Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-07
OVERFLOW CROWD
|NDORSES BOYCOTT
More Than l,5OO Women Pack
Mass Meeting in Protest
Against High Prices.
BAN ON EGGS AND TURKEYS
Richmond Housewives Unite to
Abjure These Commodities
for Two Weeks.

rlcdEinS their support Of ,ho boy
c"tts declared by tho l:ichmond House
wives LcaGu" aEaiuS, turkeys and
eggs for period az tw" weeks begin
ming Tomorrow morning FULLY I5oa
Hichmord women from all walks nf
life packed the auditorium of the John
Marshall High school BuildinL yos,er-
day afternoon. and united in tho move
mont to force downward III. prevail
ing high prices of these two c"rnmodi-
tics. 'rhc mass-mcctinr strongly in
dorscd tho absolute boycott. from
which only children and invalias are
exempted. as the only cTectiv" instru-
ment in the fight to break the back
hone OF the high markets
At the outset OF TN. meeting IL was
disclaimeh that amy attempt was being
made 10 injure the retail merchants OF
Richmond. who are charging only
legitimate profits for the commodities.
The boycotts, it was pointed out were
directed against large cold storage
companies of the Middle West. who
ar. charged with being responsible 3.
large degree for the prevailing ;,b-
normal prices.
The mass-n"ctinE was 20 have been
held in the hall of tho House Of Dele
gates nt tho state capitol Building
hut long before IN. time for the meet
ing il WAS evident that tho hall would
not accommodate the crowd Tie
meeting was transferred to the school
auditorium. which. with it's seating ca
pacity Of 400 people. was taxed To its
capacity. Standing room for a tim.
was at premium Tho meeting WAS
by far the largest held in Richmond
IN recent months, rejecting the tre-
mendous interest i'm the problem thar
the consumers are trying to solve.
PRESIDENT OF HOUSEWIVES
TELLS OF NORFOI.N ACTION
Mrs. L. &. Whitehead. of Norfolk.
president OF the Housewives League of
that city and state chairman of tho
housewives League of Virginia. pre-
sided. Sh" explained tho action tai.cn
by tn" consumers Of Norfolk which
resulted in tho reduction Of prices IN
turkeys and eggs. She told tho women
of Richmond that they had the power
in their hands at least TO partially re-
licvc tho situation.
There is no question of tho good
that can be done by boycotts." she
said. but these will afford only tom
porary relief and tho consumer must
t." educated to tho use of substitutes
FOR many commodities that are. selling
at abnormal prices. We mus, not as
sumo that there is no reason for the
high cost Of living for tremendous
quantities Of foodstumS arc being cx-
Hortcd. and wc are living in a pcriod
"i a"'ii'"us prosperity. due to the war
rrrcit'n buycrs IN this country
willing Ia pay any price for the com
m"ditics they need ana il is too much
to expect that those people in this
country that can fill their wants will
not do so.
'':hcre has been great discussion Of
"mt: rCocs against tho expectation Of
fooGStuns but do not think that We
have reached the state where such "A
Co,isc would he Wise Many people
a." in favor of an embargo against
wheat. bu, i: such action was taken
i: "ouid quickly spread To other COM
r'"! ties. auh that would mean starva-
tion for t'o people of Europe That
woud rcs'Iit in great opposition in
other countries. probably resulting in
harm :" this country. and in the end
tie people OF the United States. rather
than countcnancc the starvation of
won>.n and children. would 1T out
relief ships
SOME. WEtf. tPPREHENSINE
ABOUT THEIR HUSBANDS
vein OF humor was injected by tho
fact that no matter how much boy
colts we're favored by the Housewives.
they raised doubts as to whether or
Lot such action would bc approved nv
their husbands. Speakers told OF how
for years they had always given their
husbands eggs for breakfast, arG one
sp' aker. having stopped using eggs
some weeks ago. said that her husba I'd
was suffering from boil on his neck