New-York tribune., 1919-09-23
DR.. Day Blames Butchers
and Threatens to Use
Empty Saloons as Better
Centres of Distribution
Groceries Lower on List
Rolling Stores Start To-day
and Will Take 100000
Eggs Through East Side

set aside by Arthur Williams, Federal
Food Administrator, to assist in dis
posing OF the 100000 pounds of
poultry released here by the War De-
partment, resulted in the sale yester-
day of about $500 pounds of the
product, according to August Silz, who
is distributing the government fowls
at 4l6 West Fourteenth Street.
The figures were disappointing to
Dr. Jonathan c. Day, Commissioner of
Markets, who attributed the small sale
to the unwilingness of butchers to
handle the chickens because they are
allowed to make profit of only 5
cents pound The army poultry re-
tails at 3S cents a pound. He said
that some storekcepers were using the
advertising Of the army sales TO at
tract customers and were selling an
inferior grade of poultry by substitu-
tlon, or on the plea that the other bird
was better.
May Use Empty Saloons
If the sale of the government poultry
docs not take an immediate jump, he
SAID, he would use empty saloons with
refrlgcratlng facilities to get them to
the public. "lf the butchers want real
competition" he remarked, "they will
get 1t. Fe won't need even a fve-cent
margin to handle the poultry in former
saloons" He said he would "sit tight"
until Thursday, the next chicken
day, before taking any ation.
Three of the grocery items in the BIZ
weekly fair price list issued yester-
day show an increase amounting TO 10
cents. Five items. however, show de-
crease tctaling 4.O1 cents, thus effect
ing a saving in the twcnty-four items
of 2.22 cents. The quotations for evap~
Grated milk, Mr.. Williams exclaimed,
have been changed fron standard
brands to miscellaneous brands, q large
part of this milk supply being OF the
latter type. The standard brands, he
declared, averaged slightly higher.
Rye bread, he pointed out, had been
added to the grocery list, In view of
the decision Of the committee, Of
which Louis Marshall is chairman. that
the price of this commodity was not to
be increased.
Pork Cents Lower
With regard to meats, he asserted,
lamb remains the same as last week,
both wholesale and retail. Pork and
pork products. however, he SAID. show
reduction OF from / to ? cents a
/ pound. The tendency Of beef, he
pointed out is toward a higher price,
but wholesale prices were omitted
from the list, he explained. pending
the Investigation now being conducted
by Oscar Straus. with the assistance
of the wholesale meat dealers. in an
effort to keep down the price. Until
this investigation is finished. an
nounced Mr.. Williams. the retail prices
of last week Will be retained on the
fair price list The butchers, he said,
are generally abiding by these figures
1t was announced, too. by Mr. Will
Jams. that Mr.. Straus, who was chosen
to deal with the packers in the matter
OF meat price adjustments, is expect
ing the arrival of Il government expert
Wednesday or Thursday, when an IN
specton Of the packing houses viii be
made to sec how prices are arrived at
The trolling stores" which were to
have begun operations Yesterday, will
start on their rounds at . o'clock this
morning. George Salmon. head of the
North American Export Company,
which is operating the trucks under
authority of the Commissioner of Mar
kets. announced that ten horse drawn
wagons will take 250, 900 eggs through
the streets of the lower East Side. The
eggs, he said, will be sold at 81 cents a
dozen and are of quality now selling
for from 65 to SO cents. He expects
to sell 100000 OF these eggs before the
end of the week. The sale Of other
groceries VIII begin next week.
Army Shoes Tomorrow
The sale Of army shoes to city en-
ployes, which was to have begun yes
terday, Will not take place until to-
morrow. The shoes that were to have
been sold to the public through the
schools will also be placed on sale on
that day, according to the Commits
sioner of Markets.
Three complaints of alleged over
charging were made public by the Fed
eral Food Administrator Yesterday
Samuel Simon, a Coney Island butcher,
was declared by Mr.. Williams to have
sold beef at u cents pound above
the fair price sccdule. He promised to
refund the money and abide by the
TAR prices hereafter
A Brooklyn dealer admitted having
sold an inferior chicken as the army
product. said MIR Williams, explaining
he did so when the war birds were sold
out. He promised to refund the money
and take more of the army product
Another complaint told of lamb chops
being sold at Southhold, Long Island
at 60 cents a pound, the fair price be-
ing from 81 to SO cents