The Washington herald., 1914-04-19
PLAN TOCUT
COST OF FOOD
D. c. Imboden Proposes to
Make Reduction of 500
Per Family. -
COOPERATION Is URGED
Scheme for Establishment of String OF
Grocery Stores Explained to
Washington Women.

A reduction of 800 each year in the cost
of food for every family in the United
States Is the attractive promise Just made
to the club women of Washington by D.
c. Imboden, secretary of the National
Cooperative Food Committee, which has
headquarters at 2slS Broadway, New
York City.
Imboden plans to establish a string Of
cooperative grocery stores throughout
the nation and run them somewhat after
the way that Uncle Sam runs the Post
office Department. The plan Is not to be
put into operation until 100000 families
have promised their support.
Handling food should be rs simple as
handling letters" said Imboden. "and
there is no reason why We can't get food
from the producer to the consumer Just
as easy as the Post-office Department
collects a letter and delivers II. My plan
is simple and it's going TO work. I've
been working on it five years"
The club women, and other residents
Of the National Capital who heard OF the
plan. have not quite recovered their
breath. Imbodens plan struck them as
about the biggest ever launched here by
one individual.
Told to Warrington Women.
Imboden, through Mrs. Ellis Logan.
president of the District Of Columbia
Federation Of Women's Clubs. issued in
vitations to all women's organizations in
the National Capital. and a large gath
ering of society women assembled. AS
one woman expressed it. Mr.. Imboden
just took our breath away. He has a
great plan-if he can put II through"
Imboden explained: Food has two ac-
tual values. one at the point of produce
tion. the farm. the other at the point Of
consumption, thes table. All other VAL
ues. the values fixed by the commission
man. the jobber. and the retailer. are ar
tificial. / propose TO cut out all artificial
values. My scheme for accomplishing
this. simply stated. is to take the potato
from the farmer and deliver it to the
city man just as the post-office takes q
letter and delivers il"
Imboden estimates that about - per
cent Of the expense Of handling foods
can be eliminated. This will amount to
about y per cent OF retail prices. he says.
and will effect a yearly saving of about
Slo0 to the average family.
II is proposed to finance the co-opera-
tive stores by collecting 81 from each OF
the 100000 persons who agree TO give
support This subscription will buy a
permanent membership in the organiza-
ton
the organization should be in Washing
ton. because the National Capital is more
representative OF the country at large
than any other city. The central office
will have a food committee. composed OF
expert chemists and buyers. The COM
mittee will determine what kind of foods
shall be bought. will make contracts for
purchases and deliveries in carload lots.
and. through a general traffic manager.
arrange for the distribution Of the food
throughout the country.
Stations Are Planned.
First. second. and third class stations
will be established in cities. 4 first-class
station will consist Of 25.hoO families.
second-cIass station 1000 families. and a
third-CIass station. son families.
Imboden asked that the club women OF
Washington put his plan into operation.
He said interest might he awakened in
cities throughout the country through
and local stations. As soon
as enough local stations have been
formed to make the total membership
l M. 90 families. he promised TO come to
Washington and aid the oluh women in
together the various stations and