Evening star., 1917-09-16

HH the Council OF National De-
feiise is brought forward
the picture presenting itself may be
that of body of severe gentlemen
seated round the regulation mahogany
board table armed with the privilege
of saying authoritatively to their fell
low citizens: "Curtail your use of this
pet indulgence; "cut out altogether
that commodity dear to your heart
But this is not at all the province
of that group of men forming the
commercial economy board, who came
to Washington last spring and identl-
fed themselves with the t''-
men of affairs who are cooperating
with the United States government for
the best interests of the nation in its
war emergency.
Theirs is the general problem of
looking ahead of today's necessity and
preparing for tomorrow's. so that when
tomorrow's necessity comes it will
come with less jolt and hardship to
the public.
As an example of what the board
fs already doing. there is the possible
wool shortage. The soldiers must have
millions of yards of wooden cloth for
their uniforms. For months past the
commercial economy board has been
street, asking him to buy and wear
only one or two suits a season: neither
has il urged women to restrict their
purchases or to buy anything different
from what they ordinarily would have
bought: but il has gone to the root
and source of clothing supply. 1t has
taken the problem up with the garment
manufacturers. the wooden and worsted
weavers and the makers of styles
As result there will he certain
notifications of styles in the garments
that reach the consumer in 1913. skirts
a little less full pe-haps. fewer patch
pockets and belts on mems coats. and
so on-modiications so carefully plan
ned that the average person Will
scarcely notice the difference. But they
will result in material conservation
of wool The supply for the soldiers
necessities will be more abundant be
cause by perfectly natural and easy
process. the civilian consumption VIII
have been diminished.
Before it was sixty days old, the
commercial economy board had asked
the wooden and worsted manufacturers
to make no more samples for the spring
of 1915 than they felt sure they could
sell profltably. This means from one
fourth to one-tenth the usual numper
in some of the mills. The cutting-up
trades were asked to make correspond
ing simplifcations, The suggestions
are now being carried out by both sets
of manufacturers, and the eHect mas
heen to conserve man power and wool
already greatly needed for government
And other essential uses.
A similar inquiry was made into the
shoe trade. Here again the board had
the hearty cooperation of both mer-
chants and manufacturers. joint
committee of the national association
of the shoe trades is now working
with the board to bring about econo-
mics in shoe merchandising.
Our problem is as much OF the 1u-
ture as of the present" said Mr.. A w.
Shaw, chairman of the commercial
economy board. Mr.. Shaw's home Is IN
Chicago and in private life he is pub
fisher of business books and magazines.
Incidentally, he is one of the men OF
that big hundred" who stuck to their
washington jobs throughout the entire
summer.
our task" he went on. "is to plan
ahead: to keep in advance Of needs and
commodities of the moment, so that
when the time for action comes we shall
understand better what needs to be
done and be better prepared for doing
It. In the case Of wool. for instance