New Britain herald., 1917-11-24
COMPLETES QUOTA
 OF FOOD PLEDGES
New Britain Passes 5000 Mark
 Central Office Is Told

piedges, With some to spare. The of- ilclal return has not yet been made oy the United States Food Adminis- tratlon office at Hartford, but more 'lian enough pledges have been for "arded by the local committee to complete the tale, and it's chairman vas so notified, yesterday, by Francis ~. cooley, state chairman of the Food Pledge canvass.
 NeW Britain has a habit of meeting all demands upon it for any cause. anu mas made no exception in this instance. The local committee felt that Tn asking for signatures from nine out of every ten households in the city, the state committee had placed the figure at the highest pos slolc point, in view of the large for e1sn population, and the thoroughness with Which the ground must be cov- ereo. In fact, it would not have been posslple to meet the demand without hearty cooperation and a large corps or canVassers. The chairman met With but two refusals/to serve and these were made by women whose tune was fully taken up by other work of equal importance. For four days over 15O women and girls, working under captains connected with the principal churches, canvassed care 1ully prepared routes and received the greater number of the pledges desired The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts followed, visiting homes where no window card was displayed, and the school children, under the direction of their teachers, completed the task The local committee feels that New Britain has done its "bit" in this plan, and has proven the loyalty and desire to help on the part of it's citizens at large.
 On the first canvass, there were over thousand homes where lab sence' was given as the reason for not securing signatures, even a third or fourth call failing to find the housewives at home. The most of these have been successfully covered later, through other mediums, but there are doubtless a goodly number of homes where there is willingness to sign the pledge for food conser- vation. To afford an opportunity for such households to take part in the governments plan for voluntary saving, and to permit those who re- fused, to reconsider, the committee has placed pledge cards, window >caA uo raAIO AlOule lHSlTuCClOn CarOS III the Crowell's and Dickinson's drug stores, where they may be obtained.
 Show Sympathy For Germany.
 There were number of refusals to sign, but no more than were antici- patcd. In a few instances the can- Vassers were treated With rudeness, and in others an active sympathy was shown for tho country's enemies. All such cases as were reported have been carefully noted, and the infor- nation will be held for the proper authorities in case of need.
 The local committee is informed by the State Chairman Cooley that the addresses of pledge signers will be placed upon mailing lists at Wash ington and that information of value to those who wish to conserve the staples of wheat, meat, sugar and fats will be issued from the central Hoover headquarters. This will be gladly received. There is an earnest desire on the part of many of New Britain housewives to help in any way possible as was shown by the inquiries made at the campaign head quarters, and any definite expression of the wishes of the administration will be welcomed and doubtless will be generally followed as closely as the individual household regime will permit.
 There were 90 houses under quar- antine at the time of the vancass There were 25 reported as vacant. There were a number of instances where special diet under physicians instructions made any change impos- sible. There were homes where the husbands had forbidden their wives to antine at the time of the canvass. sers. There were others where care full housewives indignantly refused to entertain the idea of signing, con- sidering the mere request as refec- ton on their efficiency There were others-a few-where poverty has laid so heavy burden on the ques- ton of food supply that the canvas sers were met with 1T have nothing I can waste. There is no need to sign" There were still others where letters from relatives in European countries had told of visits made by food inspectors and who feared to be placed upon record in any fashion. In still other houses there was either a. real or a feigned inability to under stand the English language, and in over a hundred the doors refused to open at the capvassers' knock, al- though the crying of children or other sounds made it apparent that people were within.
 Taken all in all the task was considerable one, and the committee is relieved that it is completed, and grateful for the universal response made to its appeals for assistance. It is also pleased to find that the people of our city are so generally animated with desire to respond to caal for service, even though imperfectly un- derstood and without definite instruc- tions as to the sacrifice involved.