The Washington herald., 1917-07-15
Annual Delivery Bill of
Americans is $75,OOO,O0O

Take any town Of the country OF
1000 people, and 1t probably Is spend
ing per cent Of the net sales OF
groceries for delivery to the pur-
chasers. Again and again these pur-
chasers come to the grocery. the
butcher. milk depots, in carriages or
cars, but they rarely think Of taking
home their PURCHASES. Women will
buy a package of 10-cent cereal and
expect it delivered. She will rarely
think Of carrying a half-dozen rolls,
though she is on her way home.
As matter Of fact, the merchant
does not often want her to carry her
package. His promptness and willing
ness to serve her irregular and care
less habits Of buying. is one Of the
ways he builds UP goodwill. Our
canny merchants err in spelling Gus
toners; in gratifying their whins, in
fetching and carrying for them until
q woman has come to feel sometimes
that IL she offers to carry bundle
she will be classed as a undesirable
customer.
Burden on Stores
The great necessity on US demands
q prompt. vigorous cutting-out OF the
Nd6lc VI AOOASs "~'N
spoken here only OF food purchasers,
but we all know that what has been
said applies equally to all sorts OF
shopping and particularly to depart
ment stores. The report of the Com
mercial Economy Board declares that
in our great cities the cost to the
department store OF delivering pack
ages is from eight to twenty-five
ia l. m .
for the cost of delivering an article
to exceed the cost Of the article, and
probably one-half of the daily pur-
chases OF a department store might
be carried home by the women them
selves.
How Is all this vast. unnecessary
use of men and horses and trucks
and money and time to be cut out
and the delivery system put on
rational basis where 1t is strictly con-
fined to what is necessary?
There are not a few towns in the
country where 1t has already been
put on such a basis by cooperative
deliveries. Ann Arbor, Mich, has had
such a delivery conducted by its mer-
chants for eight years. Formerly II
took seventy wagons to carry home
the daily buyings of the people; now
it takes but eighteen. In other towns
there has been a saving in cost OF
from twenty-five to seventy-ive per
cent.
Wherever a cooperative delivery
has been well managed the average
saving has been around fifty per cent.
Could Carry Packages Home.
OF course, this means a reform in
the method of ordering. One delivery
a day is all that ought TO be ex-
pected under present conditions. II
a woman knows that is all she will
get she will quickly and easily re-
form her ways or carry her extra
bundles.
The woman's committee Of the
Council of National Defense firmly
believes that all that it is necessary
to do today to secure hearty. and
prompt cooperation from women in
carrying out such savings as this.
that their fellow-committee on the
Council OF National Defense has
demonstrated to be possible, Is TO
let them know that it is asked. II
urges women everywhere to aid in
the reform. They can very properly
encourage their merchants to estab-
lish central or cooperative deliveries
and call on them to limit their de-
!iveries to not over one a day on each
route, cutting out accommodation de-
liveries altogether. They can disci-
pline themselves to regular and
thoughtful ordering. They can carry
small packages. They can discon-
tinue the wasteful practice OF having
goods sent home ION approval -
which nearly always means waste
effort in delivery as well as extra
charges within the stores. In a GER
tain department store with total an
nual sales Of 5000. 600, returned goods
amount to 20 per cent. involving q
waste OF more than $50. 900 annually.
Each woman will do her part II
groups Of women everywhere will
spread the reasons why the govern
ment. through the woman's commit
tee. is making this request, there will
be no doubt that We shall see 100 ,OoO
men freed from useless service.