New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-04
A FRENCH COOPERATIVE KITCHEN.


A DINNER FOR SIXTEEN CENTs-THE Co-oPERA-
TIVE ELEMENTARY SOCIETY OF GRENOBLE-
LIST OF PRICES-EXTRAORDINARY ECONOMY
OF LIVING.
VIENNE France, Nov. 2.-Ihave taken special pains
TO see the celebrated Cooperative Kitchen at Greno-
ble the chief city of the Department Of lsere, IN
France because in its singular success there are ee-
ments developed which are full of wholesome mean
ing, touching the art of economy. have, for 10
cents enjoyed q complete dinner after the French
style, including o rich maccaroni soup and wine,
plate of meats vegetables, dessert and bread. The
Society furnishes hundreds Of such repass daily at
Is cents to workingmen and women, to business
agents. architects artists eccessstics professors,
retired military officers proprietors in easy circum-
stances and students. Large numbers of housekeep-
ers not wishing to come to the refectores of the So
cety, send their checks and walters for the delicious
steainng dishes of this great family kitchen. and
partake of them in their apartments, instead of
performing themselves the drudgery Of small-scae
cooking The price of full quart OF soup,
unstinted measure, is two cents One can
have it of bread, of macearOni, OF vermieeli,
or of egumes at his choice. They are all richly sea-
soned with butter of the best quality, and the price
Is invariabe To get this luxury the visitor on en-
tering the inclosure which is species of Ornamen-
tai garden adorned with lowerborders, has only to
step up to guichet and ask for it, accompanying the
demand with payment of two cents For this he
receives a copper check, stamped on one side with
the arm, of Grenoble in q wreath, and on the
other with the name of the dish desired. With this
he applies at the office of the chief COOKS clerk,
where no is instantly supplied, unless the crowd
causes delay. A dish of meat, whether OF Deei'
veal pork or fish. is four cents; quart OF wine
pure aud long kept in the Societys. spacious
cellars, costs, eight cents bread Is r; three rec
cents q pound The average wholesale price LOT
beef is II cents ~ h: veal the same: maccaroni.
40 fr. the 200 10 beans 80 fr.; wheat, 40 n.
rice, IS FRI; salt H.; potatoes 2 al. III;
chief fuel is 50 cents u 200 ID. Pork 10 cents ID
Cheese 30 cents u IT, and eggs 81 20 the 100 These
figures are exact the money paid ana received Deig
Nav if we look over the lists of farmers produce at
wholesale prices. and compare them with the above
we find that in the rstcost of kitchen indispensaOes
there exists no very great difference between
France aud the United States. Turning 70 the same
articles prepared for the table we see in every corner
where life papitates wretched contrast to these
two lists of figures Between producer and consumer
there are nearly as many intermediary hucksters to
he supported as there are persons to be supplied
These create nothing themselves and therefore must
be sppOrted by an augmentation in the price of the
articles in which they deal and this trafnc becomes
monopoly by the stupid consent OF the pubic; put
i'm the system practiced by the Cooperative Kitchen
there is such thing as monopoly, no alliance
of persons for q. selfish interest, because every
one engaged IN this market-and ILL.,
n markets. not only buyer and seller
but a producer 1t is. in every sense OF the term,
business house. mandatory, wherein every one
engaged from the buyer to the cook s busy i'll Great
ING that for which the article of
an inyarable demand, and the salaries OF employees
is simply an exchange of product for product Sueh
are the equitable principles upon which this excel
lent institution are formed and hasten to mention
some of its results But first II Is necessary TO give
an idea of the internal Arrangement OF the kitchen
itself In the middle Of o large room, on the
ground floor of building or square of buildings,
which occupy, inclusive of handsome court in.
closed within, an area OF about a Quarter OF
ties of the culinary department. All these Kettles,
from that which contains $50 quarts to the smallest
fryingpan, are made of maeable copper 1hey
vary in size by regular gradations, and number sew
enteen. The furnace is situated exactly IN the CEN
ter of the room, and has the form OF paraile0gran
being feet wide, IL feet long and feet inches IN
hight 1t is of cast iron lined inside with hTepIoof
tiles. On the top ten round apertures, variable III
SIZE in each end, the iirepaces with their rows
heat 10 the two large ovens, as also
to the upper surface. No smoke-chlmnoys are ~
sight and the whole thing, seen at distance nigns
may be seen six cooks, three walters and an eeeiy
matron who prepares tho fruits. ADJOINING tI I
ROOM all sides except that OIL me e1nt.' ai9 ro
refectOries or eatingrooms; one OF when Is large
enongh for 600 persons Another and more neatly
decorated hall Is reserved exclusively ioT women
meoted with beautiful fountain at one
end and pictures aud notices lOuna tue SUES
The number OF regular dishes prepared mere Is SIX
bnt ali of these arc very variable and always 10 tho
toste and order of the applicant. these range pa
price from one to fOnr cents e9s prices i9 ,E
60, nev o he without discount plate OF Ileat
whether Of beef pork. veal orfsb, s four cents ana
il is sure TO weighed grains These dishes are repre-
scented Inv a copper check, Of which there is sold
fnjl average of $500 per day, amounting only 10 Two
CENTS each on IN average or $50 francs, which consul
tntes the daily business of the Society The number
of raions monthly distributed is thus lOs1vO max
inc Isl 40 full dinners they are called although
eisbt cents is sufficient for an ordinary meal ana six
cents is about tho average paid three tunes aday
Inv regular CUSTOMERS,