“Not only bread,” went on the garbage can, “but meat, too. Now, that does surprise you, doesn’t it! It takes four years to grow a beefsteak, yet there are garbage cans which are fed nice big pieces of beefsteak every day or so.”
“I don’t believe—,” Robert started to say.
“Don’t believe what?” snapped the garbage can. “Don’t believe! Why, I haven’t begun to tell you about the value of garbage!”
“Please excuse me,” explained Robert; “I was going to say that I don’t think my mother allows such waste.”
“Oh, was that it? I beg your pardon,” apologized the can. “I get so excited when I think about what is wasted, and so nervous when I see little children and even animals who need what is thrown away, that I sometimes forget my manners, I fear.”
Robert could not help smiling at the thought of the manners of a garbage can; but the can evidently thought that he was smiling about some of the facts he had been told, and continued to talk.
“Watch when you have a chance, and notice what good meals could have been made from the food wasted on garbage cans if a little thought had been used.
“It has been estimated that the garbage cans get one-third of the food which is bought and prepared for the American people.
“This food, if used rightly, would feed all the poor. It would build many battleships. It would pay for all the land in some states. It would run the government for weeks.”
“Would it make any difference in the cost of food if people were not wasteful?” asked Robert, as the speaker paused for breath.