The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-03-08
A STITCH IN TIME.
Little Talks on Health and Hygiene by
Samuel G. Dixon, N. D., IL. D.,
Commissioner of Health.

over us and the grave possibili-
ties of our peace being still fur
ther disturbed by the continuance
OF a desperate struggle in force
among so many nations in the
civilized world, we can very well
afford to remember that a stitch
in time saves nine and take those
steps of preparedness which are
available along the lines of health
as they are affected by the foods
we consume in our daily life.
This may not be as spectacular
an element as others that are be-
ing featured under the head of
preparedness nowadays, but if
anyone stops to think he will rea-
lize that it has a value that is es-
sential and primary to the health
of a nation either from the stand
point of the artificial prices that
are now being forced upon US by
the pressure of outside events or
even in the event of greater con-
ditions.
We all realize some of the con-
ditions which lie at the bottom of
the present scarcity of food and
high prices with the bearing it
has upon the public health. We
know that the war has made a
phenomenal demand for labor in
the munition works and that this
has become so generally respond
ed to that the farmers and truck
gardeners have been robbed of
their help and we lose thus a cer-
tain volume of our regular vege-
table food. This has been one
cause Of the advance in prices.
There are others that we are ask
ed to believe in but find less easy
of credence. We know advan-
tage has been taken of this &C.
tual condition in the way of repre-
senting that expenses of produc-
ton are higher, and we know that
these expenses have often been
exaggerated. We also know that
corners in food stuffs have been
made for the sole purpose of ad-
vancing the prices. Exports
must pay part in high prices,
yet when potatoes are said to be
selling for less in London than in
New York, one questions what
proportion foreign sales play in
the high prices asked.
The middleman seems hard to
control, vet he is one of the fac
tors that is causing the unnatu-
rally high prices of food.
While, by the enforcement of
good laws, we may reduce the |
speculative feature and cause
some improvement in regulation
of price, the fact still remains
that even the natural causes un-
der present conditions and those
to be expected, will of necessity
keep up the prices of food beyond
we have experienced
for years.
Now in the face of the possi-
bility that we will be at war our
selves, we must look the fact in
The face that men will be divert
ed more and more from farming
to those occupations necessary to
prepare and maintain the nation
Al defense. 1t also behooves US
70 think deeply and take stock of
matters that relate to our food
supply. since day by day in the
papers we have seen what this
question means not only to the
lighting armies but to the nations
jehind them.
We shall refer to this subject
rom time to time in these little
Talks issued by the State Depart
nent of Health of Pennsylvania.
Certain food stuffs will be spoken
# and their comparative value
approximately estimated.
The potato is at present the |
most advertised vegetable we
lave. Its consumption far ex-
leeds any other vegetable made
lp of large proportion of starch.
Let US consider the claims Of the {
'otato to the high dignity that {
las suddenly been thrust upon
t.