The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-12
From the Inter State Grocer st. Louis Mo- August o 1918

plete stock. Under the circumstances
many Of the shipments will likely
bear the FIRST and second zone rute
comprising territory Of SO t. $50
miles from the point Of shipment.
This will hardly touch majority OF
buyers. however, hence the third
zone. $50 to 300 miles from the
warehouse or the fourth zone, 800 to
600 miles, will get good share of
the shipments. which will mean a
much higher rate Of postage and in
crease the cost to the consumers.
AS indicating what this win mean
the parcel post rate in the local zone
on AZ pounds Is 26c. in the first and
second zones 1t is 46c. in the third
zone soc and In the fourth zone $1.S8.
The farther away from point Of ship
ment the higher the cost to the con
sumner and as there Is no way Of tell
ing from what warehouse the goods
will be shipped because OF the un-
consumer will scarcely know what
the exact cost will be to her.
The chances are, therefore, that
the government sale will cause q
general howl to 60 up from the con-
sumers that they paid more than the
same goods are obtainable from their
local merchant. This situation Is
what prompts the statement Of The
Interstate Grocer that the effort OF
the government to reduce the cost
of living through selling It's surplus
at it's cost, plus the postage charges,
will prove Of the greatest value to
the trade in showing to the people
that all the holler against the high
cost OF living so far as the grocery
trade is concerned Ii without any
basis of fact.
Proof Of Trade Efficiency.
It should be borne in mind. too.
that the government aims to make
no money OF OF it's transactions and
Is using government employees to
handle the orders. The only expense
which the public is asked to pay Is
the postage. On the contrary the
wholesaler and retailer Will be get
ting profit out of what they sell
and despite that they are in a posi-
ton to show through the sale OF the
army food surplus at no profit to
anyone excepting the Gamer, that It
is costing the public more money.
In addition, corned beef in No. /
cans. weighing IL ounces is offered
by the government at soc . can. It
is necessary to buy a case, whereas
most any meat dealer viii sell fresh
corned beef at 25c to 20c for full
pound as against IL ounces. Thus
they are about Is per cent cheaper
at least than the government quota
ton. When the public begins to
analyze the cost and compare with
prevailing store prices It will begin
to understand that the high cost of
living insofar as food is concerned
cannot be placed at the door Of the
grocery trade but that 1t reverts
back to the tremendous increase in
the cost of the raw product-and that
hits directly at the farmer.
Then the consumer win flnd other
objections aside from investing m a
case where she can buy can as
cheap from the grocer. Moreover,
they take no chances with swells or
spoiled canned foods as the retailer
makes good any deficiency though
the government will not. Then,
again, the brands of the government
are unknown, they are put up by
many different packers and the con-
sumner knows nothing whatever as to
the quality. When buying from the
retailer, however, she knows brands
and quality and II not satisfactory
the dealer makes good.
War Department Announcement.
The complete announcement of Ire
War Department A as follows:
THE Director of Sales announces
that the War Department and the
Postofice Department have arranged
to formally inaugurate on Monday,
August IS, q system for selling and
distributing to the general public,
through the parcel post service, tie
surplus foodstuffs held by the War
Department.
This will be the largest direct
sale to the American people ever
attempted. More than $4,000 agencies
viii be established to book orders
and make deliveries. The vast store
OF food held by the army will be
made available to every resident In
every hamlet, town and city in the
United States. It will be offered at
prices materially lower than those Mt
which similar commodities are now
selling in the commercial market
1.-THE food offered for sale by the
War Department Is in excellent con-
dition AS in the handling of all
commercial line of canned good, In
stances occur in which few cans
become punctured in packing or ship.
ment and deterioration results, but
such cases have been found unfre.