Evening star., 1939-09-03
Merchants and Consumers
Are Friends of Surplus SAL
Food Stamps Idea Spreads as Cities of Larger
Size Ask to Participate in
Distribution System
By Richard L. Stokes.

are distributed free to families certified
for relief. The operations are financed
through provision of the Agricultural
Adjustment Act appropriating one-third
of all customs receipts to the Secretary
of Agriculture, for the purpose of stimu-
lating consumption of farm products at
home and abroad. Revenues under this
head for the fiscal year 1939-4O are esti-
mated at 100000 0OO,, to which the last
Congress added special appropriation
of $113 900 900, making a total of $203,-
100000
During the fiscal year 1883 the cor
poration bought 1920 1926 100 pounds Of
farm commodities for $56974,4 400 and
gave away 1907 7,O77,5S7 pounds, with a
retail value of s145,53214S. Since 1888
the corporation has distributed gratis
5,780,397 $50 pounds of more than 100
kinds of foodstuffs, which at retail would
have cost the consumers $516,761 ,496.
Serious Flaws Detected.
During six years of operation this
procedure developed serious flaws. There
were found among different State agen-
cies to be grave discrepancies in eff
cheney Of distribution. Clients were dis
contented because distributions occurred
only twice month instead of daily. so
that moments of excess alternated with
periods of dearth. Stories are told of
children playing ball with oranges they
were unable to eat. There were COM
plants of waste in families which sud-
denly received more food than could be
kept without spelling; and charges that
food was either sold or given away to
neighbors. Relief families had little
choice and were likely to be showered
with prunes and Bartlett pears when
what they wanted was potatoes, beans
and bread.
On the other side there was heart
burning among neighborhood grocers, to
say nothing of food brokers and whole
salers, who in thousands of communities
beheld material volumes of products
passing through hands other than their
own, and often replacing, they suspected,
commodities which the consumers would
otherwise have purchased for cash.
The food stamp plan was devised to
correct these abuses. With one excep-
ton. it has thus far been made available
only to w. P. A. workers, mothers receiv-
ing pensions, recipients of old-age pen
sions and unemployed who are getting
public assistance. There are two sorts
OF stamps, orange and blue, both in
25-cent denominations and both deco
rated with the buxom lineaments of
Surplus SAL If sufficient orange
stamps are purchased with cash to equal
81 a week for each member of the family.
bonus of so cents per person in green
stamps is added at Government expense.
Both sorts are negotiable at any food
store, the orange stamps for all articles
in stock except tobacco beer wine, liqAor
and foods eaten on the premises, ard
the green stamps for wares listed as SUI
plus which at present include oranges,
grapefruit, butter, eggs, -four, cornmeal,
prunes and dried fruits and beans. No
one will be permitted to purchase more
than $3.50 worth of orange stamps per
week for each member of the family.
Further stamps will not be issued unless
those acquired during given month are
completely used
Stamps Cannot Be Sold.
The stamps are bound in books and
the orange ones may either be purchased
| for cash at relief agencies or have their
value deducted in advance from relief
and w. P. A. wage checks. They may
not be sole Or exchanged and may be
used only by members of the family to
| Which they are issued. They will not be
| accepted by grocers unless torn from the
| books in their presence. The dealers
| paste them on cards in IS lots and de-
| posit them like cash at bank, which
| then clears them through the Treasury.
Since the orange stamps have already
been paid for, their redemption will cost
the Government nothing; but 1t must
pay ash-out-of- pocket for the green
| ones.
| 10000 eligible families, was chosen for
the opening scene of the experiment. On
behalf of his Rochester newspapers,
Frank E. Gannett, inveterate foe of Pres
ident Roosevelts policies, announced
that here at last was New Deal pro-
gram they could heartily support. After
the first two months, Secretary Wallace
proclaimed that the participation of ELI
gible persons, on a voluntary basis, had
steadily increased; that they enjoyed
dealing at regular grocery stores, delight
ed in shopping for their immediate needs
and relished being able to select COM
modities according to their preference
Diet for the needy grew not only more
adequate but better balanced.
From the United States Public Health
Service comes assurance that the new
plan may develop into one of the most
historic and far-reaching health meas
ures the country has ever promoted.
Secretary Wallace hopes that his food
stamps will prove the most simple and
| practical method devised so far for get
ting an increased flow of surplus agricul-
tural commodities into the hands Of
those who need them"