Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-13
Attacking the
Food Problem.

making appeals to
all kinds of people in all kinds of con-
ditions and in every nook and corner
Of this land
Officials of the government are now
urging those people who live on the
reclamation projects in the far west
that there is a need among them for
fruit and vegetable canning establish
ments. These factories would create
market. say the government experts,
for vegetables and fruit of various
kinds which can be grown at a profit,
put for which there is now no market
IN those vfcinities. as it Is practically
impossible. owing to the car shortage,
to ship these products,
The fact is being clearly pointed out
to the dwellers of this reclaimed land
that the canning of fruit and vegetable
products on commercial scale is
manufacturing business and requires
special skill and experience. There are
many problems confronted in the
establishment and operation of CO.
operative canneries not found in other
cooperative enterprises in agriculture.
According to statistics in the hands
OF experts of the Department of Agri-
culture OF approximately $15S.O00.0e0
worth of canned and dried fruits and
vegetables marketed in 1914. cooper
ative enterprises banded only $780,
600 wbrth. Most. Of the successful CO.
operative fruit and vegetable can
nerIes. il is said, are found in the
Pacific northwest. These enterprises
do business ranging from as little as
$4,000 to as high as s1,500.000 for
single year.
Many cooperative canneries. it has
been found upon investigation, have
been promoted for the purpose of sell
ing machinery. creating salaried posi-
tons and increasing the price of real
estate. while others have been formed
to handle culls and low-grade fruit
and vegetable products which could not
be marketed to advantage in the fresh
state. Invariably. officials of the De-
partment of Agriculture say. such con-
Germs have failed.
The average eannery, it has been
from $4,000 to $4,000 up. depending
upon the capacity and the number of
different products canned Before
undertaking the establishment of a
cooperative canning plant it is ad-
vised that sufficient cash be on hand to
operate the organization through the
first year on efficient basis. Man
ayers OF cooperative canneries give as
one of their greatest difficulties the
lack of sufficient capital Since the
canning business is manufacturing
enterprise, it requires much larger
capital than the average cooperative
undertaking. To be successful, the ex-
perts advise. the association should
have sufficient aid in capital to make
the plant and equipment free of debt
at the time the first canning season
opens.
In this connection the government Of
ficials are calling attention of the
reclamation people to all of the draw
backs and setting forth useful sugges-
tions. They say that there must be-
for one thing. sufficient supply of
pure water; again. proper railroad ia
cilities: good roads for transporting
products to the cannery. clean sur.
roundings, suitable location and many
other such necessaries.
With the advent OF warm weather
and the consequent closing of schools
comes the thought of leav-
Summer ing the city for the cool
-, country. The tired school,
aealll. teacher and the overworked
clerk, the FESTIVE schoolboy, anxious to
leave his books for the great out-of-
doors; the society matron. bored by
the constant round Of social duties,
all long to get away from the city
and to spend the summer in some
shady rural retreat. Too frequently
the realization of this happy anticipa-
ton is a hasty return to the city and
spell of sickness. Much Of this may
be avoided. say experts OF the public
health service. If reasonable care is
exercised in the choice OF the place to
spend the summer.
Ordinarily the questions which are
asked when one is seeking for such a
place include the character of the food
and beds, the extent and nature of the
social life. the temperature of the air
and the opportunities for bathing. Of
ficials of the service agree that all of
these are important. but they say that
they are of secondary Importance as
compared with the question of the
healthfulness of the locality in which
it is intended to spend the warm
months. Therefore. they say, in choos-
ing summer residence the first thing
to have in mind is the sanitary en-
vironment in which this time is to be
spent.
Until comparatively recent years,
these experts point out. if keeper of
summer resort provided good HOUSING
and feeding facilities. suitable and
proper social diversions and a rea-
sonable amount of rest and quiet the
keeper OF the resort considered he had
done his duty well. and. other things
nelng equal, was reasonably sure that
he would have fair return for his
investment and effort While all of
these points are of no mean weight
IN the minds of persons who go to
country to avoid the heat and discom-
forts OF the city. they have become
secondary. and the question which is
now asked first of all is as to the
hea!thfulness of the resort in question.
mere was much criticism at the
time or the organization by the De-
partment of Labor of the
Employment employment service. but
c.r,r;,. II the department is able
to do with this organi-
cation what it has set out to do. and
doubtless will accomplish. at least in
part. it certainly will be helping Uncle
Sam in this. his time of need:
The Department of Labor officials
have just announced an ARRANGEMENT
with the United states shipping board
to have the department secure the nee
essary workers for the building of the
boards projected thousand merchant
vessels.
While exact figures are not yet avail
abe. experts who are in charge of this
work say that it is probable that close
to 10000 workers of all crafts will be
required for the various services en-.
gagged in the building. equipping and
manning of the vessels which will
have an Aggregate tonnage of about
3'o4'oo.'. Nearly every shiipyard on
both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
and in numerous bays and the Gulf
Of Mexico VIII he engaged in con-
structing some of these vessels. Many
thousands of ship carpenters. join
crs calkers. machinists. saipWrights
men of many other trades will be
emnlnyad and il Will he the bust