New-York tribune., 1919-08-08
Delay of Week Made Neces.
sary to Perfect Organiza-
tion of Force Adequate to
Handle Army Supplies
B. r.. T. Strike Interferes
Department Is Unable to
Furnish Policemen to
Keep Watch at Schools

The sale of surplus army food in
New York City will not begin until
Monday, August %, one week later
than previously announced. The build
ing of a distributing and selling or
ganization by DR.. Jonathan c. Day,
Commissioner of Markets, and Edwin
A. O'Malley, deputy in charge of the
handling of the army food, has been
found to be difficult task.
One of the reasons for the post
ponement, according to Mr.. O'Malley,
is the assignment of policemen to
guard the B. R. T. property. The de-
partment has been unable, therefore,
hundred schoolhouses. When the sale
does commence it will be experimental
only at first. Five schoolhouses in each
borough, to be selected to-day, will be
i.sed.
Captain Stewart, the zone surplus
property officer, has been instructed by
hrigadier General II. +. wilkins, zone
supply officer, to devote every facility
It his command to place the army food
q the market here in such way as
t. give the consumers full benefit.
Must Buy Within Week
Captain Stewart said yesterday that
unless the city named the varieties and
Quantities of the food it desires within
nc next week the sale by parcel post
'F.l absorb the stocks. From present
sdications, Captain Stewart declared,
&c entire allotment for this district,
approximately 2O,000,OOO worth Of
iaod, will be disposed of to munich
..s lties before the sale by parcel post
rogins.
Newark yesterday purchased $1,000
carloads of ham, while Buffalo sent an
fort, Conn, closed deal with Lieu
ienant Frank A. Dee, subsistence sales
lead for Captain Stewart, for $4,000
reands of ham.
The Mayor of Painted Post, n. y,
lifted Lieutenant Dee yesterday and
lid three thousand inhabitants of his
own are hungary for ham at thirty
cents d pound and bacon at thirty
four He ordered thirty thousand
rounds of assorted food
Other Towns in Market
representatives of Passaic, n. j.;
!.vington, N. j.; Allentown, Penn; Har-
Tson, N. j., and Jersey City visited
Captain Stewart yesterday, all eager
10 obtain portions of the army's sur
plus Thirty-two cities are now in the
field for supplies, Captain Stewart said.
Byron r. Newton, Collector of the
for his $500 employees.
Captain Stewart received official
notification from Washington yester-
day that he could sell to municipalities
by consignment. The official notihca-
iion approves of the tentative plan re-
Gently announced, the sale of the goods
on thirty-day consignment. with the
municipality paying the freight
When this advice reached Mr.. O'Mal-
ley he prepared to put into operation
the arrangements made before the plan
was officially approved. He communi-
Gated with Adjutant General Berry, of
the New York State Guard to obtain
army trucks to transport the food from
the government warehouses to the
schooIhouses, in accordance with au-
thorization from Governor Smith.
Price List Is Received
Mr.. OMalley received the price list
from Captain Stewart Yesterday The
prices are the same as those published
IN The Tribune last Saturday. The
ham will be sold by the city for 32
cents a pound, the strip bacon for sc
cents, the canned bacon for 38 cents
'a..SN tNONS AZ DS oOiu ioi iiOli ~
TO 80 per cent below the present scale
Of retail prices.
DR.. Day said yesterday the army
food can only affect prices if it i,
crowded into the market in large guam
titles at short intervals.
He pointed out that the city spends
200,00o,00o for food annually, $500
per capita. The army supplies to be
distributed in the city will approx
mate S20,000.000 in value, or about
1898 per capita. Dr.. Day said. how
ever, that the publicity and discussion
attending the sale of army food had
been felt in the lowering of prices by
retailers.
Several retail merchants in various
sections of the city said any decline in
prices had escaped their notice. and
they We're paying one or two cents
more this week than last.