The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-03-27


| frail. exclaimed.
"WelI, I've travelled all over the world
and seen terrible waste Of food in the
tropics. but / should have thought a
| dig, city like New York would have
found something better to do with all
this stun than throw it away
/ Economists agree that all over the
world people waste as much food as
they consume. Practical men who
have studied the subject say that the
| inhabitants OF American. towns and
cities 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
claI who has had had great experience
in the disposal Of refuse in several
American communities. Flat life
leads almost inevitably to waste. In
Philadelphia there are comparatively
few fats, and probably not one-hun-
dredth part as much food is wasted
| there as in New York. In Philadelphia
people are economical. and the women
do their housekeeping very carefully.
The same remark holds good Of Boston,
| in rather lesser degree. Chicago and
st. Louis are wastefnl cities, but not
nearly SO wastefuI as New York. Pitts.
burg and Cleveland ale also very
wasteful. / think I would rank them
next to New York. Brooklyn and Jer-
sey city are decidedly less wasteful
than Manhattan.
.sAs compared with her American sis
ter, the English housekeeper is a model
Of economy. AS rule the London
housewife only provides for her family
Just as much food as they can eat.
Her country cousin is even more care
| full. The idea of throwing away half
pound of steak or couple Of lamb
chops. as the Gotham housewife Goes
without qualn, would frighten her.
But if you want TO see real economy in
housekeeping you must go to Scotland.
In Edinburgh and Glasgow the women
have reduced the elimination OF waste
to fine art"
DR.. ]. N. Woodbury.. New York's
Commissioner of Street Cleaning.
agrees with this official as far as his
own town is concerned
1T is only natural said the Com
missioner. the other day. that the
richest cities in America should be the
most wasteful. New York, / should
say. wastes more food than any other
city. 1t must waste pretty nearly as
much as it consumes. am simply as
founded at the large quantities Of food
given to my department by fellow New
yorkers to throw away"
"Can you give an idea Of the total
quantity? Are there any statistics
available?" the Commissioner was
asked.
mo, It is a matter that defies statis-
ties" was the reply But the exper-
ience Of our department is that almost
every store. market. house and fiat in
New York daily throws away a large
quantity of food. The total is enor-
nous. If you go down to the depart
ment dumps, where the refuse collected
all over the city is deposited in scows
for ultimate disposal, you will be sur
prlsed to see how large proportion Of
the 1e1:s-- 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
both places there were 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 a 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 a 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.
sIs nothing ever done with this
food r the visitor asked.
Nothing: it is all thrown away"
was the answer. "And, as you see. it
is not nearly all bad when it comes
into our hands. Half Of it. If not
more. is good to eat. Unless you have
actually collected the refuse you have
no idea Of the wastefuIness of the ay-
erAge family in New York fat
'1The wife buys steak and gets din
ner ready. and then husband comes
home from business and says: Put
your hat on. little girl. I've got tickets
for the theatre. and wen have some
dinner first at a restaurant So the
whole Of the dinner she has prepared
goes dowE ne dumbwaiter in the gar
bage pail. Even wien they do dine at
home the dinner is almost always
much larger than they can eat. and a
third or a half Of it ultimately comes
to us.
~And they hardly ever give It away
| 70 the poor In the first place It is
aidicult E9r a heggar to tackle a family
sNsing Il q fat. In the second place.
I kew ,<.<kers seldom encourage beg
gars IN any shape or form. l knew a
man, however, who was shocked at the