SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 335 



FOOD EFFICIENCY. 



We hear much in these days about preparedness. A people that 

 is not well fed and nourished cannot to the fullest extent enjoy the 

 blessings of peace or withstand the devastation and horrors of war. 

 Wholesome, well cooked food will without doubt play a greater part 

 and receive mare consideration from this time on than ever be- 

 fore. If there is anything in the practical application of the pre- 

 cept that each man must be his brother's keeper, it will apply with 

 double force to a food commissioner and every food inspector in 

 ihis land. 



It was my lot to put in a number of years on the road, depend 

 ing on hotels and restaurants for my meals. During that time I 

 was too frequently reminded of the. old saying that "The Lord 

 furnishes the victuals and the devil the cooks." Our domestic 

 science schools are doing the nation a great work in teaching proper 

 methods of preparing foods for the table. It is my belief that much 

 can also be done in the home. The housewife that cannot properly 

 prepare, cook and serve a meal is not worthy of the name of wife. 

 The mother that does not see that her daughter is schooled and 

 learns the fundamentals of cooking is neglecting an important 

 duty that she owes the daughter, the daughter's husband, if she 

 has one, and the public at large. 



Too many meals are eaten simply to satisfy the appetite, not be- 

 cause they are appetizing. If what we eat today is walking around, 

 thinking and talking tomorrow, is it not equally as important to 

 have this food or fuel for the human body properlj^ prepared as it 

 is to have it free from adulteration and of the proper kind? 



A locom.otive or other engineer would not expect to get good re- 

 mits from the use of an inferior grade of fuel. If a certain kind 

 of coal is known to produce a given quality of steam, this depend- 

 able brand would be selected in preference to another having less 

 generative power. For years a study has been made of the human 

 fuel question. 



It is well that of late more attention has been paid to the value 

 of the different articles of food in common use. This question has 

 an economic as Avell as a moral side. It matters little how well we 

 know that 8 cents worth of milk (or one quart) equals approxi- 

 mately 15 cents worth of round steak, or 25 cents worth of eggs, or 

 75 cents worth of oysters, unless Ave do what we can to disseminate 

 this knowledge. 



