Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-17
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OMAHA, Dec 16-To the Editor OF
The Bee: Isn't II the limit for the minis
ters of the Ministerial association to
knock on the charity ball7 The ball is
simply a means OF raising money for
local philanthropy whose good work Is
| acknowledged by all and the people who
contribute by buying bail tickets and
dancing are the very same ones that help
support the churches, the very same
people who listen to their sermons. which
ought to be sufficient guaranty that the
ball will be perfectly proper. PRUDE.
Increased Cost of Living.
OMAHA, Dec. 16.-To the Editor of
The Bee: A great deal has been said and
written about the increased cost Of living,
but there is one feature Of II about which
very little has been said. When I was
boy and worked In a store we never ex-
pected to sell less than a whole ham or
a shoulder or a side of bacon. a bushel
OF cornmeal. a peck TO a bushel OF navy
beans. a peck OF dried apples, ten
gallon keg of moiasses was a common
sale. Almost never a sale of less than a
gallon and when the smaller quantity
was purchased buyers always brought
their own jug. Now people buy 10 cents
worth Of corn syrup and must have II
in q tin can that costs 3Ik cents to make.
In place Of bringing a jug and getting
gallon of vinegar for % to 20 cents, they
buy the same sort Of vinegar in bottles
so IL costs them 80 cents to 81 a gallon.
They must have their ham and bacon cut
In certain sort of slices regardless of
the waste in cutting Il so, a waste that
has to be added to the cost of what they
buy. a waste that the good housekeeper
never used to make, for she found use
| for every part OF what she bought. But
now, when slices are cut buyers take only
| enough for a single meal, say 10 to 25
cents worth.
Another thing, people now buy the hard
staples OF living in what we may say
are infinitesimal quantities. The store
room in the home no longer exists Many
families nosv make separate purchases
for every meal. 1 know OF families In
| Omaha who send TO the grocery a dozen
times in day. II costs the grocer almost
as much TO sell and deliver each 10-cent
sale as s. one. And yet the bulk of
the units OF sales are 10 to 25 cents.
These are but samples of the things that
enter into and are largely responsible for
the increased cost of living.
Aonther thing that must not be lost
sight Of is that the purchasing partner
I'm most families has gotten entirely out
of touch with the actual buying of her
family supplies. She has used the tele-
phone to tell the dealer to send her what
she wants so that It is now almost use
less for her to go TO the store, the only
advantage OF her going is, that she sees
| what she purchases and can refuse to
buy II II does not look fresh and good.
She Is 30 out of touch with values that
she gives her order in about the same
way as she did over the phone and she
thinks she may as well phone. But let
her continue to visit the stores and mar
ket, until the bargain instinct OF thrift
Is again aroused In her. l am not speak
ing OF those purchasing partners OF the
household and they are legion, who think
Il reflection upon their social STANDING
and wealth TO look into the value and
cost OF what they need and they, iargel,
by their Dragging remarks and inuendos
have caused hosts of their less incomeC
sisters to adopt their manner of spending
and ways OF buying.
Ahere are un'DuDtedly many OF the
prime necessities of life that have beer
forced up In price by combination and
BY fcornering by wealthy investors II
them at critical periods. Among these ar,
likely meats, butter. eggs. These thing.
should be dealt with by lawmakers an,
the courts. But more can be done by tn,
women's clubs by intoxicating the idea o.
thrift (and thrift does not mean mean
ness or dishonesty, but the getting o
value for each expenditure.) The solvinl
or the problem of getting what Is bes
for the family with a reasonable ex
penditure OF money and to do that tn
purchasing partner ought to know tn.
cost in effort to get the dollar unit sh
expends. SO that she may estimate tn
cost in effort to the earning partner O.
the thing purchased.
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