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Show SMALL SURPLUS OF CANNED FOOD WASHINGTON, D. C.. Jan. 1 That the Arm.' has but B small remaining stock of surplus canned foods Is cvl- Idehced In a b tter received by the Na-tlonal Na-tlonal Canners' association from the I Subsistence Branch of the Quarter- master Corps of the Army which says, ; in part 'We have your letter wherein our attention is called to receipt by you ol i number 01 letters from canners who make reference to what appears to theni to he inconsistent action on the part of the War Department in that it is carrying large display ads of ft ring surplus canned foods and at the same time sending out planks inciting in-citing bids for supplying the same to ithe Army' $n reply we submit for your information and through you for .the information of your Inquirers, the following which It is believed will Iclear the minds of all concerned on this subject: "Thls stock was in B very large measure nf a grade not used In the Army in normal times. The demands of the nation for prompt utilization of all available materials and man power were alone responsible mr the omili-I omili-I lions mentioned "Long storage developed u high per- leentage of losses through swells-, etc.. rind, as a matter Of economy to Urn j government, as well as to prevent waste of food. In which the public Is Vitally concerned, the policy WSJ adopted of reducing these Stocks bv means of sales as surplus. At this time there remains On hand, unsold. but a small quantity of each of the ar-tli ar-tli lea designated for sab si ..i Which 'arc two or more years old The food-n.-w being offered for sale are sound. as al cans are Cafsfullv examined be-fore be-fore sale and those not sound re-moved, re-moved, but the carrying of any portion of them through another summer would be poor economy and extremelv inadvisable. J "Following out the policy nun itioned. and In conformity with the commercial custom, the War Hepart-metft Hepart-metft uj now in the market for Its an-nual an-nual requirements of certain season- LjH able canned goods, which, from the standpoint of economy and prepara-tlon prepara-tlon It must lay In. even at the risk of LVH public misunderstanding and resultant criticism for selling old stock and buy-Ing buy-Ing new at one and the same time" |