The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-15
is LUNCH A LUXURY?

Philadelphia Ledger: In the news
papers day or two ago there was
cable despatch that would have
caused the hearts of Americans wild
" to skip and beat had it not been
shouldered into a far corner of every
page by the news from the vicinity
of Metz. The British government, it
appears. has established in London
a system of restaurants which offer
"a substantial and pleasant luncheon
for thirty-five cents" What thump-
ing business the British government
owned restaurants would do If they
could be planted in the United
IStates
Some sort of white magic underlies
this latest enterprise of the versatile
British. Because even though most
of the food necessary to "a substan-
tial and pleasant luncheon" in Eng
land is produced In America, we on
this side have no such bright mid
day prospect as the English can now
enjoy. Nearly every waiter in Amer
lea expects almost thirty-five cents
for his tip. And discoverer more
insistent than Columbus would be
needed to find in this country res
taurant where one may lunch com
ldiS LII
less than dollar.
The explanation of the seeming
miracle is simple enough The food
administration at least the Pennsyl-
vsnia food administration-has not
yet progressed to state of mind
from which it can regard luncheon
as an essential human need
The wholesome conservation meth
DDS suggested by Mr.. Hoover are OBJ
served by the restaurants. of course
But at no time has the federal sys-
tenn of food-saving reacted to protect
the patrons of restaurants or the
modern vagabonds who are COM
PEELED by force of circumstances to
find all their meals out" An ex.
ample of the process that has been
followed by innumerable restaurant
keepers was presented not long ago
in New York, where the state food
board summoned the managers Of
well-known restaurant syndicate and
demanded to be told why the price
of glass of milk had been raised
from five cents to ten. The restau-
rant men admitted that the rate was
exorbitant and they reduced it. But
the same syndicate is still collecting
the ten-cent rate in it's Philadelphia
restaurants.
The socalled popular restaurants
those patronized by hurried work
ers-have been the greatest sinners
in the game OF gouge. 1t is safe to
say that the average mans luncheon
costs nowadays twice the former fig
ure. War, by some odd process, has
doubled the cost of pie. The sand
witch that used to be considered al
most a swindle when it was obtain
able for five cents now costs ten.
The straightforward worked on the
basis of the wheat conservation pro-
gram in many restaurants has been
adequate to dazzle an eye sensitive
to obvious artistry. When the bread
allotment was limited to two ounces
the cost of every substitute neces-
sary to ease the pangs of a hungry
man SCARED faster than any other
items on the bill of fare. The huge
sums which restaurant owners have
saved by the reduced consumption of
sugar and wheat have at no time
benefited those who eat in restau-
rants. And while it is to be admit
ted that much Of the excess costs of
luncheon have been distributed in
higher wages, it is still apparent that
somebody is making more than a fair
profit.
Public restaurants are, in a sense,
essential public utilities. Lunch is a
necessity, and as such it will bear
the scrutiny of the food aduinistra-