South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-23
Waste Prevention a
Conservation Phase
Quick and Economic Disposal
of Refuse Does Not Strike
at Root of Matter.

whose table is noted for its generous
variety, obtains her winter supply of
home-smoked bacon and country
sausage in return for her garbage
! Her only outlay is the care exercised
in making sure that no one throws
broken glass, hair or similar articles
into the garbage pail.
1t is not improbable that the parcel
post, with its family hampers carrying
all kinds of farm produce to the city,
may facilitate the sending OF edible
waste food out to farms. Every chick
| en- grower knows that an occasional
feeding OF warm cooked meat scraps
and vegetables will increase the egg
production at the time OF the year
that eggs are selling at the highest
price. The federal government is
spending much money in the EFFORT TO
discover and 10 teach methods of pro-
ducing food more economically. Here
is place where cooperation between
the farmer or chicken raiser and the
hOusekeeper could make decided
progress toward this goal.
Does Not Strike Root.
Quick and economical disposal OF
useless material does not strike at the
root of the problem. The third and
greatest requirement is the proven
ton of waste. Waste prevention is
one phase of conservation and Is
equally important in the home and
in the nation regarding both human
energy and the material bases or lie.
In the report of the mayors market
commission of New York city, the New
York board of health Is quoted as hav-
ing condemned and destroyed, during
the year 1911, 100000 pounds OF
fruit. $780, 900 pounds of vegetables,
73, 900 pounds Of eggs, $4,000 pounds
of fish and nearly $4,000 pounds OF
-
out exception, was due to the decay
ing of food. These figures do not in
clude the losses. which cannot be es-
timated of food sold TO housekeepers
and institutions, but which was In
such condition that much of it could
not be used and, therefore, found It's
way into the every-ready garbage pail.
Nine and a half million pounds of
food DESTROYED in one year because 1t
had become unfit for human food. and
this in q city whose charity organiza-
tions are taxed to the limit to prevent
actual starvation in many cases! The
large cities have no monopoly on this
waste In Nebraska In the summer
of 1914, many bushels of f1rst-class
peaches were fed to pigs in order to
prevent absolute waste. In another
western state the farmers shipped
fruit on to a glutted marget and re-
ceiVed q smaller sum for their prod
ucts than they were obliged TO pay
the railroads for freight. AS a con-
sequence. large amount OF fruit was
allowed to waste.
Better Distribution.
Better distribution, more economical
and more effective means Of preserva-
ton of food will help to prevent this
waste. Terminal markets in large
cities. public markets where there Is
a demand for them, parcel post and
all other means Of bringing closer
together the consumer and the pro-
Queer will all tend to decrease this
loss.
1t may be that within five years the |
use of the parcel post will become an
important factor in preventing the |
loss of excellent fruit and other farm |
products which now occurs in rural
districts in every season OF plenty. The |
postmasters in more than SO Of the |
larger cities are helping by publish |
ing lists OF producers and their prod |
ucts. but the final success of this plan |
can result only il there is absolute |
fairness on both sides. Business-like |
contracts must be made, the farmer |
must sell goods of standard quality at
specified times, and the purchaser |
must keep his part of the contract by
prompt payment, return of contain |
ers and other arrangements. A house |
keepers department published recent |
" the account of woman who had |
given up attempting to use the parcel |
post as a means of marketing. She |
wrote TO 80 people on the list pub
lished by the pOstoffice and received |
answers from less than 20 per cent.
After some correspondence she or
dered a number of articles. but the |
irregularity of shipment and varia-
ton in quality were so discouraging |
that she went back to the retail groc-
ery-the much-abused middleman,
who could give her a standard article |
whenever she wanted II.
Good business principles must be
observed il this system OF marketing
by mail is TO succeed. 1t ought not
10 be hard for any one TO see that
carelessness or lack of punctuality in
writing 10 prospective customers when
one cannot fill a demand means the
loss Of a customer when the supply is
greater than the demand.