Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-25
MUNICIPAL HOG.
SUGGESTED FOR.
PERIOD Of WAR.
Not the Kind You May Have
In Mind but the Four
footed Variety Of Bacon
Producer.
o. Y. Allen, Former State
Treasurer, Writes From
Penitentiary Of q Plan to
Produce Additional Food
During Stress Times.

o. v. Allen, former state treasurer.
has written q letter from the peniten-
tiary, where he 10 immured for en-
bezzlemsnt Of state funds. in which he
means Of relieving the food situation
and volunteers his efforts In that d.
rection in case he shall be given an
opportunity to do his bit" during the
war. The letter. sent to State Food
Admirict ator Bicknell, follows:
Boise, Idaho Dec. 81, 1917. Hon. r.
F. Bicknel1. Boise. Idaho. Dear Sir:
To the bombardment Of suggestions
you are no doubt receiving. I want to
add my hand grenade.
The thought suggests itself to me
why not the municipal hogT Not the
political breed or road variety nor yet
the aisle seat free lecture species, but
.Ist q plain four-legged hog, red, black,
white or spotted. the kind that pro-
duces the lard, bacon and hams.
Some one has suggested that every
family should keep a hog but that
would not be tolerated even as war
measure for sanitary reasons If for
no other. Then. again. the small fam
lily or light housek eeper would not
have waste enough to feed hog but
there is no family so small that would
not have some waste that would make
hog feed, varying in amount from
few ounces to a few pounds. The ag-
Eregate amount would be. am sure.
astounding.
HOW TO 90 IT.
This could all be gathered by the
city and hauled outside OF the corpo-
ration and fed to hogs owned by the
municipality and thus conserve large
waste product as we'll as produce
large amount OF the very kind OF food
that the government stands most In
need Of.
II the thousands Of cities and towns
throughout the country would foster
the municipal hog, I feel sure he would
pay handsomely in return.
AL the product realized in this way
would be absolute gain as 1t would not
be necessary to use grain which is so
highly priced at this time for export
purposes.
THE PRopleAL SON.
Tho details could be worked out to
lit each local condition. I think that
you would have no trouble in getting
some 'prodigal son" or father who has
had experience with hogs to take
charge Of the work in his locality as
his part in the service Of our coun-
try.
have offered my services and. sug-
gestions from time to time since war
..u do,lorad opd vubila soma of them
at least were declared good. they were
not acted upon for the reason. ! fear
Of my present unfortunate position.
Permit me. however, to make this sug-
Kestion that an idea should be accept
ed or rejected solely on its merits
without regard to the race, color or
previous condition of servitude" Of the
suggestor.
CONVICT STARTED TIT
Did it ever occur to you that the
idea of conservation first originated
with a convict? And it so impressed
the government that Pharoah appoint
ed q trusty from the state penitentiary
of Egypt as the first food administra-
tor.
/ wonder II anyone ever refused
food during those lean years" because
the idea of saving it originated with
an inmate of state penal institution?
Let us use any suggestion of merit
from whatever source that will help
our boys at the front to win the war
We need every pound Of man power.
and every ounce of food power If we
expect to succeed.
I am not seeking an appointment
OF any kind but I am going to keep at
It until I get in this game somewhere,
for, in the years to come, nobody is
going to ask what l did before the war
only how did you fight and why?"
Here's my hand for the duration of
the war.
Respectfully yours,
n W ALLAN