New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13
PEOPLES KITCHENS.
CHEAP FOOD AND GOOD FOOD.
RESTAURANTS FOR WORRYING MEN-EvERYTHING


| ing food for those whose wages are small who are
busy who don't know how TO buy and cook
judciously seems to be solved by the foreign chap
and good restaurants known Peoples kitcn-
ems" These arc now to be found in Germany,
Austria, France and Switzerland and arc working
thoroughly well. They in no sense charitaoie
establishments
| The Kitchen" OF Grenoble has done admirable
work for forty-four years, not only among the Ia
boring population OF the town, but by serving as
model for like institutions all over the Continent.
The organization is known "a Association Alimen-
taire" and persons who desire to enjoy Its bene-
fits pay "A trihing observation-disclosures year. IL
they intend to make use of the associations dining
looms half that sum, il they wish only 10 Duy ioou
at its kitchens
/ Rations are TO be had in the morning from 10
. o'clock; again from II to 2. and In the evening
between and Q. and there Is the usual system OF
delivering them in exchange for tickets. lhese
tickets. which are of metal and stamped With the
of the various kinds of food which they
represent-bread. meat soup fish, vegetables. etc
are sold at two guchets In the entrance court
1.-THE menu Of the day being hung between them)
BY this arrangement two responsible persons re-
ceivc all the money. and there is no danger OF loss
through mistakes dishonesty The prices of por
lions vary from half penny 10 twopence, the iat-
ter being the charge for meat.
The associations soups are excellent; the bread
and meat are OF the best quality furnished by
bakers and butchers who are carefully chosen, ana
continually watched by the directors OF the work
while the vegetables are, in the summer, brought
daily from the country. The wine Is, or course,
that of the neighborhood: but not only IL 1t sup
piled by merchants OF the highest reputation. but
each purchase is Analysed and If below certain
standa rd is instantly rejected No one. however Is
allowed to order than half litre Tor little
less than a pinto at a meal Finally the desserts
composed of many kinds of cheese and great
variety OF fruits. both cooked and fresh Every
thing IL prepared and served with scrupuous clean
Illness. but in case of an occasional lapse on the
part either of the steward or the attendants. there
il in one of the dining rooms locked box for the
reception of written compaints-and this box Is
opened only by the directors.
The work is managed by a committee Of gentle
men, three OF whom are on duty daiy-either IN
the kitchen assuring themselves that both the 1000
and the cooking what they should be. or as
general supcrintendents The personnel consists or
a manager and seven servants; the accounts Of the
establishment are examined each month. and the
yearly inventory is made by an expert bookKeeper
Of the town who IS paid for his services.
Established on such basis the association eX-
cludcs every conception of almsgivng. 1t Is In re-
ality union of separate forces for the purpose OF
rendering reciprocal service In it no ones self
respect IS hurt for all members are at once gvers
and receivers the benefit lies in the organization
itself and 1t il the work of all Moreover It's am
ing-rooms are a school OF decency. order and con
sidcration for others; the pure wine and the rea-
SOnable limits
OF temperance while the possibility of laying up
sunnlv of tickets in advance ca favorte custom In
Grenobc) constitutes important stimulus 10
thrift.
During the first year OF its existence the associa-
ton sold $50 S9i portions the number has now risen
to 100000 Not only has it paid its way, without
subscriptions and subventlons for forty-two years
bat II has expended upward of 5000 on furniture
and repairs and has created reserve fund OF
nearly $4,000
The Lyons "kitchen' although only three years
old now stands at the head Of similar French en- |
terprises The organization IS n perfected copy OF
that Of Grenoble and the Kitchen has the advan-
tage of a large building specially adapted to its
needs About 800 meals are served daily in its din
inproou at an average cost of four or five pence
and q telling fact in connection with the uselui- |
ness of the scheme is that each year diminution |
Is renorted in the number Of portions or meat |
desserts and coffee called for. and proportionate
increase in those of bread. soup and vegetables
showing that the "kitchen' is more and more re- |
sorted to by the needy but thrifty working class |
for whose particular benefit IT was set on root Ills
inference is supported by the statement that a |
very small number mot more than four per cent? |
of the customers make use of the reserved dining
room where a trihing charge Is made for nap
kin and attendance
The financial condition of the enterprise is most
satisfactory. The profits. even for the first year,
were gb per cent OF the turnover; they nave since
risen even higher The constitution OF tue so'lely
requires that all profits be capitalized, with view
to the direct extension Of the work. and already
, second establishment-capab of serving 10000
portions daiy-has been opened in La Guillo-
there district.
Among kindred organizations in Switzerland the
highest place belongs to the Genevnn society OF
"Culsines Populares." which maintains TWO es-
tablishments-one in the Faux Wives quarter and
the other near the Cornevin Railway station. the
latter being the most important. 1t occupies TWO
floors Of "A our-story stone building. The building
is the property of the society and the upper floors
are let In flats.
There are three dining -rooms-for men alone. for
families and for women alone-with accommoda-
tons I'm the three for go All are sunny rooms
with pleasantly tinted walls. woodwork stained OAK
and vanished large windows and fresh muslin cur
tains Attendants supplied. and tho charge
for napkins IS so small that regular customers pay
for them by the week putting them away after
each meal in the numbered compartments pre-
pared for the purpose.
The prices asked nearly the same "a at Lyons
md Grenoblc: Soup Id meat 2i2d.: vegetable.
i'd cheese ID: cafe lait. ID; chocolate. led.
md half Hire Of wine 2ied.; but there is perhaps
a greater variety of dishes than in the French
kitchens"
Inferior qualities OF food are never bought: the
agreement made with the butchers IL hung up In
the meat room that IL anything contrary to its
,tipulaions should be sent in. such pieces may be
immediately rejected Every care is taken Also TO
furnish absolutely pure wine but even OF 1t Gus
toners are not encouraged to partake freely. small
one. two and threc-tenths Of
itre-being provided with the larger ones. and the
.ame limitation existing here elsewhere. viz.
hat half-litre Is the utmost that one person may
,a for
No stranger visiting the cuisines Populalres"
should be contented with mere sight OF the din
mr. rooms lie ought 10 begin with the cellars.
,flccs and layatorles. which are all models of ar
-angement and order. The labor-saving contri-
,ancos too are most interesting They are used
or CARRYING the dishes. the Goals and even the
vine The latter Is pumped from the cellar TO the |
,antries and the steward has only TO look at the
elf-acting Indicator attached to each cask to as
rlrc himself that the number Of litres paid for Mt |
my meal agrees with the quantity OF wine actually