Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, June 2, 1914, Page 10

SO oopr LABORATORY UREAU OF CHEMISTRY V&b oDEL CorTAGES Tor TiE Poor MaN, Planwep DY SANATATION SECTION, U-S.BurREAvU OF MINES. Bpecial Correspondence WASHINGTON, D. C., May 15, 1914, HE rich man can help himself. He does mnot present an economic Prob- lem. The eternal question is: “How can we Dest help the poor man?”’ Uncle Sam, phi- lanthropist, says: “Help him to help nfmself!” And with com- mendable consistency, alséhWith the aid of a vast corps of sociologists, scientists and other experts, he is following up his benevolent suggestion. * * * !c Realizing that the “high’cost of living is the most formidable problem confront- ing the poor man, Uncle Sam has initi- ated many clever investigations purposed to reveal possibilities of economy. In the Department of Agriculture his sclentists are attacking the whole food problem from this angle. In its office of nufrition investigations are being scientifically determined the exact demands for nourishment made by the bodies of the average laboring man and his family. In this workshop different 'articles of food are being experimented with to de- termine those varieties which supply the most nourishment. Tn the laboratory of this office has been placed an ingenious cell in which men are being imprisoned for days at a time that the exact effects which each variety of food may have upon their bodies may be measured under fniform conditions. This cell is made airtight, that the effect which each diet has upon the temper- sture of the body and even upon the breath exhaled from the lungs may be éxactly measured by. delicate instru- ments. In cther words, the apparatus accounts for every fraction of every ounce of food passed into the cell through a valve. It measures the amount that has been ad- ded to the body's weight and the amount lost through various processes. It com- pares these gains and losses while the subject inside is performing different kinds of work, mental and physical, and while he is féd upon Qifferent varieties of_food. y ; Thus are being obtained facts set be- fore the poor man's wife to show her how she can so feed her husband and children that their bodies will be well sustained at minimum expense. * P It has thus been estimated that the nor- mal man at active. outdoor labor, such as masonry or carpentry, demands a cer- tain amount of food containing exactly 80 much fuel value and so much direct aterial for muscle and blood building to vield the amount of energy he re- quires. A similar estimate has been made for the man of indoor employment. With these definite facts before them, the |scientists haye been enabled to be- gin work at the other side of the question 1o learn the exact food value of each ar- ticle of food arrayed in stores and mar- kets. They have been able to prepare an ideal diet—a combination of foods which, will supply the body with the amount of material to meet' its Gemands, while at the same time imposing the least amount of burden upon it. Meats, vegetables, fruits, grains, fish and many other classes of food products wers studied. In these days of recessary seoromy the meat bill is the greatest drain upon tho poor man’s pocketbook. But meat ho must have. It best supplies amount of energy.he requires. th these facts in mind, Uncle Sam has taught the poor man’s wife to seek mére cconomical methods of preparing for the table and to turn her toward the question whether, cuts can be made as nutri- tiows amd attractive as those costing Pote Sam toaches her that the ex. cuts of meat differ from the varjeties only in tenderness and . To popularize these cheap cuts > has lpuced at the disposal of "every housewife in the country practical, tested regipes, which show her how actually to sut down the meat bill with no detri- ment to the family's good health or Sleasure. o * . * x | Ulacte Mmm deciares that the test of a swed oogk depends not so much upon the number of fancy dishes she can prepare 28 the “tasty,” inexpensive. dishes she how to make fpr everyday h Also bave Leen Mudied for sufficient; their food value. In all cases the facts are practical and of benefit to the woman In the kitchen. For instance, Uncle Sam says that when potatoes are peeled before cooking some nutritive material is moved with the sKin, This material amounts to an average loss of 20 per cent. The poor man’s wife, who must make every ounce of hutrition count, can save pennies if she makes it her busi- ness to get acqualnted with facts of this sort. Cheese, beans, sugar and milk are given thelr proper piaces in this estimate of valuable foods. Methods are outlined and suggested for canning vegetables in the home, so that the housewife may take advantage of the low prices that prevail in the summer and prepare for the winter when the husband's work is apt to be desultory on account of bad weather. ~Fruits are recommended for greater use in the diet, as they supply at the least cost much of the mineral matter that the body demands. They are also of value be- | cause they stimulate sluggish digestive organs. Ways of serwng them and methods of canning and preserving them are included in the information collected along this line. These, recipes have a special appeal to the poor mother. Jams and jellies spread upon bread have long constituted the favorite dessert of the poor man's chil- dren. Now they can be supplied with these favorite delicacies at the minimum of cost and the maximum of purity. Probably more indigestion is caused. dieticians say, by unpalatable bread than by all other badly cooked foods. The greatest care, Uncle Sam suggests, should be used in making and baking the dough and the finished loaf of bread. * * ¥ Cereals are of great value in the diet. Of the five most commonly used for breakfast food, oats contain the