The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-04-23
HouSekeepers Becoming
More Alarmed and Make
Change in Diet.
FISH And VEGETABLES USED
Large Increase in Patronage
OF Vegetarian Res
taurantS.
MEAT GOES STILL HIGHER
MEAT GOES STILL HIGHER
Nom eat-Eating Clubs Proposed as the
Only Means Of Relief From the laws
Of the Trusts That Are Believed to
Have Sent Prices Soaring.


way TO beat the trust bogey man who
is accused of forcing the price Of meats.
butter, eggs, and other commodities up to
the present point, where it makes the fat
pocketbook light TO purchase provisions
for dinner. The fnny denizens of the
deep, both salt and fresh, can be pur-
chased at q somewhat lower figure than
one year ago.
The householder who is maintaining the
same menu that he did twelve months
ago is paying between 80 and 30 per cent
more for the things that give comfort TO
the inner man.
That the way to reach a mans heart is
through his stomach has been abundantIy
illustrated since the prices OF provisions
began the climb which landed them in the
almost unprecedented places they now
hold The walls that have gone up from
those people whose expenses are always
crowding their incomes because they are
unable to afford things they once had
regularly. are heart reading.
The question that has been paramount
Tor few days is:
Can i get along cheaper if / don't
buy any meat?" The answer generally
given to this question is yes
In New York a MISUNDERSTANDING club
has been started, and it has PROTOTYPES
all over the country. The organization
has even pushed one OF its ramifcarious
ihto Washington.
The Vegetarian Cafes.
There are one or two vegetarian cafes
In Washington, and since the price of beef
end other meats went a-soaring UP they
nave done rushing business.
The manager of one of these establish
ment spoke of the matter yesterday:
Our business has increased greatly
during the past two weeks" he said. We
know that II has grown on account of the
high price of meats. a number Of our new
customers have told US SO. They have said
that they were tired of seeing the price
OF steaks climbing upward on the bills of
fare at the restaurants they previously
patroniZed or OF seeing the size of those,
steaks decreasing. We don't fear any res.
mex action, Tor the vegetarian habit is an
attractive one when once cultivated"
The dissatisfaction of the housewives
was not allayed yesterday at the sight of
dispatches from Chicago to the effect that
another advance on the price Of meat was
imminent.
Price of Meats.
Just at present the quotations on the
yaore common meats compared with the
prices last year look about like this:
1901 1902
First quality steak, lb. is to 20 % to 90
First quality roast, Id. Is tolls 20 to Is
eft nI
All other meats are proportionately
high. The increase throughout the list
varies around 90 per cent.
On the other hand. fish is cheaper II
anything, than ii was a year ago The
season has been remarkably good and the
hshing industry-at least that portion of
1T which supplies the Washington market
has not felt the touch CT a combination
with sembiance of trust in its makeup
Roe shad is about the only thing thar
is quoted above the average figures. This
advance is attributed 10 the lateness of
warm weather. Shad are 20 to IS cents
each, as against Is and 20 cents one year
ago. Other fish are selling about as fol-
lows: Sea bass, per pound u cents; blue
nsh per pound. u cents, and herring, 10
cents per half dozen.
Under he general head of bread
stuffs" are included catmeals and the
various preparations OF a cereal nature
Within the zone of time and economy
marked by the recent bullish tendency of
prices, hundreds of housewives have turn
ed to the various cereal preparations. and
the demand for them at stores is greater
than ever before.
Crisp bacon and broiled ham are things
that are not listed on the breakfast menu
without second thought from the eco
nomical householder or cook. Four is as
cheap as usual.
Cook Books Scanned.
Cook books are anxiously consulted
these days for recipes of variety of
dishes which can be prepared without the
use of the articles the advance in price
has placed beneath the ban.
With hundreds of families in Washing
ton this economy is an absolute necessity.
For instance A Government employe has
q family Of four, of which the sole sup
port IL $1,000 salary Of this amount
$50 per month has been regularly set aside
for the table. A careful housewife is able
TO DO very well on this amount-or was
until the recent horizontal advance set
in. II the menu was maintained as be-
fore, the cost per month would be at a
moderate estimate one-third greater, OF
about sG6 per month. an increase of slg2
per year-not light consideration.
Consequently IL is grievous problem
that the nousekeepers of Washington are
wrestling with. They want TO satisfy the
desires OF their family, and they want TO
keep expenses down.