Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-01

ed to the usual dednition OF q typical
family. l. e.. man, wife and two or more
money. and no boarders or roomers In
the household. The study Of each fam
ily's diet covered a period OF Q weak.
counted as twenty;one meals. and. with
month Of May, 1917, the four exceptions
| falling in APRIL June and July.
| "All food in the house was weighed
on the first day OF the study. and all
similarly weighed. From the total
weight Of food of various kinds on hand
| or purchased during the week was de-
Quoted the weights OF the various foods
The weight Of the garbage day By day
was also subtracted. This gives the
| amount actually consumed by the fam
lily. The bureau Of labor statistics FUR
nished scales and trays for weighing, z
garbage can for keeping the table and
kitchen waste, and blank forms for en-
| tering the food purchased during the
week. Facts were also obtained BY the
agents regarding the sex. age. weight.
occupation and number Of meals taken
| by each member Of the family. and the
number of meals taken by guests, II
any.
Few Understand Contents.
Very few people understand what
body. The extent of the common
knowledge is roughly indicated by that
of the little girl who eats bread crusts
the man who eats fish to develop his
brain power. AS a result Of this ig-
norance there is a great waste in the
purchase of food. loss Of money and
least per pound may be and often is the
most expensive per unit of nourishing
value. The stun eaten by store and
factory employees, especially young
palate and not to furnish fuel and
tissue for the body"
Per Cent Seems to Decrease.
In accord with the usual experience.
says the report. the. per cent Of the
family's income spent for food is seen
other words. the poorer the family the
larger proportion Of its expenditures
"As regaIds the twenty-t three white
portion varies from 20 per cent in the
case OF one family with an income Of
1880 per year to the astonishing
figure Of 81 per cent in the case Of q
year: Even then. however, this latter
family was probably not sufficiently
fed. the average daily food expendi-
ture per man being only 2s.6 cents"
oven
worse of. spending 81 per cent of their
income for subsistence.
That the 1ow-income families had the
lower expenditures for food il to be
expected. says the report. not because
they consciously figured how to get the
most nutriment for the least money.
but simply because they did not have
more money to spend.
None Up to Standard.
Although none Of the averages for
the income groups is up to the stand
and vegetables. 1t is noted that the
amount eaten per man daily is jrSt
about twice as much In the highest
income groups in both white and col
group. This would indicate 'nc that
people with limited incomes will spend
for meat first. and If they have any
money left will then buy a few vege-
prevalent that. meat is the aIioime
portant thing in keeping ono alive, and
that all sorts Of dire things NAV ham
pen II there Is no meat on the table.
IT VIII be noted by comparing the
stunned. with the. approximate amount
considered necessary (about one to two
pounds per man per day., that all
the families were low In the provision
OF these foods except possibly two
families"
Milk Not Used Enough.
Milk was not used enough in the
families. the report brings out. .eThe
small amount, spent by colored people
for milk is doubtless responsible Tor
the bowlegs and pinched look Of many
of their children" the report states.
In fact. none of the colored families
used a SUFFICIENT amount. and two falifi-
lies used absolutely no fresh milk, al
each family" Two families among the
whites used no fresh milk, although
there were four children in one family
and two In the other 80
TT has frequently been stated" adds
the report. that q quart Of milk a
day is not too much to provide for
each young child in the family-say
between two and twelve years"