The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-11

The National Association Of Maearoni
and Noodle Manufacturers Of America
meets at Memphis. Tenn, today IN an
nuaI convention. The state Of the edible
paste industry in this country and IN the
world viii be discussed with special rel
erence 10 the pending tariff bill Inc
meeting may continue for ten days ne
association is working TO secure an IN
crease in the duty on macaTOni and sim
liar products from IL 10 or 70 cents
pound.
IRE membership Of the association is
scattered Throughout the length and
breadth Of the land, although the industry
is said 10 be in its infancy Three nun
dred factories are known TO exist IN the
United States. Some Of them are very
small being operated by hand or horse
power and providing a living for but a
single family. while the larger factories
are equipped with modern machinery and
employ a hundred or more men ana an
equal number Of boys and girls.
In 1908 the products OF American maca-
roni factories probably aggregated y@vvJ.-
600 pounds. The capacity Of the FACTOR
les is S5,09000o pounds The capital IN
vested in the business aggregates sl5.55o.-
Geo. while the employees include $50 men
and 1850 boys and girls. 20 all OF Wnom
wages amounting TO 3.6420vo are paid
Notwithstanding this apparently large
business, many American factories are
running only part Of the time.
The foreign manufactures are SAID 10
be securing practically twO-thirds OF the
/ business of this country Imports of edi-
BILE pastes have increased wonderfully. In
1873 they aggregated less than z,V0Uv
pounds worth $3.50 Sal Last year they
reached the enormous total of nearly lg0.
O00.WO pounds valued at about A,Vy,V.v-
/ Between 1903 and 1908 imports from Italy
alone increased 264 per cent.
This tremendous increase IN importa-
| lions was due in large part 20 the tiood
OF Italian Immigration TO American
1 shores. The Italians prefer macaroni made
/ in Italy. Wages are much lower IN EG-
I rope than here. Italy has a system OF
| customs drawbacks which enables her
] manufa CturerS to make macarOnl IIOIi
/ American wheat and export it TO the
/ world very cheaply. One result is that
/ Yearly all the American imports OF edlDie
/ pastes come from Italy, the total imports
] from all other countries aggregaIng only
/ about 10000 pounds, having a value OF
/ $3.50, 600 France is next 10 Italy among
/ the sources of American macarOni i'm
ports. Japan IS third.
! MaCarOni should be made OF pure Wnea'
mixed with water The outer shell OF the
I wheat is removed and the grain con-
. verted into a coarse. granular substance
/ called semolna. which sticks together
! much more readily than paste MADE OF
/ ordinary flour Marseilles. France, IS said
/ TO lead the world in the manufacture OF
! semOlina. The true macarOni Is composed
| only Of semOlina and water but with IN
creased competition and changing pubic
! taste. a demand has arisen for an edible
paste in which eggs are kneaded, and
! some manufa cturers also introduce flour
/ made from wheat rice. corn and pota-
| toes. To satisfy an entirely local Glen
I teie. garlic and the Juice Of carrots, tur-
/ nips. cauliflOwer and cabbage, are some
| times mixed with the dough. These veg
I Ell BILE" varieties Of the product are I'M
/ known in the United States. MacarOni IS
/ made with the flour mentioned. partly be-
| cause semOlina is not always available
/ and sometimes to affect the color and
/ cheaper the cost Of production. Pure
white macaroni may seem more attrac-
tive, but the highest grade is translucent
| and light amber in color.
! Macaroni is made into tubes, so that il
! may cook evenly. The sooner II Is eater
/ after 1t is made. the better It tastes
| That is one reason why the imported
product is not as good here as il is in
/ the country Of manufacture. American
/ manufacturers claim they can make as
good macarOni as the Italian can. but il
/ is said that the average American is not
cOnnoisseUr enough to make Il worth the
/ manufacturer while TO exert his best
[ efforts. Most people are looking fOi
! cheapneSs and not quality. The govern
ment. by experiments at the Minnesota
I university has discovered that maCarOn
| is more nutritious than the average bread
I and contains % per cent Of energy. Tn
Ger the pure food law imported macaronis
must not contain colOring matter or pre-
\ servatives deleteriOus to health.
Z The methods employed in the American
mscsrOni industry are a great improve
\ ment over European methods. Realizing
} this a few progressive European manu-
facturers have Installed American ma
( chinery and are operating large up-to-date
factories Probably most Of the industry
is carried on in Italy. however. in a very
[ crude manner. Many italian families