Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-02
The Chicago Diet Experiment.


In recent editorial on the Chicago
diet experiment, which is endeavoring
to show that an individual can be fed
on 40 cents a day, you say:
Repeatedly the truth of the state
ment of the late James J. Hill. that the
trouble with the country is the cost of
high living rather than the high cost
of living is demonstrated. If
half the people of this country would
follow the example of the twelve Chi
cagoans of the experimental diet squad
and reduce their daily menus to point
of simple nutrition, prices would prob
ably begin to fall and would soon reach
normal"
One may almost say that popular
hero plus an epigram will pass for 100
per cent truth. In the same class of
cheap decisions is the much adver-
tised Chicago diet novelty. The whole
thing is ludicrous. But the funniest
feature of this little national diet
vaudeville is the seriousness in which
the press presents it.
The time limit set for this experiment
is two weeks. The people selected for
the experiment presumably belong to
that limited class which is able to
spend something more than 10 cents
day for food ANY one who knows
something about physiological action
fully understands that a healthy body,
previously well fed, can, on very linn
tied diet. maintain high physical and
mental efficiency for weeks. For two
weeks one could efficiently continue Of
flee work bread and water or sim
ply beans and water. He should ordi-
narily lose little weight in the first
two weeks. What would 1t prove?
Nothing except what everybody knows
that il is possible for one to live for
two weeks, after constant normal feed
ing. for perhaps 10 or 10 cents a day.
If this little limelight league of Chi
cago succeeds in convincing itself that
an Individual can be sufficiently nour-
ished on 40 cents day, what will the
conclusion be?
The purpose of this little dietetic
comedy would seem to be effort to
aliay the rising storm Of protest and
possible revolution by trying to sub
stitute this fraudulent solution of the
food problem instead of real remedy.
1t will not work.
What are the actual living conditions
of the people for whom 40 cents day
is to supply food? This sum of course
means for the average family of five
81 per day simply for food. That
. amounts to $3.50 year This is only
for food 1t does not include cent
for rent fuel. clothing, car fare, med1-
cine books. recreation or insurance
The effort is only to prove that one
| can be nourished suiticlentiy on i4 100
costing 40 cents day, or 81 day for
an average family, and thereby 10
show the people who are seriously af-
fected by the high cost. OF living no"
to obtain relleI
AS shown by the recent work OF the
United states industrial relations com
mission the total annual income OF
the working families Of this country
average ST01. This is the total family
income not the individual income. rms
income for all expenses, including food
as one item, is SO less than the sum
the Chicago force would have US pc
lieve il is POSSIBLE to suhsist on when
spent wholly for food no
No family spend as much as ~
cents a day for the nonrishment OF each
member on less than S1,21o annual IN
come for a family Of five members.
These would-he teachers of economy
might have saved themselves the trou-
bic of an experiment If they had gone
into any one of 100000 Chicago homes
of the working people and asked the
wife for the amount of her monthly
grocery bill.
on the other hand, If they should
prove that 40 cents a day is necessary
for the nourishment of each individual.
what would he the result? Again they
will have proved only what everybody
knows But when it is so proved. Will
| employers increase wages to the point
| that will make such an excellent sand
ard of nourishment possible?
| ROBY c. DAY.