The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-12-29
Hiuh Standard Is Being Main
tanned Despite High Cost
of Materials.
COST IS SECONDARY MATTER
Good Nourishment and Palataoih
First Consideration in Seiectf
Of Food-UncIe Sam Goes ST
Beyond Other Countries
Providing for
fort OF the
By JAM ES n. CT

who has been doing z
the American destroy.A ~ q" % Z"
rine zone said the G
are Just three poll
would want to criticize Uncle sam
sailors: First, they are too well req
second. they are too well clotneu'
third, they are too well paid"
sThe best fed body of men In the
world" our navy has been pronounced
and the figures just compiled TOT tne
navy ration this year show that the
high standard has been maintained.
despite the rise in the cost of FOOD ar
ticles, with very little extra expense 10
Uncle Sam.
War has added some complications
to the task of feeding the navy, TOT
the number of men has suddenly In
creased from about $4,000 to more than
900 1000 and hundreds of small patrol
boats and submarine chasers have been
manned by our sailors on duty IN coast
defense districts and elsewhere. Uncle
Sam has been able to maintain his
navy diet economically by large pur-
cbases for the increased forces.
Uncle Sam feeds his sailors, not ex-
actly regardless of cost, but with cost
always the secondary consideration.
AS Admiral MCGOWAN, paymaster gen.
eral of the navy puts 1t: Cost IS a
by-product." What the sailor eats is
governed by the revised statutes
which specify the quantities OF the
various food staples which may be IS
suad 70 each man in the naval service,
ond good nourishnent and palatabil-
,tv come first, with cost figured out at
tho end OF the year after the men
have been fed.
Increase In Cost.
" The navy ration for 1917 cost
a 4405 as against S0.37648 for 1915
Those. mystic decimals indicate an In
~-ease In the average cost of the ration
of about 20 per cent over the preced'
,rc wear. Statistics compiled by the
aonartment, Of labor show that there
xuas an increase Of 40 per cent in the
who,esale prices Of the principal items
~ food. Had the navy ration In
ceased in cost to the same extent, the
outlay would have been slightly ovel
1000 a day more, or S1,5OO'ooo NOR
On the year, which may be regarded a
money saved.
The navy's high standard OF die
ros maintained with economy by Tn
ibid enforcement Of the reguiation
nroh,biting the purchase OF patent an
p-orrietary foods by closely scrutinia
mo all reports of the survey OF prov,
s,e,r rendered unfit for use, SO that a.
ea,sos for loss could be eliminated; D
..rastipation in every case where snip
GENERATING under the same condit'on
showed a marked difference IN ths cos
- the ration; by making cakes. pie
.aa cream. and so forth. on board shli
tnstead Of buying them ashore; ana
core In buying provisions at seasos
whom they were most plentiful, ana q
best prices could be ootaineo'
The navy ration is as much matt'
~ nride to the officials who nave II
oharge as are the craftsmanship re
o-ds Of officers Of the fleet.
Schedule Of Weeks Meals.
Relieving that the PROOF Oh U
winding is in the eating the ,ia'
r,,hn,ts a complete weekly schedule
aa,s served to the enrolled men
hoord n battleship at sea, the pro,
49, bo,np furnished by supply shl
40 that this schedule may oe ,aAem ,
an Illustration Of what IS acco"piis