Evening star., 1914-08-20
Comprehensive Municipal Sys-
tenn Contemplated With the
Aid of Congress.
COMMUNITY PURCHASE
PLAN MAY DEVELOP
Class Tomorrow Will Be Told How,
When and Where to Buy in
Quantities.

That determined effort will be made
by the Commissioners to obtain action
by Congress looking toward the es-
tablishment of a comprehensive mar
ket system in the District of Colum-
bia is regarded as the almost certain
outcome of their endeavor to aid citi-
zens to reduce the high cost of living
the organization of "commun-
ity leagues for wholesale buying.
1t is conceded that the formation Of
family groups to obtain commodities
at wholesale rates Is a plan that can
afford only temporary relief at most
What the District authorities are look
ing forward to Is the establishment
Of municipal market system which prac-
tically would preclude the possibility of a
food crisis.
I'VE are much In hope" said Supt.
Sherman of the weights. measures
and markets department today, that
theoffer made by this department
to make of itself an experimental ground
on which Congress may try out a COM
prehensive municipal market plan under
the guidance of the best federal authori-
ties available and for the guidance Of
the entire nation may receive favorable
attention of the people and Congress
Markets Would Lower Prices.
''If such a measure be adopted and
the necessary appropriation granted, it
should be entirely unnecessary In the
future for such acute crises ever to arise
in Washington. Such apparent discrim-
nation against any class in the COM
munity lfor 1t cannot be denied that the
wholesale buying plan must appear to
discriminate against the retailer) would
be unnecessary.
I'VE need badly a marketing system
built on a truly comprehensive plan.
each step taken with an eye to the next
step and also to the completed whole:
with money and patience to stand by
the plan until it is completed, because
the early steps will not bear fruit until
later steps are taken.
Such q system necessitates q useful
place for the middleman, but will elimi-
nate his wastes, reduce his expenses
and enable the purchasers to pay less.
the farmer to get more"
Reports received by the weights.
measures and markets department to-
section Of the city are preparing to
give the community league" plan a
trial
How to Buy Explained.
How to organize buying clubs, and
where and how to make purchases with
the least difficulty and at reasonable
prices. will be explained by Supt. Sher-
man tomorrow in a lecture to be de-
livered in the boardroom of the munic-
ipal building. beginning at II am.
The original plans called for informal
conferences on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays, between the hours of 10
am and noon, but Mr. Sherman has
decided to begin the instruction at IL
am. on each of these days and to con-
fine his remarks to an hour.
It is expected that tomorrow's attend
ance will be larger than that of yester-
day, when about fifty householders became
charter members of the District gov
ernment's first class in business eco
nomics The information carried away
by those who attended the lecture is
expected to result in the arousing of
greater interest in the plan to afford
relief from the high cost of living.
Many Offers Of Help in Probe.
With many investigations being con-
Quoted all over the country in attempts to
place the responsibility for the recent rise
in the prices of foodstuffs, offers are con-
tinuing to come in to the Department OF
Justice from unexpected sources volun-
teering help in investigating. This morn
ing one came from the chairman of the
home economics department of the gen.
eral federation of women's clubs. with
which the District of Columbia federation
is affiliated. The communication request.
ed the department asking for any sug-
gestions whereby the federation may.
through each state organization. assist
the department, SO far as possible, in Its
investigation.
With such forces as the official agents
Of the government, backed by informers
who are pouring their information into
the department by the yard, and with
the women of the country getting In:
formation on their own initiative. 1t
would now seem but matter of only a
few weeks before the blame for the
high cost of foodstuffs, particularly
sugar and flour. can be placed. and II q
conspiracy to raise prices is shown, then
1T will be the duty Of the Attorney
General and his agents to make them
suffer for the wrongs they have forced
upon the ultimate consumer. possibly
suffering behind steel bars
Clubwomen Are Active.
Washington clubwomen. led by Mrs
Ellis Logan. president of the District OF
Columbia Federation of Women's Clubs
are actively cooperating in the attempt
to solve the high-cost-of-living problem
! Mrs. Logan this morning was engaged
| in calling up some of the clubwomen o1
the city and getting them interested
| in the movement to purchase their foods
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