Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-21
MOLINE CROCERS
WILL COOPERATE
Select Members for Places on County
Board Which VIII Fix Prices
of Staple Food Supplies.

Counting 1t privilege 10 aSS4st 1he
government and not a wartime sacri- |
fee, groeers and meat men, members
Of the Business Mems Association OF
Moline, East Moline and Silvis, unan-
imously voted to cooperate with Uncle |
Sam in the conservation Of food, at a /
largely attended meeting held last
evening at Swedish Olive hall, Mo-
line. The action taken means the
launching OF, price fixing board
which will daily determine retail quo
tations on staple food supplies.
! w. H. Christison and Chris Christie
pller were selected to represent Moline
I grocers on the county price commit
( tee and John 0'Neil was chosen from
East Moline. On the suggestion from
/ NJ r. Lenfesty. district food admin
istrator. that the meat situation would
soon be included in the move to es-
tablish fair charges on food, G. o..
Lovejoy was named by ballot as an ad-
ditional member. Rock Islands rep
+ resentatfves were recently selected.
1t is something of q distinction
which has been conferred upon this
community in having price fixing
body named, since it will be the second
place in the United States where the
experiment has been tried. Chicago is
the only other city which has been.
chosen by the food authorities for a
trial OF the plan and it is proving big
success.
District Administrator Lenfesty ex-
planned to the merchants the necessity
I of sending food supplies to Europe and
said that food conservation was not
economy but merely food substitution.
He pointed out that cornmeal is de-
sired for use instead of wheat -four and
chicken in place of beef, even if the
: substitutes cost more because it is i'm
possible to send the latter abroad.
4 In a speech ringing with patriotism,
DR.. w. E. Taylor discussed the food
conservation move and showed the
vital part which the grocer has in it.
Among other things he said:
THE cost of delivering is very ma
terial and in my judgment a plan
should be worked out that will be fav-
! orable to the customer who does his
own carrying. 1t is not fair for the
customer who goes to the store, buys
his goods and takes them home to be
; compelled to pay the cost of delivering
! to other customers who order supplies
delivered by you. The latter should
pay a special delivery charge.
j Again there should be discrimina-
ton made between the cash customer
and the one who asks credit for more
, than ten or fifteen days. 1t is mani
testify unfair to the customer who pays
. cash for his goods to be penalized on
: account of the enc who Is delinquent in
: f., his payments or dead beat who never
pays. If a reasonable discount Is made
= for cash, in accordance with the plan
! enforced by wholesale dealers from
> whom you purchase, it will unques.
tionably stimulate large majority Of
;, the customers to take advantage Of the
cash prices or pay within fifteen days
OF the time of purchase, which is us
G ually considered as cash and eliminate
much work and embarrassment fol-
q you.
> Il want to admonish you as patriotic
: citizens, that It is your duty TO preach
and teach conservation of food to youl
& customers and others. Today we arr
: confronted with the startling state
. ment that unless extreme measures
are adopted to conserve -four anC
: meat. we will find ourselves com
pletely depleted of those two very nee
"A essary foods within the next 81,
4 months This impending disaster cal
a be aVerted only by adopting meat
n less and Wl1eatless day each week. VI
are advised that if persuasion is in
20 effective, the government Will, in orde
= TO avert the impending disaster. b
obliged to issue mandatory orders"
b. Others to be heard were NJ. @. Girls
J. void, Rock Island; NJ j. Duryea, an
"a Z. w. Woodcock.
a Some of the methods suggested 70
cutting down the expenses of operat
- ing grocery stores and thereby lower
ing the price Of food included:
Cutting of credit to a 10 or 30-da
limit, and not selling to delinquen
customers except for cash
Reduced prices for cash customers.
Extra charge for delivery Of order
OF less than SO cents or 81.
Cooperative delivery system.
Although it is not compulsory ia
merchants to follow the quotations Sc
by the price fixing board, the govetr
ment has another way to forcing obet
fence to the plan and that ia throng
the wholesalers and jobbers. Thes
latter concerns are all licensed and
a merchant is found who is not fo
lowing the prices fixed by the count
board, then the state food admin,
traitor can notify the jobber not to Sc
the offending merchant any mo,
goods and if the wholesaler fails
comply then his license can be revoke
and he be put out of business.