ham Will
be shipped from army warehouses here
into the public schools Monday, Dr.
Day said. This ham became available
Yesterday, and probably Will be sold at
SO cents a pound fully nine cents be-
low the price quoted yesterday on the
retail market
DR. Day said the following goods
were certified as available for New
York City yesterday: 10000 cases OF
canned peas, 10000 cases of canned
corn. 120. 900 cases of canned tomatoes,
1000 caees of pork and beans and 20
600 cases of prunes. Fridays sales, he
said, totalled S5l 900. while the return
on the half day of business yesterday
WAS well over $4,000
Army Stores for School Lunches
Dr Dav announced that the Chari-
ties Organization Society OF Brooklyn
has purchased large supply OF army
foodstuffs from the city to be USED IN
serving school lunches when schools
omen Monday. He said he willingly
vould sell the Board of Education any
quantity of canned goods to be used
{or school lunches. The board has
narsed favorably on q city-wide and
city-conducted school lunch system
The sales will not be hindered by the
return of children to school Monday,
DR.. Day said. They will be aided, ne
declared, as the children can carry
home supplies to their families.
The demand for army food is far
greater than the supply, it was learned
yesterday from reports of various
sck ools. President Henry Bruckner
of The Bronx, declared this condition
will be remedicd in his borough to-
morrow by the arrival of barge. lie
announced that, beginning tomorrow,
cocoa, dried apples. dried peaches,
prunes and bacon will be sold in five
pound lots. They had been sold only
in large quantities up to now.
Arthur Williams. Federal Food Ad-
ministrator, announced he had re.
ceived 2O6 complaints against alleged
unfair dealers. Forty-nine Of these, he
said, were filed with him Friday, while
yesterdays grist was six.