Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-01
By ]. OGDEN ARMOUR.


The American housewife is today
more important factor in our ma
tons welfare than ever before. The
country requires her services on the
economical side of this war just as
much as it needs her son to handle
the rifle. The woman who is hand
ling 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 sup
plies so that hunger be not added to
the ranks of our foe.
Here are four important things that
you must do as your share toward
winning this worldwide war and re-
storing peace:
First-Eliminate waste.
Second-Purchase OIL 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 hun
ger from our door.
Stoppage of waste is the first and
chief necessity. Statistics prove that
you American housewives permit a
loss each year of food valued at $780,,
100000, most Of which goes into the
garbage can. 1t is a stupendous sum
of money to throw away and it is
criminal when you consider the dire
consequences. This waste may mean
only few dollars each month for the
individual family, but the ag gregate is
appalling. 1t includes left-overs that
are not utilized; it includes food
spoiled by careless or incompetent
cooking; and it includes food that
spoils in the larder because it was
bought when not needed or in too
great a quantity. The loss from these
three causes is enormous-and abso-
lutely 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 system so that
your daily fare will contain the food
elements necessary to a properly bal
anced ration and without lot Of in
consequentials set out merely to tickle
the taste.
I would recommend to every WON.
an 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 to cut his
overhead expenses. And, more i'm
portant still, by your contact with the
dealer you can work together so to
standardize foods that they can be
handled with the greatest possible
economy 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 sufficient.
We load up the dinner plate to show
our hospitality and eat more than we
want to be polite. These are prac-
tees that we must discontinue. II
must be made fashionable to conserve
food, not to squander it.
The economic waste entailed
through the eating of veal, lamb and
sucking pigs is another point. 1t is
the part OF wisdom now to do with
out these meats. The calves, lambs
and pigs Of today will be vastly more
important in solving the food problem
of tomorrow than is the case today.
Lambs in particular should be spared,
because the army needs wool and the
supply is short. By letting the lambs
develop into sheep the wool clip of
next year will be 50 per cent larger
than that of this year. So cut veal,
lamb and sucking pigs 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, 10 reduce the standard of