The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-13


the sugar-for it cost them only seven
cents pound when the retail price
was ten But their saving was not
Legitimate. They were saving at other
peoples expense.
On the other hand, take the case of
couple with four children who nat
urally require large supplies of food.
They use six boxes of cereal a week,
five pounds of butter, several dozen
eggs and large quantity of flour,
as well as canned goods The mother
of this family orders her supplies over
the telephone from the nearest re-
taller. She orders for one day at a
time, and she does not go over the
grocery slips. Her food bills are
enormous, or were until a domestic
science teacher made her acquaintance
not long ago and insisted upon proving
to her that she could cut the bills in
half by ordering her supplies in bulk
instead of a little bit at a time.
After learning that large reductions
were possible thru buying in large
quantities direct from the manufac-
turer or wholesaler or farmer, the
consumer began to inquire into the ap-
parently remarkable profits of the re-
taller. He expected to find the retail
er making something. of course, but
he was somewhat surprised to find
that on some commodities it was from
rs to 100 per cent When charged
Win ILLS AlOW6NSTs the I6Id1leT
did not appear at all abashed He sim
ply called the consumers attention to
his expenses for telephone service; his
overburdened delivery system, and his
books of charge accounts
All of these things are ancient his
tory to the consumer now. He has
had them thrown at him every time
he looked the slightest bit startled at
the price of anything. For awhile
many consumers even tried to aid in
a national reduction of prices by car
rying home their goods themselves,
but they soon realized that until every
body did this they were only contrib
uting somewhat unnecessarily to the
aid of the retailer. In other words, the
retailers made no reductions for this
voluntary service. The woman who
ordered a nutmeg and box of pep
per sent around to her apartment was
charged the same price as the man
who carried his wife's nutmeg and
pepper home with him.
Under the present system the re-
tail grocery charges for its service,
and it is your own fault if you don't
quite recently, however, they have
instituted few reforms that appear
to solve the delivery problem. A GER
tain set of chain stores started it. They
lowered the prices of their goods and
then instituted a charge of ten cents
for each delivery Furthermore. they
announced that all soliciting by tele-
phone would be discontinued and
that a charge of 2 per cent would
be made for credit.
This was done more in the nature
of an experiment than anything else.
The stores were not sure that they
would be able to hold out against the
competition of more obliging retail
ers. But a consumer, however I'M
reasonable, usually recognizes justice,
and so it happened that the stores
not only kept the custom they had but
were well supplied with new Gus
toners. Thereby, the fallacy that
people will not carry their own mar
ket baskets was exploded. Hundreds
of women are now performing their
own delivery service in Pennsylvania
because for the first time it has been
made profitable for them. Moreover.
many women are going to market in
stead OF using telephone, and many
more are paying cash.
Thus the, consumer, by exhaustive
mental calculation and strategic man
euver, has contrived to hold on to his
old eating habits, with occasional pa
tr1otlc sacrifices. Dieting and scien-
tl1lc eating are all very well, but the
crux of the high cost of living prob
lem is marketing
Questions on the above or anv sub-
Ject upon which the reader desires in
FORMATION, should be addressed the
Iopeka State Journal Information Blu
reau, Frederic J. Haskin. Director
Washington. D. C., with a scent
stamp enclosed for replv