The Calumet news., 1912-06-04
COTHAM'S FOOD
BILL ENORMOUS
METROPOLIS CONFRONTED BY
GREATEST LIVING EXPENSE
ON RECORD.

New York. June 4.-t1gures just
collected here have awakened New
York To the unpleasant realization |
that its annual food bill is piling up
al a rate i'm excess OF S2.00O.000 fol |
the whole year. or nearly twice as
much as the entire expense of main- |
tanning the federal government |
About billion and half pounds OF
meat. a billion and half eggs. thir
teen hundred million loaves of bread |
and eleven hundred million quarts o.
milk are the four largest contributing
items. Some idea of the enormous
amount of food necessary To feed tn,
! city for only twenty-four hours is in
Gicated by its average daily marker
list which includes the following
items: 100000 pounds Of meat, A.
100000 eggs, 100000 pounds of but
ter, 100000 pounds OF sugar, 2,000
600 pounds of potatoes. 100000 head OF
poultry and game, 100000 quarts Of
milk. 100000 pounds OF fish, 25O,OOO
pounds Of coffee. $4,000 pounds of tea
i.5O0.O 600 oranges, 100000 of Other
miscellaneous fruits, and 3.500.00
loaves Of bread. These enormous
items constitute only what may be,
regarded as the necessities and to-
them must be added many luxurles
consumed I'm large quantities by those
able To afford them. Thirty million
dollars a year would be a low esti-
mate Of the money spent on tobacco,
as would 100000 900 for the malt and
distilled liquors and wines consumed.
Miscellaneous vegetables. especially
the early varieties. furnish another
very large item. This great food bill
represents the consumption of about
100000 persons made up Of the reg
ular population of the city. its 100000
transient visitors, 100000 seamen on
vessels in port. supplies for 100000
passengers on outgoing dining cars
and steamships and 100000 suburban
homes. Allowing for luxury and waste
the average daily cost of food per
capita is not far short OF a dollar.
The business Of supplying this vast
amount of food occupies 1884 whole
sale establishments and 2l.69S retail
stores. In addition there arc in the
city S,$S6 establishments engaged In
the manufacture Of food supplies.
Now IL is the poor towntrodden au-
thors who propose TO organize here
union or association calculated to
protect them from the thraldom in
which they allege they are held 10y
the fzar-lille editors of plutocratic
magazines. Writes of every kind and
description have been eagerly discuss
ing the proposal which they regard
az the boon of the century a notice
able decrease of euthusiaswb however
took place when Il became known
that the new organization does not
intend to make the editors accept
everything submitted TO them. As
now outlined il will be a combination
Of wrters-not in restraint of trade
howcver-who hope TO correct GER
tain abuses to be found at times I'm
the magazine field. The chief thing
which the league hopes 10 accomplish
is the prompt return for manuscript
itself. or in coin. AS one man who is
founder explained, there are
number of little things most trying
to the soul of an author, He sub
mits his manuscript and the editor
takes mis- own sweet time i'm passing
upon it. Nothing can hurry him, al
though there may be demand i'm the
market for that particular kind of
stuff. He can take IL and pay on
publication. which may be several
generations hence. he may change his
mind after acceptance: he may do
anything he chooses. Doubtless ma
gazine editors generally will be re-
lieved to hear that It is merely the
correction OF this condition that is to
b, attempted. and not "A demand that
all manuscripts he purchased.
New York cops are now consult
ing all sorts of authorities I'm an eff
fort to find out how many blades of
grass II takes To constitute ground
to which the Keep off the Grass
signs are supposed to|apply. AS 4
result of orders to see that these in
structions are obeyed a discussion Us
now raging as to whether one blade
OF grass is sufficient TO constitute
grass and whether a man may be ar
rested for standing on lone spear.
The discussion arose through the ar
rest and arraignment in the York
| vile police court OF Union Square
business man who disregardcd
I Keep OFF the Grass" warning IN
Central park The defendants plea