The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-02
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INEORMAIrIOM BUREAU
ny FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.s Director.
Washington. ID. o.
THE FOOD SURVEY.
We Are Going TO Learn Not Only How
Much We Have, But How Much We


Eat.
Washington, D. C., Jan. 30.-How
many of the children in America get
all the milk they need? What kind
of food is eaten by families who have
to meet the high cost of living with
incomes of less than eight hundred
dollars a year? To what extent are
people changing their eating habits as
the result of educational propaganda
and price pressure?
These are some of the questions that
will be answered, at least in part, by
the food survey which the Department
of Agriculture is now conducting. In
spite of delayed mails the returns are
now pouring in by the ton, and within
the month definite. informa ton will be
available as to the amount of some of
the more important staples on hand.
We will know, then, whether it will be
necessary for us to eat war bread
made of mixed flour and whether we
are to go on rations of sugar.
Most persons have the idea that the
food survey is intended solely to show
how much food there is in the United
States. This is it's main purpose, and
the sole purpose of the survey of the
food industry from farm to retail
store. But the survey of American
households will be also a study of the
nations diet
The food census falls into three
chief divisions. In the first place,
schedules are being sent to all the
commercial and industrial units en-
gagged in the distribution of food, from
the smallest corner grocery to the lar
gest cold storage plants, including all
of the transportation units that carry
food. Each of these concerns will be
asked to supply an inventory of food
on hand at given date. This part
of the census should be accurate and
complete. Schedules have been sup
piled to about three quarters of mil
lion concerns.
The second division of the census
deals with farmers. They have corn
in the crib. hams in their smoke
houses, hay in stack and barn. all of
/ which is intended for the market.
The bureau of crop estimates with is
thirty-five thousand investigators, each
of whom has enlisted ten assistants, is
handling this part of the work with
the promptness and efficiency which
their esta Elished organization and eX-
perience make possible.
This leaves only one other class of
establishments in which any food is
kept-namely. the home of the people.
This, of course, is the most difficult
part of the task 1t will necessarily be
the least exact factor in estimating
the total amount of food in the coun-
try. for it is impossible to go to every
household. About one household in
information, and these will be SO
chosen as to be representative. But
in one way this household survey is
as important as all the rest of it put
together; for it will be a study of the
eating habits of the people.
The method to be followed in Chi
cago is q good example of how this
study is to be conducted. The survey
there is to be taken under the direc-
ton of Miss Edith Abbott of the
School of Civics and Philanthropy,
who will use some of her students in
the work. About six hundred fami-
liest will be chosen. In order to make
these representative, they will be, in
the first place. families with incomes
of all sizes. The government has es-
timated that twenty to thirty per cent
of the urban families in the United
States have incomes of less han eight
hundred dollars forty to sixty per cent
have incomes from eight hundred to
fifteen hundred, twenty to twenty-five
per cent from fifteen hundred to five
tn ousand, and one to five per cent
have incomes of more than five thou
sand The families will then be chosen
according to income in about these
proportions. In order to make the
families selected still more representa-
tive of the city as whole, some fami-
lies from each class will be chosen
from each section of the city so far as
possible Thus the stock yards sec
ton South Chicago, the Southwest
side the Black Belts, and other typical
sections will be studied separately.
Likewise the study will be made to in
cIude all the races in the city in the
proportion they are represented. In
this way a cross section of Chicago, so
to speak will be studied. Homes of
every type will be investigated. This
will form the basis for an estimate of
the total amount of food held in
a1C inf
nation of a kind never before taken
on a national scale, as to how the
people live, whether they have enough
food and the right kinds
Thus the most important question
to be asked the householder concerns
how much of each of certain staple
commodities is consumed by his family
in year. A special question asks how
many pints of milk are used daily by
every child under years of age. 9th
er questions addressed to country
households ask as to the disposition
of milk produced on the farm. These
questions will undoubtedly show that
many city children do not get enough
milk to keep them healthy, willie
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
buy it, But with exact figures as 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 propaganda in the use
production and distribution of milk.
Another question is designed to find
out how much food people store for
the winter. How many eggs do they
put up in water glass, or in salt? How
many potatoes did they store in the
cellar? How many cans of fruit did
the housewife preserve? Such storing
of foods that are cheaper in the sum-
mer for use in the winter is desirable
Keeping on hand large quantities of
/ flour and sugar, on the other hand, is
boarding, and increases the problem
of food control This survey will show
| just how much boarding exists. and
how much intelligent storing of foods