New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-12
"UNTAXED BANANAS
COOPER UNION SLOGAN
High School Joan of Arc in
Free Fruit War Cheered
by Thousands.
PROTEST TO WILSON
President Reminded That I'm.
post on Poor Mans Deli
cacy" Is Violation of
His Party's Pledges.

"Smite us not, o Congress, with a
tariff on bananas, while feeding us hon
eyed words Of love"
Such was the glorious climax OF the
orator. Cooper Union Numbered.
Some fruits may grace all mems tables
sometimes, but the banana does at all
times. in spring. in summer, in fall and
I'm winter. failing never. 1t is found i'm
the dinner pail of the workipgman, In The
lunch basket of the school child. Nutri-
tious healthy In its germproOf coat, is
the golden ranks of the incoming tide OF
bananas, forty million punches a year.
two billion four hundred million golden
satisfiers of American desires.
All OF which may account Tor the
puffy look OF the bananas on the frult
stands this morning. Be not deceived
They are not a special, extra fancy hand
picked variety. They are the same old
two-for-a-centers They have just been
reading the papers, that's all. NORA
When women get the vote they won
permit newsboys and fruit stands to grow
in such close proximity. Honest truit ls
wanted-no swelled heads.
However, to return TO Cooper Union ana
the mass meeting. whose slogan was NO
Tax on the Poor Mans Fruit" the honors
of the evening were divided between the
banana and Miss Julia Greenfield ageo
sixteen.
Miss Greenfield was Of the Washington
Irving High School type, MILDLY bloused'
big hair ribboned fearless, Later she
confessed that Washington Irving high
School girl she was, which accounted the
chairman explained, for her ability 10
write so remarkable a letter to PRESIDENT
Wilson.
Yes. that was the occasion Of her rise
10 glory and the Cooper Union platform
IJnasked, unsolicited, week ago she sent
the following plea to the president.
"peprivins Poor Of Food.
.You were elected by the poor people
Of this country because they believed you
would reduce the tariff. Do you realize
that by placing a tariff on bananas you
are depriving :he poor people OF foodE
What 1 say is perfectly true. because |
have long studied this problem. We have
a fruit store on Avenue c. This is one OF
the poorest sections of New York City.
If YOU would come to our neighborhood
and watch the poor child of the East Side
at luncheon time you would realize the
harm done by raising the price Oh pa
nanas Oftentimes a mother has only
few cents to provide luncheon for her
children, who are returning from school.
Do you know what she purchases? She
goes to her fruit stand and gets two ba-
nanas for one cent. gives each child
banana and a slice of bread, and their
hunger is appeased. IL they are deprived
of their nourishment how can they live?
Cheap bananas Is an absolute neces-
soty for the East Side school school child,
but, of course, not a necessity to the
Weather class of people. l know in my
own case that when ] attended public
school and received bread and bananas
was very glad. / speak from the stand
point OF an East Side child who has an
advanced education and de sires to speak
in behalf Of the large number Of school
children to whom bananas mean as much
as II did for me-"
After the storm of applause Mrs. Julian
Heath arose, familiar figure on the
Cooper Union PLATFORM, wen TcWcnDtreu
for sundry speeches on eggs, butter,
apples, markets. She told the house
wives present that bananas were the
cheapest fruit.
You pay one cent for two ba-
nanas," she said. what do other fruits
cost? Oranges? Five cents each.
Peaches? Three for 10 cents. Raspber-
ries? Fifteen cents box. Blsckberries?
Ten cents a box Cherries? Five cents
fer eight or nine"
How Living Cost Jumped.
Harry Weinberger, chairman OF the
meeting. quoted statistics Of the Depart
ment of Labor TO prove that all food ex-
cept bananas had advanced "a per cent
since 1900
1.-THE price Of meat may soar TO the
sky" he said; vegetables. -four. chicken,
all fruit may rise month by month. year
by year, but the banana is the one article
OF food whose price seems almost as un-
changing and unvarying as the law Of
gravitatlon.
"a tariff On bananas cannot be shifted
end the foreigner made to pay 1t. No