The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-07
Enormous Food Bill for the
Great Metropolis
A TWO WEEKS SUPPLY
UaioB of Business Organizations in
Boston Chamber of Commerce
Attracts Attention. Of Bus
mess Men Over Country


tistics of the eating capacity of the city.
1t is further declared by the experts
| that despite the talk of the enormous
| Here is what New York eats in sta
age, there is at the outside 10 days food
supply in the city.
| Here is what New York eats in sta
pies daily and the amount consumed in
years time:
| Beef-Daily, 1,712,32s pounds; annually,
| 624, coo 600 pounds.
Pork-Daily, S26,9M pounds; annually,
| 3O1, 10000 pounds.
| Mutton-Daily, 5742B pounds; annually,
| 210, 1900 pounds.
yeal-Daiiy, 1oe,T2 pounds; annually
| 81. 10000 pounds.
Poultry-Daily, 124,901 pounds; annually,
| 1850, 900 pounds.
Eggs-Daily, 361, 800 dozen; annually, Ill.,
| $4,000 dozen.
Butter-Daily, 369,01S pounds; annually
| 134,72S,6 SIS pounds.
Cheese-Daily, $3.50 pounds; annually,
| IS, FOSSIL pounds.
Flour-Daily, ,266 barrels; annually,
| 4.112,8A barrels.
| Potatoes-Daily, 1882 bushels; annually
| 1885,, 733 bushels.
Milk-Daily. 2,O5o,s2o quarts; annually,
| 7is. $50 800 quarts.
| In the greater city dwell about 4,500,000
people, and there are several hundred
thousand more who depend upon New
York markets for their supplies.
Though the metropolis receives some
of its supplies by water, the proportion
| is very small. The great bulk comes by
| rail, arriving every hour of the day and
night. AS soon as cars are unloaded
they are sent back promptly to the west
and south for more things to eat" 1t is
never-endng performance.
| notable feature in the evolution OF
the commercial bodies of the country is
the disposition to do things instead of de-
voting their energies to complaints,
lamentations and resolutions.
The union of the different organiza-
| tions of Boston into the Chamber of
Commerce has attracted the greatest atten-
ton, but just as important changes are
going on in New York, Cleveland, Buff
falo and other cities.
| The Boston organization, with all of the
enthusiasm of the new, has undertaken
a programme of activity that is worthy
| of note.
Among the recent subjects acted upon
by the Boston chamber were the tom
mage tax provision in the Humphrey sub
sidy bill and the income tax. The Boston
| chamber keeps daily statistics on COM
nerce in cotton, wool, flour, grain, and
the markets in provisions and dairy pro-
ducts, coffee and sugar. 1t also sup
plies to the Boston press trade quota
tlons daily on flour. grain, feed, hay,
straw, etc.
The New York chamber just last week
initiated a. united movement on the part
of the organizations of the leading cit
les for the defense of the commercial, in
dustrial and agricultural interests OF
New York state. The plan does not con-
| template a permanent organization, but
an occasional conference, whenever 1t is
deemed necessary, to discuss questions of
interest to the whole state. President
Simmons of the chamber, in explaining
the idea, said that II the business men
of the state are to be protected from
unfair aggression they must stand to-
| sether, as the business men in the west
do with such effective results.
The determinations against New York
in the matter of railroad rates have re-
Gently aroused the leading trade 1orsani-
zations here to united protest and real
opposition. The Spokane and Missouri
river rate cases will be fought so far as
they are unfair to New York. The OPP
position will be carried to the inter-
state commerce commission and to the
United States supreme court Likewise
the recent settlement OF the import rate
question by the railroads will be inves-
tigated by the trade organizations be-
fore 1t is considered acceptable SO far as
New York is concerned.
The railroad rate question is considered
10 important by all of the Atlantic ports
that a joint traffic bureau has been sug-
gested, with permanent headquarters in
this city. Besides New York, Philadel-
phia Boston. Baltimore and Richmond
are said to be concerned in the project
This same spirit to acf is notable
throughout the country. ! call attention
to the eastern bodies merely as later de-
velopments along this line.
The recent shipment of a million and
a quarter of gold direct from this port to
South America. is regarded as significant
of growing trade relations with Argen-
tina and Ecuador, to which the yellow
metal was shipped, and incidentally with
all South America Heretofore these trade
balances have been settled through Lon
don, but as Mr.. Leopold Friedrich. man
ager of the foreign department of the
National Bank of Commerce, says, On
account OF the large increase to business
between Central and South America and
this country which has taken place late
lily, we begin to become independent of
the London markets, as far as financing
these transactions is concerned Not
long ago we were able to put through
direct, without the medium of London,
a transa ction in the currency Of a South
American republic involving the equiva-
lent of several hundred thousand United
States dollars. Our customers, of course,
were very pleased, as it saved them
quite a good deal of money in interest
and commissions.
The idea of selling American-rnsde
mems clothing in England and France
seems absurd, yet that is just what is
4 being done. AS a matter of fact, this
trade has reached such proportions that
fertile field for the pursuit of further
efforts II offered for the near future.
The work OF placing mems clothing Of
domestic production in the hands OF dis
tributers oversee IL only in its initial
stage.
Such encouraging progress has been
made by the pioneers, who opened these
markets In the face of opinion that
American-made clothing could not be In
troduced successfully abroad, because of
an existing prejudice against clothes
made here, that number OF manufac-
turers have been stimulated to follow the
example set by a large concern located
In this city.
Moreover, it Is claimed by those who
have gone into the matter thoroughly
that not only will Europe be found
profitable field for the large mems cloth
ing manufacturing concerns to cultivate
but 1t il thought that there Is a wide
; range of possibilities for the introduction
l IL