The Washington herald., 1909-05-11

] pdSie iuQ4Sllg II inlS country ana IN
The world viii be discussed. with special
reference 10 the pending tariff bill. The
meeting may continue for ten days. The
! association is working to secure an in
crease in the duty on macaroni and sim
! lar products from one and a half 70 two
and q half cents a pound.
/ The membership OF the association is
scattered throughout the length and
breadth OF the land. although the indus
/ Try IS said 10 be IN its infancy. Three
hundred factories are known 20 exist In
I The United states. Some Of them are
/ very small. being operated by hand CT
( horse power. and providing a living for
I but single family. while the larger fac
tories are equipped with modern ma
I chinery and employ a hundred or more
meH, and an equal number OF boys and
1 girls.
/ In l90S the products Of American mac
Z aroni factories probably aggregated 90
sa.oeo p0urGs. The capacity OF the fac
Z tories is 65C0.000 pounds The capital
invested IN the business aggregates Sl3.-
0oGe. while the employees include 4, 10
men and 1850 boys and girls. 70 al OF
wages amounting 10 &.642.000 are paid
2
business, many American factories are
running only part OF the time.
The foreign manufacturers are said 20
be securing practically two-thirds OF the
business Of this country. Imports OF ed
ible pastes have increased wonderfully.
/ In ISIS they aggregated less than 100000
pounds. worth S15O.5a. Last year they
reached the enormous total Of nearly
l6e.00e.0o3 pounds, valued at about S4.-
596,o09. Between 1903 and IsoS imports
from Italy alone increased 3s4 per cent.
This tremendous increase in impo-Ja-
ticns was due in large part TO the food Of
Italian immigration 10 American shores
The Italians prefer macaroni made in
italy. Wages are much lower IN Europe
than here Italy has 4 system OF Gus
toms drawbacks which enables her man
ufacturers 20 make macaToni from Amer
ican wheat and export Il 70 the world
very cheapiy. One result Is that nearly
al the American imports Of edible pastes
come from Italy, the total imports from
all other countries aggregating only about
5.o01 o19 pounds. having a value OF $50 0o1
Frarce is next 70 Italy among the sources
o. American maCarOni imports Japan is
third
Nacaroni should be made OF pure wheat
mixed with water. The outer shell OF the
wheat IS removed and the grain converted
into a coarse. granular substance. called
semolina. which sticks together much
more readily than a paste made OF ord
nary -four. Marseilles, France. IS said 20
lead the world in the manufacture OF
semOlina. The true macaroni is COM
posed only OF semOlina and water. but
with increased competition and changing
public taste. q demand has arisen for an
edible paste IN which eggs are kneaGsd.
and some manufacturers also introduce
-four made from wheat. rice. corn, and
potatoes. To satisfy an entirely local
clientele. garlic and the Juice Of carrots.
tCrEips, caulifiower, and cabbage are
sometimes mixed with the dough. These
vegetable" varieties of the product are
unknown in the United States. Nacaroni
IS made with the -four mentioned. partly
because semolina IS not always avsllable.
and sometimes 10 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.
Nacaroni Is made into tubes. so that II
may cook evenly The sooner it Is eaten
after il IS made the better IL tastes. That
IS one reason why the imported product
is not as good here as IT is in the coun-
Try OF manufacture American nanufac-
tUrers claim they can make as good mac
aroni as the Italians can. but Il IS said
that the average American IS not connois-
seur enough 20 make II worth the manu-
factUrer's while 10 exert his best efforts.
Most people are looking for cheapnsss
and not quality. The government. by ex-
perimeats at the Minnesota University.
has discovered that macaroni Is more nu-
tritious than the average bread. and con-
tains 2 per cent OF energy Under The
pare food law. imported macaroui must
not contain coioring matter or preserva-
uveS deleteriOus TO health
The methods employed in the American
macaroni industry are a great improve
ment over European methods. Realizing
this. few progressive European manu-
facturers have installed American ma
chinery and are operating large up-to-
date factories. Probably most OF the in |
dustry IS carried on in Italy. however. in /
q very crude manner Many Italian fam
lies make their own supply and hang II |
out in the yard or on the roof 10 drv-
while the children and the family pets /
roUp about over. and among it Contrast /
this crude system with that in a modern
American factory.
There most OF the work Is done bv
machinery. The raw material is received /
IN bulk and mixed with water in huge
vats By IN ingenious mechanism. There I
IS also a mechanical knea6iDg apparatus /
with teeth to turn and keep the dough IN /
place The kneading process lasts from
fifteen 70 fifty minutes. according 10 the
quality OF the wheat and the fineness Of
the macaroni 10 be produced. The dough /
8 next placed in mechanical presses. in /
the bottoms OF which are holes through 4
which Il IS forced in tubes. strings. or |
shreds. according to the form desired /
Short lengths and fancy. shapes are mo-
duced IN horizontal presses. with q knife
working automatically to cut them as ra-
quired- Experienced Italians are freoue7+-
y employed 70 supeTintend these opera
tons Macaroni IS cut of as il comes
from the presses IN any length desired 4
There are two methods Of drying. one by /
hanging on racks and the other BY /
spreading out on trays. The driving and L
curing takes wetk or more. great care
being used 70 prevent the product from
warping and cracking Before hacking
the defective pieces are thrown awav
Of sold al lower prices
The ideal wheat for making macaroni
S durum. sometimes called macaronI
wheat. a number OF varieties Of this
wheat was introduced into the United
states in 1900 By the Department OF Ag-
-icuiture- They came principally from
southern Russia and other countries bor-
1erlng on the Mediterranean Sea They
we're brought 20 this country to FIJI a /
lemand for a hardy, drought-resisting.
spring cereal that could be grown IN the
Try regions OF the West.
Last year about e5.e00.oe0 bushels OF
ne grain We're produced In Anarica trn