The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
MANKIND'S WASTE OF FOOD.
About as Much Thrown Away Here as
Eaten. Says Commissioner woodbury.
A Fault OF American Housekeepers
Generally--yast Destruction of Fruit
Household Economy I'm Europe.

FMt en-. SAye COMMISSIONER woodbury.
A Fault OF American Housekerpefs
Generally--yast Destruction of Fruit
Household Economy I'm Europe.
Economists agree that all over the world
people waste as much food as they con-
sumo. Practical men who have studied
the subject say that the inhabitants of
American cities are more wasteful than
those Of similar communities In Europe, and
that in New York the greatest waste occurs.
New York il far and away the most
wastefu Of all our cities, said an official
who has had great experiences in the dis
posal Of refuse in several American com
munities. Flat life leads almost inevitably
TO waste.
an Philadelphia there are comparatively
few fats, and probably not one-hundredth
part as much food lie wasted there as in New
York. In Philadelphia people are economi-
cal, and the women do their housekeeping
very carefully.
THE same remarks hold good Of Boston,
In rather less degree. Chicago and St.
Louis are wasteful cities. but not nearly so
wasteful az New York Pittsburg and
Cleveland are also very wasteful. think
would rank them next to New York.
Brooklyn and Jersey City are decidedly
less wasteful than Manhattan.
AS compared with her American sister,
the English housekeeper is model Of
economy As rule, the London house.
wife provides for her family only just as
much cod as they can eat.
Her country cousin is even more careful.
The idea OF throwing away half pou1d of
steak or couple of lamb chops, as the
Gotham housewife does without qualm,
would brighten her.
But il you want to acc real economy in
housekeeping YOU must 60 to Scotland.
In Edinburgh and Glasgow the women have
reduced the elimination Of waste to fine
TT
DR.. j. NJ. Woodbury., New York's Com
missioner Of Street Cleaning, agrees with
this official as far az his own town is con-
cerned.
at is only natural, +" said the Commissioner
the other day that the richest Of cities
in America should also be the most waste
full New York. should say, wastes more
food thai any other city.
at must waste pretty nearly as much as
it corsumcs. | am simply astounded at
the large quantities Of food given to my
department, by fellow New Workers. 10 throw
away"
Can you give an idea Of the total guam
THY? Are there any statistics available?'
the Commissioner was asked.
NO; il is a matter that defles statistics, y
was the reply. But the experience OF
our department ia that almost every store.
market, house and fiat in New York daily
throws "a 5ay large quantity Of food.
The totai is enormous
"If you 20 down to the department
dumps, where the refuse collected all over
the city is deposited in scows for ultimate
disposal, you will be surprised to see how
large a proportion OF the refuse consists
OF foodstuffs, You will then be able to
realize what wasteful city New York is"
Two of these dumps we're visited. In
both places there were several big scows
laden tn nothing but food hundreds
Of tons Of it. Potatoes. bread, apples,
tomatoes, bananas, meat, turnips. onions
were piled up in great heaps on the scows
with a thousand other eatabes
is It always like this?" one of the officials
OF the department was asked
yes; always so, more or less" he
answered, "Often there s great deal
more food than this to throw away Look
at this cart"
As he spoke cart came along the wharf
and tipped into the nearest scow load
composed entirely of vegetables and fruits.
as nothing ever done with this food?"
the visitor asked.
Nothing; it is all thrown away" was
the answer. And. as you sec, it il not
YEARLY all bad when it comes into our hands.
Half of it, if not more, is good to eat,
Unless YOU have actually collected
their refuse you have no idea of the waste
fitness OF the average family in New
York nat.
"The wife buys steak and gets dinner
ready, and then the husband comes home
from business and says, Put your hat on +,
little girl I've got tickets for the theatre.
and wei have some dinner first al a restau-
rant So the whole dinner she has pre-
pared il thrown away,
even when they do dine a. home the
dinner is almost always much larger than
they can eat ard third or n half Of it ulti-
mately comes to US.
And they hardly ever give it away to
the poor In the first place, it ia difficult
for beggar to tackle a family living in
n fat In the secood place New Workers.
seldom encourage beggars in any shape
or form,
II knew n man who was shocked at the
family waste and said that all the uneaten
Good must be put aside and given to the
Door EIe told two or three hoboes to
call for il, In a week the word had gone
around that he was an easy mark and there
was procession Of beggars up the stairs
to his far oil day long
THE janitor complained, and his own
servant told him that she would leave
unless he got another girl to do nothing but
answer the door. So he had to give up
his charitable scheme, and now he sends
all his waste food down the dumbwaiter
like other people
The waste Of fruit in New York is in
credible. Every banana steamer brings
hundreds Of thousands Of lunches of fully
ripe bananas, beautiful, yellow fruit just
ready to eat.
"The trade will not handle fruit in this
condition. il wants green fruit. All these
rine lunches are thrown away
"Only a short time ago over million
bananas brought in by the British steam
shin Chickahominy we're wasted for this
reason. Last year ! remember an Italian
steamer coming in with cargo OF lemons