Evening star., 1942-11-05
Food Shortage Fails
To Halt Surplus
Distribution fosneedy
:- F',s
D. G. Public Assistance
Families Received $66, ,00C
Worth in September

AlCnOugn the sUnlIeQ states Is
feeling the pinch OF wartime food
shortages, the Federal Government
Is still continuing its distribution Of
surplus" foodstuffs to needy fani-
lies In the District and many other
cities and communities. ~
During September the Public AS
sistance Division Of the Board Of,
Public Welfare distributed foodstuffs
with . retail value Of nearly $4,000
received from the Agricultural Mar
keting Administration.
More than half of this was dis
tributed among needy families in
the District. approximately 30 per
cent was used in the school lunch
program, and the remainder went
to Is philanthropic and charitable
institutions.
To obtain Federal surplus" foods,
q needy family must BE- properly
certified by public or recognised
private welfare agency. In Septem-
Der, 4,051 families, consisting of
13,777 persons, shared in the direct
distribution program, the average
family receiving about So worth of
foodstuffs during the month. The
volume of foodstuffs distributed in
September was about 20 pr cent
less than a year ago.
Varies by Season.
A family certified as eligible for
Federal surplus foods usually re-
ceives two allotments q month. The
kind Of foodstuffs available varies
somewhat from month to month
and from season to season.
During the present week District
family with three or four persons
will receive the following: pounds
Of beans, 2 pounds OF prunes, 3
cans Of evaporated milk, 3 pounds
Of rolled oats, 8 pounds Of potatoes,
Is pounds Of beets, "a pounds OF
apples, Is pounds OF squash and II
pounds Of white flour.
will be given more of eacn item, aliu
two-person families and single per-
sons correspondingly smaller quotas.
Since the foodstuffs made available
by the ANA are limited to those
produced in this country Of which
there is a surplus, they provide
supplementary rather than full
diet. No meat and sugar have re-
Gently been distributed, and needy
families must still make additional
purchases to meet their basic food
requirements.
Relief Payments Limited.
Congress has placed certain lin
itations on the amount Of relief pay
ments that families in the District
may receive. A mother with three
children, for example, may be given
no more than $42 q month. Public
assistance. of1cials pointed out to.
day that the Federal surplus foods
are giving many q District family. |
substantial lift" by providing val
liable supplement to relief payments
summer months the District received
almost daily shipments OF vegetables
from New Jersey.
Federal. surplus foods are dis
tributed hare from the headquarters
Of the Public Assistance Division. at
$50 c street NV. and five other
points. A large proportion of those
listed as eligible call for their food
allotments in person. Local author
tiles deliver food for the aged and
lnfirm at their homes - .-
Though most of the foodstuffs dis
tributed in the District are the
products of nearby States, some
have come from as far away as Cal.
ifornia. The Agricultural Market
Ing Administration purchases foods
where surpluses occur. During the
summer months, the District re-
ceived almost daily shipments OF
vegetables from New Jersey.
Surplus Maintained Is Reserve.
About 40 carloads of Federal sur
plus foods are stored here as a re-
serve to meet possible war emer-
yency in the District and nearby
areas, such as an enemy air raid
This reserve, consisting mainly of
vegetables, fruit and canned goods,
-four and similar items, is stored in
the warehouses of the Public Assist
ance Division.
In September, 1941, approximately
S,050,000 persons in the United States
received Federal surplus foods under
the ANA program. In September,
1912, the number Of recipients was
about 2,289, 900. The value of foods
thus distributed in September was
e1,22S, 900, as compared with $780,
600 a year ago.
Federal experts estimate at $780,
900 the number of unemployables in
the United States. Unemployables,
it is said, make up approximately
three-fourths of those now receiving
Federal surplus foods.
Judge Crosby to Preside