The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-11-09
Housewives League Going at il
in Earnest to Cut Pro-
vision Prices
FIRST EFFORTS ARE
CROWNED WITH SUCCESS
Consignment of Apples and PO-
tatOes Goes Like Hot
Cakes

Very comprehensive are the plans
OF the Detroit Housewives league, as
outlined by its president, Mrs. A. .
Dunk. They include:
Establishing store from which The
members can be supplied not onl.'
with potatoes and apples, but also
with butter, eggs. flour. sugar and
many other commodities.
Interesting farmers in the move
ment 10 eliminate as much as pos
sible the middleman. for the mutual
benefit OF producer and consumer.
Building up large membership for
the league which when 1t becomes
powerful enough will then
Go after the creameries and force
them TO lower the price OF milk.
These plans have already passed
the incipient stage. The Detroit
Housewives league already has three
branches one on the east side, with
Mrs. W. l.. Billiard, president OF de.
troit Sorosis, as director; one in the
northwest section. whose director is
Mrs. f. j. Jeffries. and one in the
north end, with Mrs. Dunk. as tenn.
porary director. The officers OF the
main body. which directs the actiyi.
ties OF the branches. are: President.
Mrs. 40. Dunk, first viee-pFesident
Mrs. Harry Newman: second vice
president Mrs Henry A. Krolik: sec
rotary Mrs. w. II. Jones; treasurer,
Mrs Nettie Coulter. The board OF d.
rectors consists of one representative
from each of the 80 federated clubs
OF the city. There are committees on.
press, literature and finance.
Mrs. Dunk's telephone rings almost
necessarily as man after man and wo-
man after woman calls UP to learn
how he or she may profit by the low
prices offered by the league on apples
and potatoes. These are commodities
with which the league has started It's
campaign for lower prices.
To each inquiry. Mrs. Dunk ex.
plains that TO gain the benefit OF re-
duced prices one must join the De
troit- housewives, league. A fed OF
ten cents is the admission price Hay.
ing been enrolled. orders accompanied
by money will be received by Mrs.
Dunk. and the. supplies demanded vii!
be delivered.
Apples cost S225 barrel. each bar.
rel containing three bushels.
| Potatoes cost 81 40 for IL bushel
sack. when bought with an order OF
apples, or $l55 a sack II delivered
without apples.
The apples are hand picked and
carefully packed and include many
standard varieties. They are apples
that bring "a barrel Mrs. Dunk
says, when sold by the grocer. The
potatoes are sand,grown, and usually
retail at rs cents a bnshel
| The saving thus effected is divided
between the farmer and the consumer
J The farmer Is thus able TO secure
one dollar a barrel for his apples and
35 cents a bushel for his potatoes.
The rest of the price goes for pack.
ling, shipment and delivery.
Orders are pouring in on Mrs. Dunk
al such a rate t.at il will be neces-
saiy TO put someone else in charge oil
this branch of he work-someone
who will have nothing else to do.
Every mail brings letters from
farmers who have heard OF the House
wives leagues endeavors, and who
want to cooperate with II. The farm
ers complain that they nave been a.
the mercy of the commission men.
and have often beer compelled TO sell
heir goods for almost nothing, after
hauling them TO town. They welcome
any scheme by which their produce
car be delivered 70 the consumer
without risk on their part. and at a
higher return TO hCm.
AS soon as the movement outgrows
it's present stage, which promises 10
be soon the next step will be under
taken. That will be TO secure store
10 which shipments can be made, ana
from which produce can be delivered.
The possession of store Will enable
the league TO extend its list or com
modities 80 as 10 include sugar ana
-four. which can BIZ bought directly
IRON the manufacturers at constr
cradle saving, and a much larger llst
of farm products--butter. eggs, vege
tables of all KINDS.
Having increased its membership 10
the point where il can command a
hearing because OF the amount OIL
trade controlled, the league will COM
bat the creamer:as and endeavor 10
,orce down the price OF milk.
The members OF the league hope
that the grand jury will investigate
the milk Situate but Mrs. Dunk
SAYS that il will be difficult TO secure
evidence
we have had no money with which
TO make the necessary investigation,
says she. Further, we have been
hampered by the timidity OF the
small dealer, who realizes that he -
ct the mercy OF the big creameries
and does not want TO antagonise them
10 such an extent that they Will try
10 drive him out Of business as pun
ishment for mis- audacity. OF course.
the grand jury nigh force the cream
cries to produce their books to show
what necessitated the raising OF the
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