The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-31
The Canned Goods Industry
EnAMEmnMrEEMHMRmHnnEaE1 E1a Eammms MrmEmRmMmRmA
By Frederic J. Haskin.

| {.
 Tomorrow members of the National Canned Goods Association meet in Louisville to discuss ways and means for placing their wares more effectively before the people of this nation. and before the inhabitants of foreign lands. They will discuss methods of making better goods and of presenting them more attract1vely They intend to increase the per capita consumption of their products and to look Into the Improvement of machinery for their work. Addresses win be made by At torney General Bonaparte, pr. H. ". Wiley. Governor Wilson of Kentucky and the president of the National Can ner's Association the Machinery and Supplies Association, the National Wholesale Grocer's Association, and the National Canned Goods and Dried Fruits Brokers Association.
 A quarter of a century, ago canned fruits, vegetables and meats were luxuries that the working man could rarely allow himself When green things were not in season. and when he was far from a fresh meat market, he had to provide his family withs salt meats cereals and such root yege- tables as he was able to keep. To- day canned goods are in his reach and have become a. necessity. Especially y Is this true in the factory towns whefe the women as well as the men are be reduced to it's lowest degree of personal trouble. From tin cans and glass jars the housewife in the mill town can evolve, a meal in a short time one that is palatab1e and nourishing, one that has meat fruit and vetge- tables. and that has not cost her any more than the same materials at the market--even had she access to a market-and the meal Is ready to eat in one-fourth the time. She may even have canned buildings of many kinds the latest being rice pudding put up by Ian Indiana firm.
 The present per capita consumption of canned goods In the country Is less than four cans a year for tomatoes, less than two for corn and peas, and about a can half for fruits. This, according to the manufacturers. is entirely too small an amount. and they mean to continue a judicious cam paign of advertising to awaken the interest of the consumer. The canners want to see a wider foreign use of the goods. The British are said to be especially averse to "hnned" vege- tables, and the American housewife in London has a troublous time In her marketing, for after she has, with difficulty, secured tie canned goods for her familys use, she must pro- vide something eissS for her servants. The one canned vegetable of which the English are said to be especially fond Is green peas, but they prefer the. peas with the very vivid green tint that is imparted only by sulphate of copper Such adulteration is pro hibdted by the laws of England. Tho French can put up peas after the English liking, but they keep at home the more healthful. uncOlored pro- duct for the use of their own fam lilies.
 The Chicago beef scandal injured the trade in canned meats for. awhile in this country, and temporarily stopp- ed 1t in Great Britain. It was costly lesson in food adulteration, paid for by sickness and death in the army, and by serious losses to factories. But it brought about pure food laws that have their application in interstate commerce. in local and foreign trade. Under government surveillance there is little chance afforded the putting of adultered or tainted meats on the market. The Department of ARricul- ture maintains in it's Bureau of Anti nal Inductry, a corps of over 5000 employees. two thirds of. whom devote their time exclusively to meat inspec- tion. They inspect nearly six biNion pounds a year, one-half the amount slaughtered.
 The men who have tried to put imi- tation products on the market have had hard road to travel in the past five years. The men who put up pack ages in conformance with the law are having the better time. for they have law, public opinion and public health on their side. It was an uphill work to bring people back to the canned goods habit after the Chicago dis closurers, but it has brought about a system of advertising that has been one of the eleverest ever known to the country.
 Every packing house and canning establishment of any size nowadays has free cook books or booklets for dis7 tribution among the users of their goods, showing the various and main fold ways in which that especial pro- duet may be. used. They are among the greateSt spenders in the world where advertising is concerned. one firm maintaining siv offices in various localities. where high priced special ists In that line write, paint picture or devise new and catchy labels to fur ther attract public attention to tAet' goods. One firm advertises that 1t has 24,OOO persons on It pay ToOis III u41. erent parts of the country. and prom. ses that any of these. if approached will give any information necessary 1T regard to the canned meats they handle
 For the further enlightenment of the housewife entire pages of popular magazi9eS are filled with attractive matter showing tho relative nutritlor In that particular canned goods m comparison with other foods. th' street car advertising man is furnished with cards that are replicas or pam | inss done by some artist or mAtefla 1 fame for sonna sollp or meat or vege