New-York tribune., 1919-08-07
L. S. Food Sale
AtCity Depots
Cut to a ", eek
Delivery of Surplus TO
municipalities Is to End
August Is, When Parcel
Post Plan Is Under WAY

New York City consumers will have
less than week in which to purchase
surplus army foodstufs from the i'm
provised depots throughout the city,
it was learned yesterday.
Captain A. A. Stewart, zone surplus
property officer, declared last night
that when the sale of foodstuffs by
parcel post Begins. on August IS, de-
livery Of goods to municipalities on
consignment either will be limited or
entirely discontinued. This means
that instead Of being able to sell army
foodstuffs for three or four weeks,
planned by Edwin A. O'Mallcy, Deputy
Commissioner CT Public Markets, the
city can engage in the food business
for only one week or less.
The length of the sale further was
curtailed yesterday by the failure of
tho surplus property officers in Wash
ington to notify Captain Stewart OF
the decision of the governing sales
board TO sell foodstuffs to cities On
consignment. Colonel Nixon, assist
ant director of storage in Washington,
told Captain Stewart over the tele-
phone the official notification was on
its way
No Sales Before Next Week
When it finally reaches Captain Stew
art he Immediately will get in touch
with Mr.. O'Maley and complete ar
rangements for the sale and transfer
of the foodstuffs. 1t will require forty
eight hours to commence deliveries, ac-
cording to army officers, and the gen.
eral belief is the city will not be pre-
pared to begin the sale until Tuesday or
Wednes sday. Dr.. Jonathan c. Day, Com
missioner of Public Markets, declared
yesterday, however, he still hopes to
begin disposing of the supplies on
Monday.
Captain Stewart advises housewives
to do their purchasing of army food
supplies "cary and often"
although the policy is not fixed as
yct,' he said, Il believe when the sale
by parcels post begins all the supplies
then available will be needed to handle
the tens OF thousands of orders which
assuredy will pour in. I do not know
whether or not the cities will be alo-
Gated only portion of the supplies
and the rest reserved for distribution
through the mails. | am certain, how
evar, that if the ALLEGATION to cities is
made up of all the army's surplus
foodstutfs the goods not disposed Of at
the opening of the parcels post sale
will be withdrawn from municipal
marketing.
Prompt Action Advised
1T bchoovcs cities to make large
purchases quickly. If they have the
goods on thirty-day consignment
basis we cannot take it from them,
but if it is held in our warehouses we
utilize it as we see fit"
General II. t. Wilkins, supply Off
Ger for this zone. which includes New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut. is
preparing an elaborate organization to
expedite the sale by parcel post. 1t
IS expected that his present force of
5000 either will be augmented or re-
distributed to meet the increased
duties attending the sale by mail
New York City consumers are i'm
cluded in the invitation to leave an
order with their postman for food
stutfs: 1t will cost slightly more, Cap
tain Stewart said. as the postage must
be paid by the consumer in advance.
BY giving the sales by parcel post
ton, the people living in the country
and in small towns also will be enabled
to reap some benefit from the pur
chase Of army food at 20 per cent
below current prices. The official price
list covering the sale of the commodi-
ties to New York City has not been
received here.
Postofice to Cooperate
Captain Stewart will confer with
Postmaster Patton to-day on the CO.
operation of the War and Postofice
department in the distribution by par
eel post.
Six million pounds of white beans
were sent from the local army ware
houses to other zones yesterday. the
first shipment in the War DEPARTMENTS $
plan to give each section of the coun-
try an equa proportionate supply Of
the commodities