South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-26
Mrs. Grace Hickey in interest
ing Letter to Associated
Charities, Tells How War
Has Thrown Whole Country
Into Excitement.

/ Scotland, has written an interesting
/ letter 10 the Associated Charities OF
/ South Bend which describes in detail
/ the effect of the war upon Scotland.
| Food prices in the land Of the thrifty
scots experienced the same sudden
boost that set American housewives
to devising methods OF reducing costs
and sugar and flour were among the
principle articles affected.
Mr.. and Mrs Hickey we're active in
| the work OF the charities when in
! South Bend. Mr.. Hickey was super
/ intendent OF the South Bend plant Of
/ the Singer Mfg. Co. He is now works
manager of the Scotland plant Mrs
| Rickey's letter follows in full:
ROckfort, Helensburgh, Scotland.
August IA. 1914.
I Dear Friends in the Associated Chart
ties.
We receive with much interest oc-
casional letters and papers telling Of
| your work in South Bend. As you
| know, this organization occupies a
warm corner in our hearts. Though
we have begun 10 look into that and
other kinds of welfare work allied
with il, and see much TO admire in
the kindness and generosity of people
! here. and their steady, systematic
methods.
We sent Mrs Retiring a paper de-
scribing the Clydebank Nursing asso-
citation, which employees six nurses
who visit in the homes Of the fast
growing burgh of Clydebank Mr.
! Rickey's mother and L attended a
baby show held under the auspices of
this association in the spacious town
hall. This exhibit of babies was held
with a view TO stimulating the moth
er's interest in baby science-a study
babies surely regard as the most inn
portant on earth. The mothers re-
spOnded. for when we entered the
hall we said that all the babies in
Scotland must be there. In fact, 200
were registered. They looked sweet
in their little best dresses. one. about
"A year old, wore a white silk and lace
frOck with tartan sash. A moving
picture film was made of mothers,
/ babies and nurses, and shown IN
Clydebank for the benefit of those
who could not attend the show.
Effects of the War.
I had intended to tell you about
the Glasgow fair holidays. when for
ten days business practically ceases,
and employees with their families en-
joy their yearly outing by lOch or
hillside. But the war cloud bursting
upon US shakes up ones thoughts so
completely that l should rather defer
the account of this unique recreation
until later. | must make IL short, as
they say paper Will be dear.
Until nations find some more kindly
way of settling differences L suppose
the dogs of war will fly out and bite
US They are rampant now, to the
amazement Of Americans, undoubted-
~, as well as British Shippers, mer-
chants, manufacturers, thousands of
workers; housewives innumerable,
III IL f-rr harr
scarcely known where they were at.
A week ago Monday, the day Of Sir
Edward Grey's speech, which has
probably appeared in your papers, /
called up a large grocery firm in
Glasgow. where we had regularly and
peaceably bought provisions for a
year. Though the speech had not
yet appeared in print, war was in the
air, with a consequent run on pro-
visions. l asked the clerk for a
hundred weight of sugar and ten
stone bag of flour, TO be sent as usual,
aud was hurriedly told that customers
/ could only have what they would
carry home. Not being SandOw, L
promptly applied TO three grocer
stores here. and found that while
I flour and sugar had risen. there was
not a panic as at the large supply
/ houses in Glasgow. But all over
! Scotland by Thursday, sugar. which
! had been less than five cents a pound.
! was 10 or u, and I'm some shops. not
/ to be had; butter, instead of 2S cents.
/ was 37-One newspaper advised the
/ housewife TO use dripping.
/ All Provisions Soar.
| The 14O-pOund bag of -four I had
! bought for $4.4O. I would then have
/ secured for S5.65. supposing the gro
Ger happened to have it. Eggs lard.
! bacon, ham and even oatmeal had
j risen more or less. Fruit remained
stationary. or even declined In price,
as few care 10 stew or preserve fruit
with sugar soaring like an dtrshtp.
/ Meat. perhaps because there is good
/ deal IN Britain. both fresh and chill
ed rose slowly and then only about
/ two cents q pound. Fish remained
| the same, but is rising slightly owing
TO the fact that fishermen on the
| Firth OF Forth dare not venture far
out on the North Sea. Perhaps
fishermen Will be more active on the
west coast. Last August we were al
! Mallaig. a fishing town on the west
/ coast and watched young girls clean
great numbers of herring. l remem-
Der that cod and other fish were
ridiculously cheap, so perhaps a
thriving market will be developed
| there. It's an i'll wind that blaws
/ guild 10 naebOdy."
The government Is mindful Of the
| privations OF people who. as a mem
Der Of parliament said, are Giving
/ from day TO day. Committees are
| being appointed 10 look into theil
needs Mr. sidney Webb. who Ia:
written for The Survey" Is on the
housing coromittee. The government
asks well-tO-dO buyers TO stop layine
in great quantities OF food, thus caGs.
ing rise OF prices; 10 retailers not &c
sell too much TO any one buyer: and
| 70 wholesalers not to hold up the pub
lie Already. prices have gone dowr
on some articles. and the government
is fixing a tariff on sugar and othel
necessities II nee assary we are Il
have government distribution OF food
Many losing Work.
High prices alone might not brinl
restitution, but unhappiiy. many fac
tories. dockyards. biscuit companies
stores etc. are laying off men anC
women workers Many. in compli.
ance with the request Of the govern
ment and their own humane feeling.
are keeping all. or nearly all. but OF
/ -, HI nj.