Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-11

AMERICAN PRODUCTS IN BRITAIN.
Some Of the Food Difficulties Of the Brit
ish-A Frank Criticism Of Their
Absurd and Ignorant
Preiudlces.
"ASTUPlD, UNTRUE, AND IGNORANT
BOAST"

"ASTUPlD, UNTRUE, AND IGNORANT
BOAST"
A Liverpool gentleman, with com.
mendable frankness ami rather more
familiarity with his subject than English
men usually permit themselves to ac-
ouire. sends to the London Times the
| following trenehant criticism of certain
preiudices of his cOuntrymen which
/ have recently struck them both in their
stomachs and their pockets:
Although it is the holiday season the
weather and the newspapers together
make us anything but happy. Storms,
bad trade, bad harvests, and gloomy tore
casts, both moral and physical, are the
subjects OF our daily contemplation.
| How are We to get through the coming
| winter? is the question in all thoughtful
minds. Cries of distress already reach
us; among others the ArchdeaeOn Of
Tuam has Just made an appeal on behalf
of the small farmers in his district.
CERTAINLY OUR PROSPECTS ARE NOT
BRIGHT.
But we need not sit down in despair. Our
trust and hope are in Gods mercy and
care. Butthe gods help those who help
themselves, and think great deal may
be done by well-organized and directed
efforts TO avert much OF our threatened
distress. After all, the immediate ques-
ton is-"lIOw are We 10 be fed during
the coming winter" Ianswer, by over
coming prejudces and learning to eat.
1t may seem foolish answer, but | be-
lieve il is the true one. Food is both
abundant and cheap, and might be still
more abundant and cheaper. But prob
ably there is not a more stupid people
on the face Of the earth with respect to
food than the inhabitants OF these Brit
ish Isles. We are surrounded by water,
YET FISH is LUXURY.
We eat only one vegetable. except when
We invade the domains Of our cattle and
indulge in poorly cooked green's. And
if that vegetable fails, as it is likely TO do
To some extent this year, We sit down
and moan, while thousands die of starva-
ton as in Ireland years ago. We COM
plain of agricultural depression, chiefly,
or in great part, because we have dis
covered that other nations can supply
us with corn and beef cheaper than we
can grow them ourselves, and vet We
cannot get good fresh butter, pure milk.
new-laid eggs and chickens, except at
extravagant prices. And as to green
vegetables, such rs peas, French beans,
CaulitlOwers, etc, and fruit, the majority
Of the people are mostly deprived OF
them. Is there not versatility enough
in the country to devote large portions
OF the land to the production OF these
important articles OF food? The intro.
ductiOn OF railways has not rendered the
horse useless. Nor will cheap beef and
corn from abroad destroy the farmers il
they will exert themselves in the ave-
nues OF industry open to them. But
the effect OF prejudice, in limiting our
supplies of food and in enhancing its
cost, may be seen at glance. Some
time since
LARGE QUANTITIES OF AMERIKEN BEEF
began to he imported, Just at time
when English beef was reaching almost
famine prices know family in this
town, of good position, who, after much
anxious thought and weighing all the
chances OF being poisoned, etc, timor-
ously resolved one day to try this Amer
lean beef. Unfortunately the servants
heard OF the great experiment. The
Joint, fine one, was duly served ; the
family ate and liked it. They are still
alive). But. would YOU believe it, sir,
not one OF the four servants would touch
it ! Let us not be too hard on the SER
wants. | would not try it myself for
more than a year after the first importa-
tons. Everybody knows that YOU can
get
As GOOD A JOINT IN NEW YORK
rs i'm London, but feared the voyage
might iniurc it. 4 few weeks ago, how |
ever, my wife and myself thought that
our butcher was sending MS very much
better Joints than usual. The difference
i'm "cut" was marked. We soon had in
dubitable evidence that he was sending
us American beef charged at the price
Of English. We were paving and had
paid all last winter l0d. per pound call
round.' We Immediately went to the
American stores and have had ever since
similar joints at SID. per pound. But
more striking, not TO say notifying in
stance Of what prejudice as regards food
costs NJ, may he seen by an examination
Of the imports of hams and bacon. We
have been paving from l2d. to lid. for
English hams. But il during the past
few wears any one has dared to ask for
an American ham, he has probably been
furnished with very poor and almost
UNBEATABLE piece OF salt meat at perhaps
ID or 81. less. | too have paid, until
recently, l4d. for hams, but have since
got precisely similar ham for ID. per
pound. What is the inference Simply
this: that we have been eating Amcri-
can hams and
PAYING ENGLISH PRICES FOR THEM,
or rather for our prejudiccs. II any one
doubts this let him examine the tables |
Of the Board Of Trade. "Nobodv eats
American hams and bacon OF course
not. /. would not be cgmmr Il fat. .
"Nothing but the best Wiltshire. sir"
Very well. what has become of the |
3,461 O0Ocwt, of bacon imported into this |
country i'm 1873 And who has eaten /
the 797,OOOcwt. OF hams which was re-
Ccivcd during the same year Any one /
may easily calculate how many pounds |
this gives per annum to every man,
]
dom. Have the grocerS been charging /.
us a shilling and more for that for which |
we ought to have paid only Cd. or 7d.2 /
Ii is the opinion of many good judges /
that American bacon and hams are SUI |
periur to and safer than English, owing /.
To the greater advantages in America as /
To feeding. As regards wheat facts have |
now conquered prejudice; and since |
this country now imports rs much as it |
grows, it is not necessary To put the false |
brand English on flour to make it sell. |
On the other hand, again, the statistics |
OF the imports OF cheese from America !
would
RATHER ASToNTSH THOSE WHO "NEvEE EAT
AMERICAN CHEESE
They would BE- surprised to learn how |
large u county Cheshire has become, and |
how much they annually throw away in
order that they may be able to call an
honest American cheese, which is quite |
able and willing 10 sail under its own
colorS, Cheshire" IL would be i'm |
possible to estimate what these foolish /
prcjudices OF the past )for they are rap |
idly passing away, especially in LondOn) |
have cost this country That stupid,
untrue, and ignorant boast, that what |
ever is English" must be best, cannot |
now last much longer. Intelligent men
know how untrue il is, frugal men
know how much it costs, and all right |
minded men are ashamed of that ma
tiunal fault. which when seen i'm an in
dividual is stigmatized as bombast and /
bragadocio. \ tax Of 81. to til. pound f.
as regards food alone will soon check in |
diligence in this hurtiul luxury.
OUR NEXT LESSON Is To LEARN HOW TO EAT. |
This implies learning how to cook. But |
that does not quite cover the ground.
The French understand this better than
any other nation. We would not 90 as
far rs they DO. Let US draw a line some /