The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-14
Federal Inquiry Into Food Condi-
tons of COngested Districts.
NO INTEREST IN HOMES
RESULT OF SLoVENLY AND
SHIFTLEsS HABITS.
Investigation of DIR. Isabella De
Laney On the East Side of New
York-Intemperance Traced to
Poor Food and Ignorance of Prep
aration-Practical instruction.

Washington, Feb. 19.-The result of
investigation as to the food habits of a
number of families in the congested
districts of New York City in 1895 and
1896 have been made. public by the ayri-
cultural department in the report emit
tied, Dietary Studies in New York
City, The report was prepared by Iro-
fessors w. O. Atwater and c. ID.
Woods, under whose direction the in
veStigationS were conducted, with the
cooperation of the New York AssCcia-
ton for the Improvement of the Poor.
The general plan of inquiry consisted
in visiting a number of typical families
in the worst congested portions of tre
city, observing the kinds and amounts
of food which they bought and prices
which they paid. noting whether they
obtained good weight and measure, ana
subjecting specimens of the food 'Ea-
terials to analysis for the purpose Of
learning their nutritive values.
WORK OF A WOMAN.
The work in New York was done
mostly by DIR. Isabelle De Laney. The
investigation consisted mainly of the
studies of the diet of the families of the
poorer classes, the majority of whom
were ON the East Side, near the juno
ton of Cherry and Catherine streets.
The people in whose families the stu
dies were made reported a large num-
Der of occupations, in some Instances
they being slovenly and shiftless, and
took little interest in their homes. 9th
er families, though ignorant, were will
ing and anxious to learn how to i'm
prove their habits of living. The main
results of each study are given, with
brief discussion of the chief features.
Following this are some valuable sug-
gestions regarding the improvement of
the food habits of the city poor. 1t is
impossible, the report says, to lay
down any hard and fast rules which
snail govern the purchase of food by a
family, as this must, to a very great
extent, be determined by the loca-
tions.
CAUSE OF INTEMPERANCE.
In many families there was no at
tempt made to spread an attractive ia
Bile. One of the most common observa-
tions among those who are familiar
with the r bits of the poorer classes
of workers, the report continues, is to
the effect that a not inconsiderable
amount of the prevalence of intemper-
ance can be traced to poor food and
unattractive home tables. Throughout
all the dietaries there was shown very
tive value of the food purchased, the
selection apparently being made &C
cording to some whim or taste, the
presence of certain food materials in
the market. or because the housekeeper
had been accustomed to purchasing GER
tain kinds of food. The larger number
of families paid cut more than they
really could afford for food. and yet in
frequently received insufficient nourish-
ment. The question how these people
could have obtained more nutriment
for the money expenditure is answered
only in the most general terms.
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS.
1t is suggested that one of the best
and surest ways to improve the condi-
ton of the poor is to give them practi-
cal instructions and object lessons in
the preparation of attractive. yet sim
pie and cheap foods. The subjects upon
which the women should be instructed
include lessons upon the best and most
nutritious food materials and the best
adapted in point of cost and ease of
preparation TO the needs and circum-
stances of the family, and instruction
such as shall enable the housekeeper to
prepare simple, wholesome and palata-
BILE meals from such food.