The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-09-23
tON STRING of barges piled

"Well, I've Travelled all over the world
ropics, but l should have thought a
zig city like New York would have
'ulnd something better to do with all
his stuff than throw it away"
Economists agree that all over the
world people waste as much food as
hey consume. Practical men who
lave studied the subject say that the
inhabitants of American towns and
titles are more wasteful than similar
communities in Europe. and that in
New York the greatest waste occurs.
New York is far and away the most
wasteful of all our Cities said an Off
,ial who has had had great experience
the disposal of refuse in several
American communities. Flat life
eads almost inevitably to waste. In
Philadelphia there are comparatively
Few flats. and probably not one-hun-
1redth part as much food is wasted
here as in New York. In Philadelphia
people are economical, and the women
10 their housekeeping very carefully.
The same remark holds good Of Boston,
in rather lesser degree. Chicago and
st. Louis are wasteful cities, but not
nearly so wasteful as New York. Pitts
Ourg and Cleveland are also very
wasteful. l think l would rank them
lext to New York. Brooklyn and Jer-
sey City are decidedly less wasteful
than Manhattan.
"As compared with her American sis
ter, the English housekeeper is model
IF economy. AS a rule the London
housewife only provides for her family
Just as much food as they can eat.
Her country cousin is even more care
pound of steak or couple of lamb
chops, as the Gotham housewife does
without Il qualm, would friShten her.
But if you want to see real economy in
housekeeping you must go to Scotland.
In Edinburgh and Glasgow the women
nave reduced the elimination of waste
% a fine art"
DR.. ]. NJ. Woodbury., New York's
Commissioner of Street Cleaning,
agrees with this official as far as his
)wn town is concerned.
ut is only natural" said the Com
missioner, the other day, that the
.ichest cities in America should be the
most wasteful. New York, l should
say, wastes more food than any other
,ity. 1t must waste pretty nearly as
much as it consumes. l am simply as
:ounded at the large quantities of food
given to my department by fellow New
Workers to throw away
"Can you give an idea of the total
Iuantity? Are there any statistics
ivailable?" the Commissioner was
,sked.
mo, it is a matter that defies statis-
tics," was the reply. But the cxper-
.encc of our department is that almost
Every store, market, house and fiat m
New York daily throws away n large
quantity of food. The total is enor-
nous. If you go down to the depart
nent dumps, where the refuse collected
Ill over the city is deposited in scows
for ultimate disposal, you will be sur
orised to see how large proportion Of
the refuse consists of foodstuffs. You
will then be able to realize what a
wasteful city New York is"
Tons of Wasted Food.
Two of these dumps were visited. In
Doth places there We're several big
scows laden with nothing but food,
hundreds of tons of food. Potatoes,
bread. apples, tomatoes. bananas. meat.
turnips, onions, were piled up in great
heaps on the scows with thousand
other eatables.
"Is it always like this?" one Of the
officials Of the department was asked.
"Yes, always so, more or less" he
answered. "Often there is 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.
'Is nothing ever done with this
eood?" the visitor asked.
Nothing; it is all thrown away"
was the answer. "And, as you see, 1t
is not nearly all bad when it comes
.nto our hands. Half of 1t. If not
more, is good to eat. Unless you have
actually collected the refuse you have
40 idea of the wastefulness of the av-
erage family in New York fiat.
"The wife buys steak and gets din
I'D
home from business and says: Put
your hat on, little girl. I've got tickets
FOR the theatre, and We'll have some
Inner first at restaurant So the
whole of the dinner she has prepared
goes down the dumbwaiter in the gar
page pail. Even when they do dine at
nome the dinner is almost always
much larger than they can eat, and n
.hird or half OF it ultimately comes
% us.
"And they hardly ever give 1t away
20 the poor. In the first place it is
iifiicult for beggar to tackle family
living in fiat. In the second place,
New Workers seldom encourage beg
gars in any shape or form. knew a
nan, however, who was shocked at the
family waste, and said that all the un-
eaten food must be put aside and given
to the poor He told two or three 'ho-
oos' to call for 1t. In week the word
lad gone around that he was an easy
mark and there was procession of
becgars up the stairs to his fiat all day
'ong.
'"The tanitor complained, and his own