Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-04
USE PARCEL POST
TO CUT FOOD COST
President of Maryland Women
Clubs Federation Shows How
Housewives Can Save.
CATALOGUES AT SAC. EACH
gested ae Substitute for
Hioh-Prieed Meats.

New York,--The soaring prices OF
foodstuffs are resulting in the forma-
ton OF investigating committees in
large number of cities throughout
cities Investigations have been started
by the city authorities to ascertain
whether prices have been raised To
greater degree than conditions justify.
Among the organizations conducting
an unofficial investigation into the
high cost of living is the Maryland
State Federation of the Wouan's Club.
Mrs Edward c, Wilson Of Baltimore,
president of the declarations, is in
charge of the investigation. Reports
that she has received throughout the
State indicates that, by general use Of
the parcel post, the public and the pro
Queer together can cut the price Of Ger
tain foods to an amazing degree.
AS an Illustration OF the great differ
ence between the price the public pays
for some kinds of wood and the price
the producer receives for the same
product, Mrs. Wilson exhibited a letter
she had just received from an organi-
cation of produce raisers Of one Of the
countries of the Eastern shore OF Mary
land, the Talbot Produce Exchange
and was written by its President n. i.
Nichols.
There are many things that cause
the growers TO meet with heavy
losses" Mr. Nichols wrote. "One Of
the great difficulties of the eastern
shore is the very inadequate facilities
for shipping perishable garden pro
duce only last week We shipped 100
crates of cantaloupes to two commits
sion men and on receipt of our cheeks
for these shipments received less than
Is cents per crate, or about one-thiTd
OF a cent apiece FOR the cantalOupes."
This letter, Mrs. Wilson said, WAS
only one OF many that were very IL
Illuminating" and that showed the prac-
ticability Of purchasing direct from the
producer by parcel post While the
boats carrying the produce might be
too late for the early general market,
1t was explained, they would not be too
late for the individual consumer and
cantaloupes for example, could be de-
livered at his home for 3 or 4 cents
each, and, in most cases, would be
fresher when delivered than when
bought through the ordinary channels
The same rule applies to eggs, butter
and other rerishc bic products.
From Baltimore also comes another
suggestion regarding the solution of
the problems created by the Ligh cost /
OF foods w II. killian, an oyster pack
er of that city and president Of the Z
oyster Growers and Dealers Associa /
ton of North America, calls attention |
to the high prices of meats in distribu- /
ting a booklet on oysters and oyster .
culture. Copies of the booklet have /
been received by several New York
dealers.
Consider" says MIR. Killian, that
when you buy a quart of oysters you
can eat everything you take home but
the kettle Then think of buying Il
steak and of the amount Of fat and
bone you must cut off before it goes to
the table, and of the amount of bone
you cannot eat after it goes to the ia
BILE Then think of the oyster, Meat,
flesh and fowl have all scared in price
in the last ten years, but there hasn't
been a variation of 10 cents in the
price Of a quart of oysters in all that
time, except for very brief periods
when hard freezes made it impossible
in,
composition to cows milk than do
most other meat, as all of the four
kinds of nutriment needed are present
In good degree. Oysters have larger
excess of the flesh building substance
relative to the other constituents than
dition Of starchy food and fats when
eating oysters. thus securing a good
meal at cost that compares favorably
with that when other meats are chos-
en-"
A table follows which shows an in
crease in percentage of the cost OF
other meats varying from 26 to 80
during the last ten years, and ii Is
stated that an increase in OYSTER pro-
duction during the same time has been
sufficient to prevent their prices from
rising in proportion. Ii sold by weight
1t is said, the cost of oysters would
be about 22cents q pound and it is said
that oyster beds planted during recent
years are bearing so prolifically that
there is little danger OF an advance in
prices this winter