largest amount of the important nutritive quali- ties. Wheat ranks next on the list, bran next, corn after that and rice and barley least of all. Thoroughness fin cooking is the factor emphasized in connection with all cereals. - For a family of four men employed at heavy muscular work Uncle Sam has prepared four daily menus containing fish as the principal article. Various precau- tions for the purchaser of fish have been compiled for the education of the poor man’s wife who is planning to curtail the food bill by substituting fish for meat. Milk—so necessary to the poor man’s babies and so difficult to obtain pure in hpt summer months—has received special study from several of Uncle Sam's work- ers. One scientist in particular has ren- dered great aid by preparing a bulletin instructing the poor mother how to pas- teurize milk at home. The care ‘of all of these foods in the home, their utilization and storage, with special efphasis upon the handling of dishes and cooking utensils, is the final investigation Uncle Sam has made to round out this vital survey of the poor man’s existence. The place in which a man lives is next in importance after his food. Realizing this and that the average poor man is apt to continue to live in the midst of unhealthy surroundings—simply because he does not know how to better them—Uncle Sam has been greatly in- terested in explaining how modern home | conveniences may be installed at the least expense. % Among * the lesser of these conven- iences; but ones of considerable interest to the housewife practicing economy, are the ice box and the fireless cooker. Plans for building these cheaply, but at the same time effectively, have been includ- ed ‘in the plans he has made for the equipment of a model kitchen. * * % The bureau ‘of chemistry of the De- partment of Agriculture has charge of the administration of the food and-drugs act,, which means the overseeing of the food and drug supplies that reach American homes. One result of this work is the reduction of cost to the con- sumer of certain foodstuffs, through Dprope, labeling. Under the new labeling system the constmer is getting what he pays for instead of an unnutritious or injurious adulterant. The laboratory of the bureau of chem- istry works aigo to prevent waste of materials produced on farms, and to maintain quality when they are being shipped to the consumer. A very im- portant item in the final cost of food- stuffs 1o the consumer is the waste by decdy and- bad handling which is incurred all along the line, and for which some one must ultimately pay. This line of work is not only of help to the city man, but also to the farmer. The chief of the office of farm man- agement, W. J. Spillafan, has lately in- augurated a policy which is a step to- ward ‘the direct education of the poor { spot, | gresst e . }[%ms Hortes ' ARE. Now BEING PROVIDED Jor ITH ENOQUGH GROUNDSTOR GARDENS- TY AGENT INSTRUCTING CHIEDRENS CLUB INAGRICULTURE.. farmer along practical lines. This will be a correlation of the results of the research work of the department with farm practice and the real needs of the farmer. To this end men trained in the best agricultural institutions, farm-bred and thoroughly conversant with the best known practices in anodern agriculture, are being located in counties through- out the northern and western states, that they may act as local resident agri- cultural agents. Their business will be to study local conditions and to push forward such movements as will result in larger profits for the poor farmer. The county agent employed in this ca- pacity will work in a general way through organizations. His club work with girls and boys in the culture of farm crops, the growing of stock or the canning and marketing of farm products will be carried on in direct co-operation with the county superintendent of schools and the teachers. Through the club_work, canning club, the Department of Agri- culture is effecting economy in the home. Over 30,000 members of the girls’ canning clubs furnish canned food for thelr homes, often in regions where can- ned products were never heard of be- fore. The boys' plg and corn clubs aim to supply their individual markets with more and better products. A committee of farmers In each county co-operates with the agent in showing the farmers in each township, on their own farms, how to grow crops and handle stock with the greatest profit. To the farmers of every county where there is an agent have been sent circular letters especially the stating that he is at their service at any time for counsel or information, free of expense. In the newly organfzed office of mar- kets, Department of Agriculture, efforts are pursued along other lines to increase the profits of the farmer and maké country life more attractive to the poor who are struggling in the crowded cities. This office s endeavoring to cover country districts in such a way that it will be easy to give concrete, sensible help where it is needed. It is hoped that this co-operative system may be 50 per- fected that the farmer will be able to sell his goods directly to his customers without having to share profits with a middleman. To better the conditions under which our miners live and work, Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, chief of the United States bu- reau of mines, has organized what Is known as the mine sanitation section. It will reach the miner by means of illus- trated lectures, moving picture exhibits and pictorial circulars These will show how sickness and suffering are spréad by careless habits, and will drive home the importance of personal and househoid cleanliness. The bureau will assist the managers of mines by pointing out glar- ing sanitary menaces and showing methods of abating them. Since a mining town does not grow, but is built almost at a single