The Washington times., 1924-07-14
REF RECREATION
BY ELECTRIC
URGED
Lack Of Uniform Temperature
Regarded as Chief Reason
Foods Spoil

Intelligent buying of foodstuffs,
as every housewife knows, is a
very difficult task. 1t is next to
impossible to purchase in small
quantities and continue to live with
in the family budget. Yet, to
purchase in larger quantities at less
cost is hazardous, for the food is
liable to spoil. The iceman is
bound to be late or irregular in his
visits at times. A delay of only d
few hours has often proved as fatal
to me as. though the iceman had
absented himself for as many days.
To guard against such emer-
gencies is practically impossible.
To preserve foodstuffs for any
length of time they must be kept
at as nearly n uniform temperature
as possible. something which, unfor.
tunately, cannot be regulated with
melting ice.
What Spells Food.
In fact science has proved that It
is the irregularity of the tenn.
perature that spoils the food in
the ordinary ice box. Hence the
woman whose family is small and
who is using ice for refrigerator
cannot save by buying in larger
quantities. She is obliged to buy
from day to day and pay accord.
ingly.
That housewives are seeking to
improve upon the old method of re,
frigeration is quite evident from the
number of invitations which women
experts in the use of electricity in
the home receive to speak at
women's clubs upon the subject OF
electrical refrigeration.
Recently, during an address be
fore a home study club near New
York. out of the hundred women
who were present sixty-flve were
found to be particularly interested
in electrical refrigeration. They
wanted it but thought they could
not afford il. Yet nearly every
one of them said she spent on the
average of from fifty cents TO q
dollar weekly for ice.
The relative cost of electrical re
frigeration. it must be remembered
will vary according to the local cost
of both ice and electricity. Also
much will depend on the tempera
lure or the room in which the re
1rlserat"r Is placed and the amount
OF opening and shutting of this
doors.
Electricity Cheaper.
But figuring at sixty cents for
100 pounds of ice and electricity
at ten cents kilowatt hour the
cost will he in favor of electrical
refrigeration. Where the electrical
rate is cheaper even CREATE
saving can be effected. Then add
10 this the cleanliness. sanitation
elimination of food spoilage and the
saving by large purchases of foods
ana one cannot help realizing the
great advantages of electrical re
frigeration.
The initial cost is really what de.
Iers people who do not know that
nearly all manufacturers and dis.
trlbutors of electrical appliances
nave made the purchase Of these
iaoor and money savers sufficiently
easy that even the housewife with
very moderate steady income can
afford one. Today practically all of
them may be purchased on the par.
tial payment plan.
The electrical refrigerator ts
really the only answer / know of
cutting the cost or foodstuffs.
l shop for staple vegetables and
meats just once week and buy in
fairly large quantities. Then, with
proper management, 1 try never to
give my family the same thing two
days in succession, unless it han.
pens to be stew, pot roast or one
of the other dishes which have the
reputation of being far better tast-
ing the second day after cooking
than the first. The electrical re-
frigerator has also made it possible
for me to have soup every day.
For years my husband begged for
"catch-all" pot of soup to be kept
on the stove. This. while perfectly
practicable in the winter, would sour
easily in the summer. Now, how.
ever, / make soup enough for the
week, strain and put it into nv
electrical refrigerator and use it
sometimes jellied, sometimes cream.
I'd, or as a broth. In fact, we have
soup prepared in as many ways as