El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-05
MILLIONS IN
FOOD STUFF
WASTED
Annually 100000 Pounds
OF Food Are Thrown
Away in Big City.
NEW YORK POLICE
PAY IS TOO LITTLE


/. M Twenty-f0ur million pounds Of
- food are thrown away and lost
in this city each year This is the
startling statement made by health
commissioner LederIe. based upon au-
thoritative figures just compiled.
This vast amount OF food is suffi-
cient 20 maintain a good sized com
munity, since it would furnish two
pounds of food a day for one year for
city Of over 10000 population. The
commissioner raises the point that if
the problem of avoiding this great loss
can be solved, it would have a very
appreciable effect in reducing the high
cost Of living as the extent OF New
Aorks losses is but an index of the
total losses throughout the country.
In other words, it would appear that
each year the country loses nearly
100000, 1000 pounds OF food which at an
average value of Is cents a pound
amounts to S6O.OOO.0Oc This vast lass
IS not however. due 90 the WastefuI-
ness Of the consumer, but instead, as
the figures compiled here indicate. IS
caused largely by improper methods Of
preparation or handling m the part Ct
the producer, since she 24O0O, 900
pounds lost TO New York last year rep
resents the total amount Of foOdstuffs
unfit for human consumption.
The heaviest single seizure in the
year. according to DIT. Lederle, was Of
approximately 4,561164 pounds OF
spoiled potatoes, an Importation from
Scotland, the loss of which was
charged to carelessness in 1ransporta-
ton due to rain falling on the bags
before they were placed in the ships
hold The second largest eOndemna-
ton was 1,724,893 pounds of unfit
canned goods.
Are Forced to Graft.
After months Of startling police
graft exposure, following rapidly On
each other in the effort to trace the
system" to its lair. the novel de-
fence is now put forward that mem
bers Of the force actually are COM
PEELED to graft in order to live While
there has been much discussion as TO
the manner in which certain of the
higher officials have accumulated for
tunes, an investigation has been 60
ing on quietly to discover how police
men Of five years standing or less
live and what connection if any there
is between the slender pay which
they draw and grating charges. The
result Of these Investigations is at
least interesting, particularly to the
majority Of persons who believe that
corruption among the police force is
confined to comparatively few mem
bers.
They show that the policeman and
few years on the force live on
pretty slim allowance. The first year
patrOlman gets $500 and has to pay
out Of this salary from $500 to SZf5
for equipment and station house ex-
DenSeS. The city pays Tor nothing OF
his equipment except his badge and
the precinct numbers on his coat Even
the ice used at the station house has
to be paid for by the policeman With
an average of $3.50 for these first
really has $3.50. on which to support
himself and his family. The gradual
increases in salary do not bring him
I'D to the 81 400 point until his sixth
year in the department The testimony
Of the wives Of several hundred police
men so far interviewed indicates that
it takes the average policeman the
first eight years Of his life in the de-
partment TO get out Of debt
An Artists BIunder.
While New Workers. after the great
railroad operations which have been
carried on here in the past few years
are ready to admit that there is harGIy
anything which modern engineering
cannot accomplish, the Intellectual at
tempt Of one great transportation com
pany TO swing the heavens around has
caused considerable amusement This
ATTEMPT. which was brought to light
by a lowly cOmmUter after it had been
overlooked by any number OF experts
did not involve turning over the sky
however. but has to do with the ceiling
decoration Of the last great terminal
to be opened here. The ceiling which
covers the great waiting room con-
tains a beautiful representation OF the
heavens. studded with golden stars
which at night twinkle with electric
bulbs. After thousands had admired 1t,
it remained for the cOmmuter in ques-
ton to discover that the constellation
of AQuarius occupied the position
rightfully belonging to the constella-
ton Of Pegasus, and so on with all
the other consultations. In other
words east had been made west, and
north. south The way in which this
curious mistake came about was that
the artist in transferring the design
to the ceiling projected it from below
himself as it lay on the table instead
Of holding IL above his head and dup
Heating the effect thus obtained.
Make Big Sugar Contract.
That economies in the administration
Of the federal government, so often
and fOrcibly demanded by ambitious
politicians about election time, Occas- /
iOnally become accomplished facts was !
strikingly illustrated here this week /
by the closing Of an epOch-marktnS /
contract As a result it will cost less
than il has for many years to satisfy
the sweet tooth Of the navy. The con-
tract in question was for 1000 600
pounds OF sugar Tor the use OF the
navy. or enough to give a years aver
age supply OF this commodity to more
than T. 600 persons
Large as is the quantity. however,
the remarkable feature OF the con-
tract has to do with the price which
was four and twO-tenths cents a pound. /
Not for many years has such a low !
price been Obtainable and the So, 600 !
purchase price represents a saving Of /
about one and a half cents a pound I
or some $4,000 over the prices which I
have obtained two years ago.
Necklaces Of Cats Teeth.
That the strinCinE Of necklaces for /
human wear made from the teeth Of I
dogs and cats should be numbered !
among the queer industries carried on I
in this city is the surprising fact just 4
brought to light here. Although it /
might be expected that these strange /
decorations represented society's latest /
fad. this is not the case. The whole /
matter came out as the result Of I
complaint brought out by the Society /
for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Ami /
mails against an organization which /
cares for homeless animals. Probably 4
. 4 ranr