stroke, none f the valuable lessons learned by the ry-out” method exert their influence, so that the errors existing in one house are present in all. - ® * One of the most important Investiga- tions which the bureau of mines intends to take up Is that of the housing prob- lem. The ownership operating the mine must be appealed to, in this case. It is difficult to stimulate personal pride among the miners, because the total absence of property rights breeds carelessness among them. Any betterment of their conditions must come from the outside. As a result of Uncle Sam’s agitation some of the large companies have at- tempted to begin the miners’ uplift by giving him every advantage in this direc- tion. Thus a complete system of bath and change houses has been installed at many of the mines, and in a few states they are now required by law. These houses have separate lockers and washrooms for white and colored employes. They con- tain shower baths and troughs, with' hot and cold water connections. The company charges 50 cents a month for the use of the lockers and baths, claiming that the charge causes the men to make better use of the facilities pro- vided. It is found that by far the greater number of employes take advantage of | these facilities, and that they are better appreciated when there is a charge. Before the establishment of these On the Move. “I'm thinking of breaking into poetry and writing a philo- sophic ode on the mutability of mun- dane affairs, with metaphors and sim- iles and things in it confided Rep- resentative Kettner, from the San Diego, Cal., district. u have something to say about being like a leaf afloat on the chancing tides of fate and how, just as you've gotten your little card house nicely built, some- thing josgles vour elbow and spills the milk—or whatever's poetry for spilling the milk. "It's experience that inspires me,” con- tinued the representative from the clime of climate. “Nine years ago I said to myself, ‘Come, I shall pick out a suitable build me and my family a home there and settle down for the rest of my life. So, after carefully weighing a score of Jocalites, I determined on Visalia, al. “I bought me a ranch nearby, built me a house that will outlast the Monu- ment, put up fences, barns and other improvements so permanent that the: will echo to Gabriel's trump. Then we planted ourselves there and cried aloud: ‘Behold us! This is oyr home forever dnd aye “Three years from that day I was in the insurance business in San Diego! ' “And then I said, ‘Now, I am fixed for good. I shall tie myself in a hard knot to my business here and nothing but a universal cataclysm shall remove me!” ‘‘And three years later I was in Con- “Are ‘you going to stay in Congress?” gueried his visitor. “That depends upon a higher power,™ replied Mr. Kettner. “A greafor than 1, in whese hands I am but ay an atom— my constituentsl" “I come,” said Representative Hol- land of the Nor- folk, \Va., district— and there was a world of pride in his tones—"I come from that, land famed the world over for its good things to eat. A land__the 'fair re- nown of whose oysters and terra- pin and hams is sung throughout the length and breadth of the nation from where"—and Mr. Holland, waxing eloquent, harked back to Valedictorjan days—"from where the icy waters of the Atlantic beat upon the bleak crags of Maine to where the placid waters of the blue Pacific kiss the golden— “It's a fact, sir, & fact,” concluded Mr. Holland, when reminded that Under the Dome stories were limited to 300 words. “I'm right about it; dead right!” And Mr. Holland is right about 1t; dead right. Just listen to this lusclous Jitany of the succulent, savory things hailing from the district that calls him representative—a litany he chants with reverent ecstacy, as who wouldn’t— e Lynnhaven oysters, cahvas-back duck, diamond-back ‘terraptn, Crisfield “crabs, Norfolk™ spots, ‘CKesapeake' shad, sora, reedbirds, Smithfleld hants, March straw- berries, April green pea— Here, waiter,\ quick’ What's tariffs to terrapin, or currency bills to canvas- backs! And don’t forget the peanut! Equaled Adam’s Fall. “To tumble down a mine shaft to a depth equal to the height of a fifteen- story sky-scraper is a trick anybody can turn if he is careless enough around a mining camp,” said Senator Charles S. Thomas of Colorado, who is one of the most eminent mining lawyers in the west and also one of the early settlers in the Centennial state. “But to come through such an experi- ence alive is a feat few can achieve,” he continued.’ “Yet that is just what hap- pened to a man I knew in Colorado. A fellow named Jim Dorris of Leadville performed this Fall of Man act in 1851 and went through an experience enough to kill ten men, yet came out as chipper as though he had been lying in a feather bed. “Jim slipped at the top of the shaft of the Cleora mine and fell a sheer 207 feet to the hard rock bottom, while a 300- pound ore-bucket came clattering down on top of him. L0 course, we all thought he would have to be brought up afZain in a box, but Jim came out with only a few severe bruises. He lived for many years after, though he was not much of a“miner after sueh, an experience. But the remarkable part of it is that a man could fall 207 feet onto. rocks, and then have a huge jron bucket clatter down on top of him and live at all.” R e p re sentative Keating of Coio- rado, when a small boy, was taken from Missouri to the Centennial state. The family settied at a small place called Gree- ley, in honor of the great Horace. The town _became fa- “mous for its pota- toes, which grew in great quantities, and to an immense size in the surrounding county. " The inhabitants were all prim New Englanders, whose ancestors had come over in the Mayflower, and whose talk was only of their lineage. Keating was the only kid at school who