The Washington herald., 1915-07-11

Once. Ii chairman OF a subcommittee on
sick benent and life insurance. Several
life insurance propositions now are under
consideration.
\ factory to consumer service Is be-
ing established under the leadership of
Walter B. Fry. Of the Indian once. E.
J. Ayers of the secretary's once. il head
of a subcommittee planning for q mer-
| camille store service. A cooperative
lunch service may be evolved before long.
due to the efforts Of a subcommittee
headed by H. Tomlin, Of the Secretary
ONCE.
George s. Pope. Of the Bureau OF
Mines. Is chairman Of the subcommittee
looking about for q location for a perma-
nent clubhouse. Mrs. Jennie L. Munr ,e.
Of the Land once. is at the head Of lie
subcommittee on building. arrangement
and design Of the new clubhouse. The
subcommittee on ways and means OF
financing Is headed by Mrs. NJ. H. Wor-
rell, of the Indian once.
At the head Of the general committee on
cooperation and permanent housing il ".
A. Ryan. comptroller Of the Reclamation
Service. Walter i. Swanton. of the Rec
lamation Service, is secretary.
Movement IL Progressive.
Cooperation Is a progressive move
ment." said Mr.. Swanton. Farmers have
many successful cooperative selling Or
CARNATIONS Why should not the gov
eminent employe. with his comparatively
small fixed salary. push this cooperative
idea not only for a buying organization.
but in other lines Of activity as well. In
a city with a population of 5000 where
one In ten is a government employe. and
every other family has a member work.
ing for Uncle Sam. why should not CO.
operation in its biggest and broadcast
sense be made a success? Already there
are cooperative plans in operation in
several of the government bureaus, and
the Home Club is conducting success
full buying organization which yields
each month a considerable profit for the
club and its members"
THE cooperative idea is promoting So
cial amenities and is fostering genuine
American democracy" declared Mr. Per-
kins. one OF the most ardent advocates
of the cooperative propaganda. 1T is
breaking down the lines Of social de-
| marcation. II is making brothers and
sisters Of the otherwise rather clannish
civil service employees. 1t is breaking
down cliaues. making employees better
acquainted. increasing efficiency and de-
creasing the cost of living"
To Offset Small Salaries.
The cooperative buying scheme has
been devised to serve as a palliative
for the comparatively small salaries
now being paid. The agitation for the
payment Of better salaries to Uncle
Sans employees so far has had but lit
tie effect upon Congress. and members
of the Home Club philosophically have
reached the conclusion that if it is i'm
possible to secure increased pay the
next best thing is the formulation OF
10 1;x-;p
1T is far from the desire of the food
supply subcommittee" said Mrs. Per-
kins. ito disturb the local retail mar
ket or to eliminate the middleman en-
tirely. We realize that the problem of
distribution is a serious one. and that
the middleman is indispensable as a
purveyor of food to many people. We
are concerned only about supplying
the members of our own club with
certain leading lines of food articles.
They will have to depend upon the To-
cal markets for many things of house,
hold use. even after our buying system
is fully established.
But there are certain articles which
are often plentiful elsewhere, with the
market even overstocked and the prices
very low. while the prices in Washing
ton may remain as usual Then it will
be desira BILE for our members to take
ADVANTAGE Oh Ine SITUATION anu nave
the cheap food supplies sent them
through the cooperative system. For
example. peaches. apples and other
fruits are sometimes so plentiful and
cheap in nearby States that they go
to waste for want of q paying market.
while our members continue to pay
the local prices charged. which do not
always fall to the outside level.
Can Order by Car Load.
Last winter. potatoes could be had
in New York for % cents . bushel. and
this year they probably will be cheaper
still. Home Club members can order
such things by the carload for distri-
button in small quantities best suited
to the use of individual members and
thus save money. Having been incor-
porated under the laws of Congress. the
Home Club is full-hedged corporation,
and, in point of seeking supplies. il on
the same footing as the railroads and
big hotels which buy in large quantities
for their own use. In time it Is expected
the club will ask bids from packers and
other producers for supplies. and re-
ceive the same consideration In point Of
wholesale rates as any other corporation
III instead Of 1.s00 members. We had
every department represented and a
membership of 10000 to 5000 it would
broaden our purchasing power ana give
still greater advantages to every men,
ber Even in that event, however. the
local retailers would have a big army
of consumers to feed. outside Of our
membership.
1T would be much easier to establish
this cooperative buying system and Sc
cure direct delivery from producer to
consumer cfrom killer to kitchen. from
packer to pan.' as one member expresses
it,. il the ladies' didn't insist on seeing
the cut they order before they pay for
it. They are right. in the main, but
1t is hoped to build up such a system
CT direct delivery of perfectly reliable
articles Of food that the reigning goddess
Of the household herself will trust the
packer or shipper to do the right thing;
and woe unto the purveyor who palms
of inferior stun! II the pig must be
bought in q poke. that big must be the
best in the pen. When Business Man
ager Weston perfects the delivery sys-
tenn. which he has so admirably begun.
I believe the householders Of the club will
be glad to give him all the orders they
can"
The gaekwar Of Baroda, whose son re-
L ~Ar<S 10.