New Britain herald., 1917-10-31
MAYOR FIRST TO
sign PLEDGE CARD
Campaign for Food Conservation
in City Begins

The Hoover pledge campaign fol
the conservation of food began here
yesterday under the direction of the
local committee of the United States
Food Commission and Mayor George
A. Quigley, of 1870 Maple street, had
the distinction of being the first New
Britainite to sign pledge card. 1t
is the task of the local committee
to enlist 5000 other citizens who will
agree to carry out the directions and
advice of the government food ad-
ministration as far as their circum-
stances permit, in the saving of wheat,
meat, fats and sugar.
If each of the 5000 families in
New Britain's quota saves four ounces
Of Observation-Disclosures Of a pound
per week, there will result a total
saving in the city each week of 2,2oo
pounds This Seems to be easily pos
sible, and could be doubled WlthouCl
difficulty or deprivation. In year.
fifty-eight and one-half tons would %
saved on a quarter pound per fanny
basis, in New Britain alone. If each
of the families saves a loaf of bread
week-as again seems easily posi-
BILE through wheatless meals-the re-
suit in year in our own city alone
would be a saving Of 468, 600 loaVes.
If every family should save one hal1
pound of butter per week, New Brit
aims economy would release 254,ooo
pounds of butter to the Allies II
each of these families should decide
to eat meat (beef mutton or pork
at only one meal per day, the saving
throughout the city would probably
average not less than three pounds
per week per family. Many families
are now living on the basis of meat
once a day; others have it still less
often, but there are many others
where meat in some form Is found at
every meal. A saving of three pounds
per week would result in New Brit
aims annual contribution to the meat
supply for our stricken Allies of near
ly a million and half pounds of
meat. The Individual savings seem
totals are staggering.
If New Britain can do so much to
help, through so little of self-re-
straint, surely it. should be and will
be done.
A lady called at the pledge COM
mittee's headquarters yesterday to
ask whether on wheatless days, 1t is
permissible to use enough white flour
with corn meal or other cereals to
obtain satisfactory result in cooking.
She was told that it is. It is not the
intent of the Food Commission to
exact impossibilities and it's position
in this matter is clearly indicated in
the weekly household report cards in
which a wheatless meal is defined as
one at which mo bread or cereal
composed entirely of wheat" is served.
The headquarters in the City. hall
are quiet these days. All the captains
are afield with their teams and except
for hurried trips to the City hall for
they are not seen. Today the
signed cards will begin to be turned
in, and each evening will witness
visits of solicitors and captains to
make the returns the Hartford Office
desires.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. D. Nc
Millan's team met at Trinity Methodist
church to plan it's campaign. Last
night meetings We're held in the sixth
and eighth districts. Tonight the
teams in the first and fourth dis
tricts meet preparatory to a vigorous
campaign tomorrow, and the sixth
district workers have another meet
ing. In the third district portion Of
the ground has already been covered.
The fifth district completes It's plans
today. The first signed cards We're
returned by Mrs. McMillan's team in
the second district.
One of the city's prominent citi-
zens, a member of the school board,
called at the Food Conservation
Pledge committee headquarters to
ask what plans were known for fol-
lowing Up the pledges and securing
their fulfillment. He expressed the
opinion, which is generally enter
tanned, that unless steps are taken to
maintain general interest In the
matter and uniform action In securing
economy in the consumption Of
wheat, meat, fats and sugar, the
pledge movement will not bring prop
err results. He believed that groups
Of households working under leader
ship or supervision would give the
best result.
1t is interesting to note that the
first announced plan Of the food COM
mission for following the pledges falls
in line with this suggestion. Tho
U. S. Food Administration is distri-
buting through, the churches weekly
report cards on which reports can be
made Regarding the number Of meals
each week in which no bread or ce-
real is served made wholly of wheat;
of the number of meals in which no
beef, pork or mutton is served; and
the number of meals in which there
was no waste. A standard is set Of
seven wheatless meals, fourteen meat
less meals and twentyone waste1ess
meals. In the Baptist church the
Brotherhood has appointed q commit
tee of five to collect these reports
each week from the three hundred
families in the parish.
This plan should give good results.
There are few households where