was Irish and not long on American forefathers who had fought in the revolution. And 'this fact was a cause of constant humiliation to him, for the other children at school boasted daily in history lesson of an uncle at Bunker Hill or a grandfather at Yorktown. s, So one day young Keating made up a story. He invented a wonderful forefa- ther and his glorious deeds: and when he told it to the breathles: admiring class. he was the hero of the recess hour. His inother upbraided him for teiling a talsehood in school. % T couldn't just help it he repiied. Those other boys are always braggifg about their ancestors and I had to have some to keep up with the rest. ‘Another time Keating 'was asked to speak at a banquet of some kind of a colonial society. When he rose. he smil- ingly said: ‘‘Gentlemen and ladies, 1 ap- preciate this honor, but confess I cannot understand why I am asked to address you. When your forefathers were dis- tinguls themselves_in- the revelution- ary waf mine were hoeing cabbages in some Irish garden.” Yet the fact is, Keating is of ancient Irish lineage, and of its “bluest” blood. change houses underground employes who had to' bathe after work usually did S0 at their homes; where facilities were. often poor. As’the men were wet to the skin when coming from the mine and had to walk to their homes in wet clothing much sickness resulted. When rain fell at the time of going to work men would stay at home rather than arrive at work in wet clothing. Then, too, their earnings were reduced. * * * In some of the change houses provided by the operating companies lockers are abandoned as insanitary, and all cloth- ing is carried on trays and hooks to the ceiling of the room. Each man has, in- stead of a locker closet, thes hool which may be hoisted up out of the way. By the use of this system the floor of the house is not.cumbered with long rows of steel closets, containing wet clothes. Public laundries are conveniences now being introduced for the benefit of poor miners’ wives. It saves them the labor of lugging several tubs of water to their houses preliminary to doing the week's washing. Living conditions among miners are also being_greatly improved as a result of this’ agitation by the mine sanitation section of the bureau of mines. A large proportion of the houses in mining towns are now being provided with grounds large enough for small’gardens. Double advaptage is then reaped by the poor ¢ cupant. He may provide his table with summer vegetables, and himself with nec- essary recreation. In the newly created Department of Labor the bureau of labor statistics is continually compiling. information—the re- sult of many investigations—that is of help to the poor citizens of the cou One of its activities has inclu compilation of the retail prices of fif articles of food, which' represent approx- imately two-thirds of the expenditure for sustenance made by the average work- ingman. The reports of these prices are collected from forty important industrial cities in which live one-fifth of the total number of people in the United States. From these lists of prices a poor man is enabled to estimate the cost of living in his particular, community and demand from his employer a wage large enough to sustain him. In practically _every wage-earners’ dispute ‘these facts have been used by workingmen and their em- ployers as an authority toward final set- tiement A list of wholesale pricés of staple com- moditles used by the poor man has also been compiled by the. bureau of labor statistics, By such a table prices for each year many be compared with those that have gone before. In this way in- creases causing the high cost of living can be traced-directly to their sources. Such statements are of benefit to the poor man. They aid directly in bettering his condition by calling. the attention of emplo: hot paying a living wage to the helpless condition in which he is in- voluntarily placed. * Bach of ‘the many reports made by the bureau of labor statistics is based upon a special -investigation. One which has protected many poorly educated people who do not know how to help themseives was an investigation of wages and hours of labor, A repo of the condition of working women In various industries has alse had ‘the practical effect of showing employers the faults of their equipment and system. For instance, in a report upon working conditions in the laundry business in Mil- waukee it was found that starching and ironing ' work 'exposed employes to heat sometimes as. great as 95 degrees, and wag. all, performed while the operators stood, though in pragtically all the op# eratious there was no apparent reason Why they could not have sat. Such changes of methods of performing work mot only make for greater efficiency, but are of value to the workingman or woman in_that they help to conserve in- dividual enerzy and health, thus saving doctors’ bills and all-manner of other ex- penses. Another branéh of feSearch attempted by this bureau has heen devoted to a study of workmen's insurance and com- pensation both in the abroad. “Social insurance said Roval Meeker, commissioner of labor statstics, “has been defined as . the insurance of the workingman ‘against accident, disease, old age, invalidity, unemployment and death, under.some form of state super- vision, so that it, may be taken out of -the realm of business conducted for mere profit getting. “The United States is just beginning to be aroused to the iniportance of such a movement for the benefityof the poor workingman, and to- furthér stimulate interest in_the subject,” continued Mr. Meeker. ““The International Congress on Social Insurance Will be held in Wash- ington in—1015. This will be a semi- official meeting with invitatipns given by the government to each mllg.!lry through its foreign office.’” United States and