New-York tribune., 1902-01-08
HAPPINESS AND FOOD.
Mr. ELY CONSIDERS THAT A NORMAL
LIFE DEPENDS ON DIET-GREAT
NEED OF KNOWLEDGE
OF COOKERY
OF COOKERY

IT cattle were not better kept than are the
majority Of wageearners 1t would be better not 10
| keep cattle" said Robert Erskine Ely, yesterday
morning, in opening his address on The Food OF
me Poor, delivered before the League for PoIit-
cal Education. No % West Forty-fourth-st
When we realize that food is one absolute neces-
sity OF life" continued the speaker, and that
large percentage Of wage earning people spend
more than half their incomes on food we get some
Idea Of how essential it is that IT should be wisely
chosen.
III health bad temper and kindred discomforts
are often due TO Ill fed underted condition
The people who eager do away with the
use Of alcohol would do well TO find what kind
and quantity Of food is consumed by those who
take alcoholic liquor On the question OF food large
" depends the possibility OF a normal happy life"
Nationality, the speaker said, had great effect
in deciding the diet, and many foreigners IN
Influenced in this respect by residence IN this
try. The Chinese eat the same foods and in the
quantity that they do in China. italians
subsst macaroni, breadstufs, olive oils and
fruits in Little Italy they do in their native
land. and even in their tenement rooms they make
their homemade wines during the summer months
from grapes bought from pushcarts. Germans
have a generous diet. Bohemians were spoken OF
isolated race, whose language Americans
find much difficulty in mastering Bohe-
mans do the English Their dietary Mr.. Ely
sidered abundant-too much In the matter OF
drinking. In these households it IS usual for a
boy about twelve years Of age TO do the cooking.
This is because the girls under fourteen can hire
out household servants.
Hebrews referred models OF honesty,
cleanliness and thrift. One drawback in their diet
said be the pecuiariy Of their kosher rules,
which makes it necessary for them extract much
of the nutriment from meat before cooking II. He
brews a class OF the few who attempt 10
gather supper table A family once week
Friday night, when their Sabbath begins. Other
poor families seldom attempt this. The table Is
100 small. there are not enough chairs or the
hours Of work for different members OF the family
render such arrangement impossible.
Instruction IN cooking IS conducted in the pub
Nc schools the speaker considered Of the utmost
Importance. But it is only a drop in the bucket
compared the need Of widespread knowledge on
this subject" said Mr.. Ely. The notebooks kept
by girls twelve and fourteen years Of age indi-
cate a scientific knowledge OF cooking that is re-
narkable. although child in writing OF bread
stated You take some -four and sift 1t into yel-
low ow'-the color Of the bowl having. in her
mind something do with the making Of bread"
Another pupil. who, the speaker said, was per
feet terror under other conditions loved to cook
and her conduct when employed could be truth
fully described as sanity" Doughnuts staple
article Of food, the speaker characterized as abom-
nations" The remedy for present conditions among
the poor, he said. was not TO show them how 10
spend less. but how TO live better on the money
they spend.