Evening star., 1945-02-02
Canned Goods
Supp|yFound
Adequate Here
Young Told Survey
Reveals Meat Situation
Is Definitely Bad

AS Washington faced another en-
barge on nonmilitary freight begin
ming at midnight tonight, j. Thomas
Kennedy, superintendent of weights
measures and markets for the Dis
trict, today reported to Commits
sioner John Russell Young that
there are sufficient dry and canned
goods in the city, but that the meat
situation is definitely bad"
Mr.. Kennedy said, however, there's
plenty of food to prevent any
anxiety. He said the fish situation is
bad because of the extreme cold
weather and heavy seas.
Plenty for Hospitals.
Commissioner Guy Mason said the
District institutions, particularly hos
pitals, will receive sufficient meat
and milk
These developments came with the
first night of the formal "brown-ou
order, which resulted in electric signs
being turned off and show windows
being left dark to save coal-gener-
ated power. The order was observed
strictly in the downtown area, but
less strictly in the outlying areas.
The new freight embargo permits
almost normal movement of coal and
allows Government agencies, includ-
ing the War Food Administration
to certify essential shipments. Thus
in the event Of an acute food short
age in any areas, the VIA could
have supplies sent in. Another eX-
ception not included in the previous
order permits the movement of COM
modities loaded in tank cars.
The general food situation. ac-
cording to Mr.. Kennedy. is satisfac-
tory. He anticipated no shortages
in bread or milk. but said the sup
ply of butter and eggs is mot so
good" adding that not very many
eggs are coming into the city. There
are sufficient supplies also of fruits
and vegetables.
Kerosene Is Scarce.
Reports gathered by Mr.. Kennedy
indicate the coal and fuel situation
Is not as serious aS~.it has been in
the past. but there is a serious
shortage" of kerosene, used for heat
ing and cooking by thousands of
residents. Mr.. Kennedy plans a
further study of the kerosene sup
ply.
In his survey of the meat situa-
ton. Mr. Kennedy found chain
stores had from to so per cent of
the amount of meat they had so
days ago. A meat packing house,
he said. informed him it had 10 per
cent of its prewar supply of beef
and Is per cent of the amount it
had so days ago. One chain of in
dependent stores was low on all
kinds of meat.
Mr. Kennedy said the Commits
sioners informed him the situation
did not warrant their taking any
steps at this time, although house
hold menus probably will have to be
changed. Mr. Kennedy was in
structed to continue his survey.
Ten-day Fruit Supply.
Roland M. Brennan. District pur-
chasing officer. predicted the i'm
pact of the new embargo and the
previous one would not be felt until
February IL.
Mr.. Brennan said he was informed
by supplier of fruits and vegeta-
bles that in his opinion there is an
adequate supply of fresh fruits and
vegetables for the next 10 days not
only to fill the District governments
needs, but the general needs of the
city as we'll. Some vegetables, he
said. are coming in by truck.
Mr.. Brennan said an investiga-
ton had disclosed no cause for
alarm. Should any emergency arise,
which he regards as unlikely, he
citeS the provision in the embargo
order under which freight may be
moved to meet critical condition.
The new embargo will apply to an
area much smaller than was af-
fected by the first embargo. The
area includes Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania, New York. New Jersey, Della
ware, most of Ohio and those por-
tions of West Virginia and Virginia
north of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Railroad line from Huntington, w.
Va, to the Potomac yards.
Asks Extra Mining.
C.J. Potter, deputy solid foods ad-
asked all Pennsylvania
anthracite miners to work a full day
tomorrow to help relieve the coal
shortage even though they have to
work at straight-time pay. Miners
do not receive ime-and-a-h pay
for Saturday work unless they were
on duty five previous consecutive
days. Due to no fault of the miners,
Mr.. Potter said approximately one
days work was lost early this week
due to the rail embargo.
Asserting that schools and busi-
ness houses are closed in some COM
to conserve coal for house
holders, Mr.. Potter said: The coal
crisis is such now that every pound
of anthracite is necessary to avert
actual suffering"
Police yesterday issued to 625
householders who heat with coal
certificates that their bins were
empty, emitting them to emergency
orders of coal. This is 172 more
certificates than were issued We'd
nesday. The average for the first
three days was 488.
BrOwnOut Starts.
With the brownout order officially
in effect for the first time last night,
Washington's Thursday night shop
pers traversed the streets through
the encircling gloom and found few
electric signs beckoning them to
shops, restaurants and theaters, and
few Illuminated show windows.
In outlying areas the order was
not so strictly observed. Many shop
keepers apparently did not realize
that an electric sign hanging just
inside the glass of store window
Is prohibited as show window light