The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-13
DELIVERIES MAKE
THINGS COST MORE
Much Might BE Saved II People
Would Only Garry Home
Articles They Buy.

which the women of the country can
help the government in its campaign
to eliminate wastefulness during the
war, and at the same time take a fall
out OF the high cost of living. Is the
revision of present methods of shop
ping, This applies to the buying of
all kinds of things, from foodstuffs to
dry goods.
Not the least important feature of
the suggested revision of buying meth
DDS consists of carrying home every
thing that can be carried. instead of
having a. great many articles sent. as
Is the case at the present time. This
is only one phase of the situation. yet
figures have recently been issued by
the department of commerce showing
that the nations annual delivery bill
must be tremendous.
These figures deal with the dlstri-
button expense of retail merchants In
the city Of Washington only, yet an
analysis of the reports of these mer-
chants shows that the item of delivery
adds about $3.50 q year to the living
cost OF family Of five. or approx
mately $40 for each person. 1t is fur
Their shown that SO per cent. OF the
gross income from the sales of the 12S
retailers who submitted reports to the
department IL paid cut for deliveries.
Ais ASo IStdAclB IN NuSstlcii, aGtpIu-
ing to the reports rendered, do an an
nual gross business Of sac. S2s.402. and
OF this amount deliveries TO custom
ers account for the expenditure of
$2.047.7 ISL.
Now. there Is no reason to believe
that tho people of Washington de-
mand or receive any more delivery
service than people living in any other
of the larger cities OF the country. On
the other hand, according TO men who
know, there are reasons for believing
manded ana received there. compare
tive populatfons considered. than is
the case In New York. Boston. Chi
cago, or other leading cities. This be-
ing the case. 1t may be assumed that
similar investigation by the depart
ment of commerce would show the
yearly delivery toll per family and in
dividual to be higher In the last
named cities than in Washington.
: Overt oeking deliveries of foodstuffs
and many other things that go to swell
the cost of living for residents of the
metropolitan district. the fact remGins
part of department stores could be
lowered considerably II the women
who buy from these stores would les
sen the demands on them In regard
to things to be sent. AS II stands now.
according to an executive of a leading
store, fully SO per cent. OF all pur-
chases. be they large or small. have to
be delivered.
While a great many of these de-
liveries are absolutely necessary" he
said yesterday. f.'becarae Of the char
.acter OF the merchandise involved, a
great many of them are not. The local
traffic situation. particularly with the
present crowded condition of all kinds
iof carriers. is all against women who
want TO take with them purchases that
they could carry easily under other
conditions. However. IL women would,
through the life OF the war, discom-
mode themselves to the extent of car
irying everything. they buy that could
reasonably be expected of them. they
would be doing their Bit for the ooun-
try and eliminating wastefulness in a
Iprosaic but very effective way
ITO deliver even the smallest pack
age costs money. and money lis among
the things the government is trying
to have saved. The more easily a pur-
chased article can be carried by a
shopper. the relatively greater waste
there is in having 1t sent. All of the
stores will doubtless continue as con-
siderate Of the shoppers. desires in the
matter of deliveries as they ever have
been. No store Is going to refuse to
deliver anything II 1t is asked TO. But
all unnecessary deliveries result in the
waste of money and increase the cost
OF merchandise to the consumer.
Waste is a thing the government wants
done, away with. Therefore. by not
asking for the delivery of articles that
can easily be carried. patrons OF the
stores will be falling directly in line
with the governments request"
In another instance it was pointed
out that the C. o. D. deliveries are the
most wasteful OF all. Only recently
figures were given on the business page
of the New York Times showing that,
in a store where the average sale is
s1.4o, So per cent OF the C. o, D.
deliveries asked for involved mer-
chandise costing 81 or less
/ 1t was also shown that IL 1-2
chandise costing rs cents or less ana
goods costing between 26 and so cents.
the stores and the shoppers side in
ed that waste is not altogether mis-
sing.
But the element OF waste by no
means IL present in the G. o. d. de-
iiveries in which the merchandise stays
sold to the extent II is in when the
goods are delivered and then refused
by the purchaser. This not only In
wolves the handling of the goods. in
and out, by about twenty people from
nA