Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1917-06-21
Unless Women Realize
The Task That COnfronts Them
Hunger and National Defeat
Are Ahead of Us.

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welfare than ever before. The coun-
try requires her services on the eco
nomical side of this war just as much
as it needs her son to handle the
rifle. The woman who is handling
the food supply in the home is equal
in importance to the man who
handles the gun on the battlefield.
The triumph of the soldier depends
on the efficiency with which you, as
housewives, conserve the food supplies
so that hunger be not added to the
ranks of our foe.
Here are four important things
that you must do as your share to-
ward winning this worldwide war
and restoring peace:
First-Eliminate waste.
Second-Purchase on the basis of
need, not whim.
Third-Lessen the amount of food
eaten.
Fourth-Reduce your standard of
living.
These are four general rules which,
if followed, will conserve the nations
food supplies and keep hunger from
our door.
Stoppage of waste is the first and
chief necessity. Statistics prove that
you American housewives permit
loss each year of food valued at
500, 100000, a most of which goes
into the the garbage can. 1t is stu
pendous sum of money to throw away
and it is criminal when you consider
the dire consequences. This waste
may mean only a few dollars each
month for the individual family, but
the aggregate is appalling. 1t includes
left-overs that are not utilized; it in
cludes food spoiled by careless or in
competent cooking; and it includes
food that spoils in the larder because
it was bought when not needed or in
too great quantity. The loss from
these three causes is enormous-and
absolutely inexcusable.
The second rule is to purchase on
the basis of your needs rather than
in accord with your whims. In other
words, it is absolutely necessary to
reduce buying to a system SO that
your daily fare will contain the food
elements necessary to properly bal
anced ration and without lot of in
consequentials set out merely to tickle
the taste.
would recommend to every woman
that you follow the cash and carry"
plan of buying in preference to the
credit and delivery" plan. That
will cut living costs because it will
enable your dealer 70 cut his over
head expenses. And, more import
ant still, by your contact with the
dealer you can work together so to
standardize foods that they be ham
died with the greatest possible econ
omy and with certainty as to quality.
My third rule advises you to eat
less. Americans are reputed to be
prodigious eaters. They are. Where
we have been serving five courses we
should serve three; where three, serve
two. In every case these are suffici-
ent. We load up the dinner plate to
show our hospitality and eat more
than we want to be polite. These
are practices that we must discon-
tinue. 1t must be made fashionable
to conserve food; not to squander it.
The economic waste entailed thro'
the eating of veal, lamb and sucking
pig is another point. 1t is the part
of wisdom, now, to do without these
meats. The calves, lambs and pigs
of today will be vrstly more import
ant in solving the food problem of
tomorrow than is the case today.
Lambs in particular should be spared,
because the e-army needs wool and the
supply is short. By letting the lambs
develop into sheep the wool clip Of
next year will be fifty per cent larger
than that of this year. So, cut veal,
lamb and sucking pig off your menus
and advise your husbands and your
brothers and your sons not to call
for them at the hotels or restaurants.
Lastly, should counsel. wherever
possible, to reduce the standard OF
living. There is scarcely one of you