New-York tribune., 1912-01-23
WAR FOR CHEAPER FOUD
DR.. Madison C. Peters and MrS.
L. S. MeidIinger to Open Market.
WOMEN ATTACK MIDDLEMEN
Butter Boycott Spreads and May
Be Extended to Other Food
Commodities.

The Rev. Madison I. refers "HN
S. Ludlow Neidlinger have joined forces
IN keen the poor from starving during
this era Of soaring prices and by their
cooperation and with the help of others
a market will shortly be established OF
the East Side with the motto, Down
with the middleman"
The market will be somewhere In the
congested district around the Pilgrim
Church, on Madison avenue and 12lst
street, where Dr. Peters is preaching
now.
| Coal they propose TO sell from a cart
/ at five cents a pail-the small dealers
price being 10 cents a pail
Some Of the details of this new move
/ to down the food and fuel trusts were
settled yesterday at meeting OF the
! professional! Womans League at its
headouarters. No. 1899 Broadway, where
4 DR.. Peters spoke.
II have wondered and wondered" he
! said. why no one in New York has
/ been Dr1CIlCdl tIOu6U W btN W "Oi -
and sell things to eat to the poor at
their exact cost. have wondered dur
ing the recent cold weather. when there
was such suffering. why no one has
been practical enough to find a way for
the poor to get coal at something less
than S14 ton, which is what it costs
the poor at the small dealers rate OF ~
cents pail"
We'll, one place at least will be
opened on the East Side. where food will
be sold at prices which leave no profits
for any middeman. our coal sales will
| begin this week | have lost faith
added Dr. Peters. lin the people who sit
with folded arms and pray. Why don't
they get out and work?"
Mrs Neidlinger. 1t is said, will help to
back the plan financially.
Or. Peters isn't going to stop with the
provision Of creature comforts. In the
course OF his speech he told the women
OF the league that he wanted to furnish
music and other entertainment for the
women in his church district who
haven't money for theatres and con-
certs.
There is that big building" he said.
shut up and empty six days I'm the
week ] don't call that sort Of thin, re-
ligion I'm going to work the trustees
10 let me use the church one night in
the week. and If any members OF this
leagu will come over and sing, play.
rI,,,-
dened mothers. It will do no end OF
good"
'TIl do vaudeville turn" said one
woman in the audience.
"Ill arrange n humorous sketch, said
another
Enough volunteers were quickly Sc
cured to make a good programme.
While the at-cost-prices market was
being discussed at the Professional
Womans League Mrs. Julian Heath
rresident of the Housewives League,
and other Clubwomen were continuing
their efforts to down the butter trust.
Mrs Heath received scores OF letters
Yesterday from persons who said they
had ioined the butter boycott ana would
eat their bread dry until prices came
down.
Some Of these letters were from men,
who seemed just as ardent In the cause
as the women. one letter was ad-
dressed simply:
president OF the Butter League New
York city Postof'ice," but II reacheu
NJ. Heath all right
"If IL is true that dealers are starting
a move to corner eggs and poultry We
shall boycott those commodities 100
Mrs. Heath told The Tribune reporter.
81 could easily do without poultry ana
eggs az I'm doing without butter now
The league is evolving plans for getting
the producer into touch with the con-
sumner and getting rid of the middle
man, at least in some degree I've just
had a visit from the representative OF
some Long Island creameries, who tells
me that they could furnish US the best
creamery butter at - cents pound II
We could find them enough customers.
by banding together we can easily
dc so. AS soon as | have satisfied my
self that his butter is what he says 1t Is
we shall try that plan"
Mrs. John Shcrwin Crosby president OF
the Womans Democratic Club has
barred butter from her household ex-
cept few tiny pats at breakfast for the
hot rolls.
I'VE don't use IA bit in cooking" she
said.
Mrs Gerard Boucher, president of the
Society Of New York State Women,
says that butter hasn't passed her lips
since Friday. And my maid is as loyal
as am. She doesn't eat 1t, either, and,
of course, we use none in cooking |
give my husband butter at the table-not
that | believe in pampering men, but
my husband is very small eater. and
anything that can tempt his appetite
I'll give him, boycott or no boycott.
He hasn't noticed yet that my bread
isn't buttered, and I'm hoping he won't