New-York tribune., 1919-08-22
Woman in ShuaUI
Is Busiest Buyer
Less OpuIent Class Quick
to Seize Opportunity
to Get Cheaper Foods

to Seize Opportunity
to Get Cheaper Foods
Harassed housekeepers decided yes
terday it was a grand and glorious
feelin'" to be able to lay their hands
on food that was cheap. The universal
opinion at the end of the day was that
the sale of army food in the schools
made tremendous hit with the ordi-
nary, everyday women who worry seven
days week about the II. C. of L. Thev
showed their enthusiasm chiefly in the
rapidity with which they bought up
everything in sight, and asked for
great deal more that was not available.
Every section of the city was sup
piled, but crowds were biggest in the
tenement districts. Some of the small
storekeepers protested loudly against
what they termed the invasion of their
rights, and one man cut his prices so
as to undersell the army peas and
beans.
Business men drove UP to schools in
motors expecting to carry away sides
of bacon and would buy nothing when
they found that only beans, peas, to-
matoes, condensed milk and canned
soups were available. Literally, thou
sands of pounds Of bacon could have
been sold with ease, 80 that yester-
days jam was scarcely an indication
of what may be expected before dis
position has been made of all the army
supplies.
Crowds Wait for Opening
Long before the doors opened at 10
o'clock a. motley gathering waited out
side, mostly women and children, bear
crowds were handled IN systematic
fashion, and there was no confusion.
Policemen were aided in keeping order
by women police reservists. Various
women's organizations of the city were
represented by volunteer workers. but
there were scarcely enough saeswomen
to take care of the impatient crowds.
Each station had q committee of q
score or more women and two order
clerks.
AS customers entered the salesroom,
which was usually located in the gym
naslum or basement of the school, they
were given duplicate slip. two tick
cts were issued for each sale--one
going to the cashier. who collected for
the goods ordered, and the other to a
representative of the Commissioner Of
Markets. The customer waited in line
until his number was called, when he
received his goods and departed
With anywhere from 900 to 500 GUS
toners IN the course of four hours
things became congested at times and
clamorous women had to be held back
from rushing the saleswomen. Young
| hOusekeepers with their first babies in
their arms brushed against seasoned
women who have been wrestling with
the problem of feeding a family for
twenty or thirty years.
Limit on Sales Elastic
The average sale in the poorer dis
tricts was three cans of vegetables or
condensed milk. Some bought only one
Others bought $50 worth of goods A
/ dozen cans was favorito order. There
was no uniformity about the quantities
that might be sold. Some saleswomen
insisted on restricting the sale to one
case, containing twenty-four cans. They
were afraid of being fooled by dealers,
and in two schools it was reported that
storekeepers had deliberately tried to
stock up. AT other centres buyer
Boarding house keepers were ex-
tensive buyers. Peas at II cents can
sold faster than anything else, and
most OF the centres We're cleaned out
long before the end of the day. Had
their supplies been doubled they could
have got rid OF them in most instances.
1T was largely poor peoples sale.
and, although all classes were repre-
sented, women with shawls, not much
HsJ1
children, were most in evidence.
Most ludicrous were the devices
used to carry away the supplies. Every
thing that went on wheels was com
mandeered, and kiddy-cars old boxes
clumsily put together, suitcnses and
bags of all kinds were used. The baby
carriage was the most popular con-
vcyance of ALL and one infant was
wheeled home cherrily kicking it's pink
toes against q wooden box containing
cans Of tomatoes.
Sales Exceed Expectations
Sales in the Washington Heights
district schools exceeded the expecta-
tlons of those in charge of the work
More than $3.50 was taken in from the
sale of $50 cases of commodities,
winch was half of the allotment made
for the district.
40 L nc IlOliA more lnun o,UUU women
patronized the ten distributing sta
tons scattered throughout the bor-
ouSh. Some trouble was experienced in
keeping the over-eager children from
appropriating more tins of vegetables
IMAM their pink slips entitled them to.
Where mother was too busy to be on
hand, her small son did the buying for
her.
Brooklyn women were said by the
proprietor of a chain of grocery stores
deliberately to be choosing schools not
in their own districts, so they could
not be recognized by their neighbors.
The twelve centres in Brooklyn were
crowded all day long.
There was keen disappointment at
School No. 40, 800 East Twentieth
Street, because the bacon had not ar
rived. More than 800 people consoled
themselves by buying canned peas,
beans, tomatoes and soups, but hun
dreds more turned back when they
found there was no bacon, sugar or
butter to be had. Coffee, flour and all
the household commodities most in use
were asked for. One woman bought
q scent can of baked beans-the small
est sale of the day. Another bought
S2' worth of canned goods This was
one of the schools where no limit was
placed on quantity. Boarding house
Keepers we're among the largest buy
ers. One man from the country told
| q SaleSWOman that mailmer 1,,a,n +,l,