Evening star., 1916-12-13
HIGH COST OF LIVING
By Sheldon s. Cline.
No. IL.
Cooperative Buying.

Producers of foodstuffs in all parts
of the country have been highly sue
cessful in organizing associations for
cooperative selling, but the possibili-
ties of cooperative buying have been
almost entirely overlooked by city con-
sumers. In this day when women are
organized for almost every ina aginable
purpose. from suffrage to salvation of
the Hottentot. it is little short of
amazing that they haven't organized
for the benefit of their husbands
pocketbooks. If organized women
would take up the job in earnest they
could do more than any other one
agency to reduce the high cost of liv-
ing.
1t is true that the Housewives
League and possibly. one or two other
organizations are working along these
lines. and on several occasions meat
boycotts and egg boycotts have been
nine-day sensations. but women gener-
ally haven't done much more than COM
plain about the cost of things.
i X
Twenty women. living on the
same or adjoining streets. organized
into a buying club could reduce the
cost of feeding their families fully 25
per cent. AS a first step they should
elect as their secretary or purchasing
|agent one of their number who had
leisure, and measure of business
talent, allowing her reasonable COM
pensation. Then let a membership fee
of $40 be required. This would give
working capital of $3.50. and the things
that could be done with it in the way
of buying provisions for twenty-five
families would amaze the membership.
There are few wholesale houses which
would not sell in original packages
to such an association at the same
prices they sold to the trade. Flour
and sugar could be brought by the bar
rel. put up in convenient sized bags.
All sorts of canned goods could be
bought by the case. eggs by the crate
ard butter and lard in quantities.
1t would be necessary. of course. that
and from there distributed to mem
bers. The members could call for their
own provisions or for a trifling sum
have them delivered by a boy. All
course, so long as the club paid cash
for the goods. Otherwise. the $3.50
working capital wouldn't work long.
But such a club would have no diff
Guilty at all in establishing liberal
line of credit Twenty-Five families
of good standing mutually obligated
to the payment of bills would con-
stitute a f1rst-rate basis of credit. AS
default in payment would discredit
member with friends and neighbors
did occur occasionally the loss would
be distributed among twenty-four fam
lilies and would make no very serious
inroads on the savings effected.
Any farmer would be glad to do busi-
ness with such a club, making deliv-
cries to the central point once or twice
week and looking to the organiza-
tion instead of to the individual mem
bers for his pay. He would be willing
even to make individual deliveries
where large quantities, such as win
ters supply of potatoes or cured meats,
were involved 1t would be found too.
that farmers generally would be glad
to extend week-to-week credit, and
for longer terms where winter sup
plies We're ordered in quantity.
Each member would furnish the pur-
chasing agent in advance of delivery
day with list of the things she want
ed-so many eggs, SO much butter.
fruit and vegetables in season-and
the purchasing agent would notify
the farmer by mail or telephone of
the total quantities. Each member
would be required to accept what she
had ordered. unless there was general
agreement that it was unsatisfactory.
In that case it isn't likely the farmer
would hold out against the united
opinion of his customers.
1t might be. in order to meet the
diversified wants of the club, that sew
eral farmers would combine to supply
it Or the club might buy from sew
eral farmers Observation-Disclosures from
a poultryman. vegetables from truck
ing specialist. and so on
The plan certainly is worthy of trial,
and the first women to organize and
make a success of such a purchasing
club would be doing a real public
service.
Next-Canning in the Growing Season.