New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-23

IN OU can read the rise ana Ian Vi i0o'
prices in the table waste that comes
Il through to the garbage dump" says
the foreman of a garbage dump over on the
North River. For the last few months, dur
ing the period of the food riots last winter and
the almost daily rise in prices since, have
seen changes in the garbage on this dump that
have never seen before in all by fifteen years
connection with the Street Cleaning Depart
ment. which has control of garbage removal
in this city.
Garbage is steadily decreasing in bulk
saws this young man, "and the quantity OF good
food seen in the mass seems to be less every
day. guss all this talk about food shortage IS
doing some good"
In some districts Of the city this foreman
who was once garbage collector-says the good
food thrown out used to be-wel tempting, Is
the word he used.
Honestly" he said, sometimes you could
not help feeling that you ought to have
chance to eat the things that were wasted.
Whole cakes, beautiful cakes with grand frost
ing and only slice or two gone, leg of lamb
with heaps of meat around the bone, chicken
with only the breast meat cut off, cooked po-
tatoes and other vegetables, and bread-my
word the bread that | have seen wasted
half leaves, quarter oaves and ends, to say
nothing of countless single slices. This was
the kind of good stuff that not so very long ago
we handled every day in the city garbage"
Yes, seemingly, New York is waking up from
her sleep of luxurious indifference. There is
another source of evidence besides the observa-
tions of the garbage foreman.
The amount of oils extracted from the table
refuse has fallen short of even the local de-
mand Before the war large part of the oil
extracted from the garbage was shipped to
Europe to be used in the manufacture of soaps.
American manufacturers are wondering what
folks are eating, since the table refuse falls
so far short of the yield Of grease and fat
they need
Knowing all this you yet marvel at the cart
upon cart upon cart needed to dispose of the
steady stream of waste food flowing into the
garbage dump. Stand for half an hour at any
garbage station and let your mind run over
the possibilities of avodable waste repre-
scented in these heaped-up wagons. Then re-
member that this is only one of many dumps
in the City of New York; that similar streams
of garbage carts are pouring refuse into a
veritable ocean of waste in all the cities and
towns in the land.
A beginning has been made, but it is really
only the waking up that has occurred thus far.
The habit of wastefulness of food, extrava-
gance Of living, that has become so fastened
on the American people will not be overcome
in day.
A good quantity of any city's garbage, Of
course, comes from other sources than the fam
lily kitchen. The hotels and fashionable res
taurants are tremendous MASTERS Of food.
Boarding houses, institutions, schools, small
eating places, all are guilty. Markets and
stores, ships and freight trains, contribute to
the garbage dump food condemned because it
has been allowed to spoil and is unfit for human
consumption.
But the finger of accusation has been pointed
in the direction of the housewife so often and
by so many people who ought to know that she
must stand and take the charge. The United
States Department of Agriculture is telling the
country the unpleasant fact that there is an
annual food waste of 500, 900 900 in the Amer
lean home
Then Herbert Hoover, who has assumed the
gigantic job of Food Controller for America,
says that 80 per cent of the total food
consumed is controlled by the women, that