Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-01
THE FOOD SURVEY
We Are Going Have How Much We Eat
Bv Frederic j.
THE FOOD SURVEY
By Frederic j. HaSkin

to five thousand, and one to five per cent have
incomes of more than five thousand. The fami-
lies will then be chosen according to income in
about these proportions. In order to make the
families selected still more representative of the
city as a whole, some families from each class
will be chosen from each section of the city, 30
far possible Thus the stock yards section South
Chicago, the Southwest Side, the Black Belts, and
other typical sections will be studied separately.
Likewise the study will be made to include all the
in the city in the proportion they are repre-
sented. In this way cross section of Chicago, so
to speak, will be studied. Homes of every type will
be investigated. This will form the basis for
estimate of the total amount of food held in house
holds, and will also supply information of kind
never before taken on a national scale, as to how
the people live, whether they have. enough food
and of the right kinds.
Thus the most important question to be asked
the householder concerns how much of each GER
tain staple commodities is consumed by his family
in year. special question asks how many
pints of milk used daily by every child seven
years of age Other questions addressed to COUNTY,
households ask as to the disposition of mIIk pro-
duced on the farm. These questions will undoubt-
eddy show that many city children do not get
enough milk to keep them healthy, while much
milk in the country is fed to pigs Of course, the
chief reason why some city children are starved
for milk is that their parents cannot AFFORD TO bay
it. But with exact figures to the amount of
milk needed in the cities and the amount wasted
on the farms, the department of agriculture will
have a basis of knowledge for educational propa-
ganda in the use, production and distribution OF
milk.
much food people store for the winter. How many
eggs do they put up in water glass, or in salt2
How many potatoes did they store in the cellar:
How many cans of fruit did the housewife pre-
serve? Such storing of foods that are cheaper in
the summer for in the winter is desirable.
Keeping on hand large quantities of flour and
sugar, on the other hand, is boarding, and in
creases the problem of food control. This survey
will show just how much boarding exists, and how
much intelligent storing of foods.
In a special schedule the householder is asked
to compare the amounts of certain foods used in
1917 with the amounts used in 1916. This is de-
signed show to what extent people are substitute
ing certain foods for others, for example, fish
for meat.
These studies will include many typical urban
and rural families of all classes In order to miss
no type of American home, special studies will be
made of fifteen typical villages of less than
$500 people, in which every household will be
canvassed
The food survey will furnish the answer to
many questions. 1t will enable to tell our allies
Just what we can send them in the way Of food
stufs Starving neutrals such Finland, can be
apportoned their share the basis Of this inven-
tory These are the immediate war needs which
will be met by the survey. But scarcely less i'm
portant is the information which it, will furnish
to how America is feeding Americans