Evening star., 1913-11-29
Is New York: The Macmillan Com

pany.
If the little pig that went to market
| in story book days had to buy his roast
beef at present rates he would doubtless
do like the other little pig and cry wee
wee all the way home. For the whole
country is wailing over the high cost of
food. Whether the consumer will ever be
able to cease his tears and take to strik-
ing cymbals of joy over the reduction of
prices to a normal level depends consid-
erably on the consumer himself. This
book proves It. AS official labor investi-
gator Of the markets of America and
Europe and as personal student of the
law of demand and supply in its relation
to everyday people, the author knows
whereof he writes. Let the consumer
begin with himself His duty to himself
is thrift. His public duty involves help
ing to establish and maintain freedom
ing. He must allow neither purveyor
| nor public authority to erect artificial
! barriers between him and the producer.
The president of the New York State
Agricultural Society is quoted: Some
families lose more In a month through the
payment of exorbitant rates for food
products in vest-pocket quantities than
they would have to pay in rent for enough
! larger space to live In to enable them to
buy food supplies in quantities sufficient
The author advises the laying in Of pro-
visions In quantities as large as the purse
and storage room permit, and in a general
summing up OF needless marketing, even
the daily dime for soft drinks and the
dollars that represent the monthly food
waste. make the high cost of living a
somewhat personal blame.
In a chapter on public markets it is
shown that such an institution is hurtful
to business in every way. Here is what
Mr Str11s
vending. free to all corners. limited in
range only by necessary health laws.
Open lair markets to be held for a few
hours semi-weekly or tri-weekly-free to
all venders, either of foodstuffs or manu-
factured articles of household or personal
use; existing public markets to be used
to the fullest extent through modern
methods-auctioning. licensing the market
comm. .ssion men. selling by sample, order
ing from producers for direct delivery,
encouraging the attendance Of local pro-
ducerS.''
To know his rights and fight for them in
their good order Is principally ''the con-
Sumers part"
THE TRUTH ABOUT CAMILLA. b,
Gertrude Hall, author of "April's
Sowing" etc. New York: The Cen.
tury Company.
A strange creature this Camilla, strange
as a child when the parish priest sees hel
playing in the public gardens and recog.
nizes her remarkable histrionic ability
strange as woman, always facile in hel
fictions and never wholly sincere OF
straightforward. The reputed daughter OF
poor F'lorentine, but more probably the
daughter of nobleman whom he hao
served. she is taken from her meager sur
roundings to be given an education. She
learns we'll, not merely the lessons thai
are put before her. but other things, in.
cluding self-reliance, and these she puts
to account later when in large measure
she is thrown upon her own resources
Nobody can doubt Camilla's ability
whether as companion-secretary to al
aged American authoress spending heI
last days in European travel, as the wife
of an impecunious Russian prince or the
wife of an opera singer or in any Of hel
relationships in fact. Camilla lies largely
because she is by nature romancer. and
though the theme is repeated with a,
times a somewhat monotonous iteration
there is a certain quality of fascination
about the way in which she adjusts te
conditions and makes her way in the
world, and becomes at last a parsonage OF
Importance with as much happiness as
can be enjoyed by so self-centered 9
woman.
THE SHEPHERD OF Us ALL: Storie,
of the Christ Retold for Children
By Mary Stewart, author of Tel
Me True Story etc. illustrated