The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-15

Il do not believe that beef Will reach eighteen
cents" seller Of that food product was quoted
a. saying in the sun Of yesterday; people will
stop eating beef before it gets high that"
Therein, believe. is the most important
suggestion that be made in regard to the
high cost Of living. If the price of thing
gets too high, stop using it Get a substitute.
This is not mpracticable advice. There are
people using soft coal today and saving money
on il who stirred to that by the high
price Of anthricite brought about by the strike
Of decade ago. Necessity is the mother of
Invention, and that is why the really alert and
courageous man looks upon tho tragedy Of high
prices mn opportunity.
There are substitutes for beef II Is to be
hoped, of course. that it will not he necessary
% utilize them, but If the worst comes to the
worst, good red herring. salt coddsh-hsh. in
deed Of all kiuds-2re palatable and nourishng
and take the place Of meat courses quite sat
isfactorily, The progress that has been made
nj modern cookery insures the preparation In
appetizinc form Of almost any edible nova
Disappointed the cook has knowledge The
rule might be laid down for those in ordinarily
comfortable circumstances. Instead Of paying
higher prices for your foodstuffs. pay a little
more for your cook. Those housekeepers who
cannot afford experienced cook-one who
not only knows how to prepare food well, but is
also skilled in small household economies
should make Ii point to learn and manage
these things themselves
1t is a theory of ours. born Of the servant
Ell 1FObien. taaf IN the course OF time only
The wealthy win be able TO afford cooks The
rest Of us will have to get our meals at some co.
operative table. To do the cooking ourselves.
The latter alternative is by no as fright
ful as some may think it, Again the modern
Improvements in to save, the gas stove and
the oil stove taking away the greater part of
the drudgery of the work AS soon as some
inventive person finds delicate way of washing
dishes the tragedy Of cooking will have ended
or, unskilled labor Will always be compare
che a,dc evf1 no ah1a To milo
some to do the rough work OF the kitchen
who will not be able to employ a good cook
With the cooking problem solved. the prob
lem of using substitutes for meat becomes on
easier The vegetarian restaurants prob
ably could furnish some Interesting hints in this
connection, some Of them having meat courses
III their table de'hotes, the meat. of course being
substitute And, when the cook is good
enc, there is a tremendous field for economy in
the use of cheaper cuts for the more expensive
ons Continental Europe could tell us much
about this
One other suggestion in this connection. The
sun has been urging every this spring, in
the city and out Of II, to have vegetable gar
cen. For those In the suburbs it would supple
ment this advice by saying: keep chickens The
occupation Is a delightful and to those who
go at II seriously II is also q money saver Tho
high cost Of living is brought about largely by
two factors-~the high cost of labor and the cost
of distribution. The Householder who Keeps
chickens and looks after them himself does
away with both IF these-~esnd the cost OF raw
materials is not prohibitive.
Fifteen years ago the people OF this country
were greatly exercised the high cost OF
living. Since then It has steadily gone up Many
causes enter into that movement most OF them
worldwide in their operation. Every country
of the globe feels this pressure In common with
the United States. Many suggestions for relief
have been offered. The present comparatively
low tariff has unquestionably helped the situa-
ton somewhat in this country as the wholesale
prices of certain commodities Indicate. 1t has
done this by reducing the prices In some cases
ana preventing rise in prices IN others--as
this very matter Of the Importance Of Argentine
beef shows High the price of beef is with
that importation, ii Is frightening to imagine
What4it would be without 1t. But the most SUBJ
Stantiai arnelioration of this evil can be brought
about by the exercise of personal economy in the
way which we have mentioned. If the upward
trend OF prices causes tho people as 1t must
10 exercise all their Ingenuity in keeping down
the cost of living, ii will not be without its adj
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