Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-04-14

slip OI upwards or 2.UtD composed Of women of all classes both rich and poor. well-to-do and the moderately comfortable wife of the man who works hard and earns little, has ac- complished things. in the brief period of five months. that are believed to be without precedent in the United States
 Under a splendid cooperative sys- tenn. which was at all times free from jealousies and other petty things which so frequently block the prog ress of civic bodies. the Housewives league of Houston has fairly and squarely assassinated the High Cost Gf-Living" bugaboo, while insanitary stores, shops and other enterprises catering to the great mass of the pub lie have either been polished to the cleanliness of the traditional pin. or else are in full retreat, if not out of business.
 There are housewives leagues all over the country. but none so far that has carried everything before it so completely as this one in Houston, Sincerity, backed by system that was almost flawless. did the work.
 Gut in Two.
 What housewives in the North and East and West are paying for their meat, that great commodity which has caused most of the household woes in recent years, Houston doesn't know. but Houston does know that since the advent of the Housewives league here the price of meat, in num- erOus instances, has been cut in two. The revolution in meat prices came about in an odd way.
 When the league was organized last November the extOrtionate price be ing charged for meat was one of the things that kept housewives awake at night, figuring on theories of econo- my, while families who were hardly in the so-called well-to-do class weren't eating meat, or weren't eating it regularly. at any rate.
 It was at this juncture that the Housewives league sought the coop eration of the retail market men. The league didn't demand a sweeping cut in prices.
 Demanded Square Deal.
 But the league did demand of the merchants that the head of the culi- nary department in each household be given something bordering on a square deal Meat prices wert sky high. Something was wrong. The dealers produced their alibis. The wholesaler was blamed. And the wholesaler blamed the producer anG the producer blamed the cattle raiser It was an endless chain of alibs.
 In the downtown section Charles Tamme was conducting meat mar ket in. a room ten feet wide and about twice as long. It was Tamme's frs s venture as proprietor. Tamme hao been having rough sledding. There was no secret about that. He was about to go under. The league wait ed on Tamme and urged upon him the wisdom of reducing meat prices. t( play his margin of profits on close line: to become sustaining member of the league. thus gaining tho leagues moral support, and to make his market a cash shop. No money no meat.
 What One Man Did.
 Tamme reduced his prices. but ht didn't advertise in the newspapers, a' per one of the cardinal principles the Housewives league. For two weeks 6NGH TeuuCcu Pi iiSSo "iNiA bring the business which Tamme hat expected. The leaders in the league again waited upon Tamme. "Adver tise your prices in the newspapers, they urged Get your prices befor' the public"
 Tamme maintained that retailers Il foodstuffs in Houston never had ao yertised prices in their advertising.
 (Which makes not a particle difference,' responded the House wives league. start the ball to roll ing"
 Tamme's first advertising invest ment. at the suggestion of the league amounted to $6. That amount repre- sented IS much as days receipts il Tamme's market. But the $6 ad grey to greater things. Tamme's buslnes leaped according to- the standard '' the well-known leaps-and- bounds. Il recent weeks he has taken as muc' as a half-page in local newspapers He is the heaviest food advertiser Il all Houston. The 10-foot meat marKe has twice been extended in area For merly Tamme had only his wl1e assist him. A force of twenty mel and boys are now required to tax care of the trade. Ten meat cutter work constantly to supply the trade where formerly Tamme did the wor by himself and had time on his hands His average daily business. not coun' ing Saturdays, ranges from l'loo | 1.5OO customers, as shown by the cas register. His record Saturday showe that nearly 2,700 customers wer waited upon over the Tamme couh. CTS. He demands cash and pays casi His daily checks to the packers as high as $G00 Tamme Is gettlh rich.
 Opening Wedge.
 This all happened several week ago. The league played Tamme' nc as a club on the other dealers, oo merely as an opening wedge. An the wedge was a success. All reta dealers of any importance are nov sustaining members of the House wives. league. Fair prices and san