Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-14

showing the cost of production of foods
and compare this with the selling price.
"Iss,ring of food bulletin giving pre-
vailing prices at the various types OF
stores may assist the housewife in that il
may tell her where to get certain COM
modities at n less figure. Bulletins may
also give names Of producers in the sum-
mer time who have an overly large crop.
There may be some consumers who would
be glad to go to these farms and help pick
the crop for reduction in price.
ut might be worth while to inaugurate
a campaign to ask dealers to have nom
delivery prices and then charge certain
per cent for delivery. This would be a
fairpr system As it is now, Mt stores where
! deliveries are made, one has TO pay de-
livery charge whether the parcel is de-
livcred or not. II one wants to be pa
triotic and carry home small parcel, one
has to pay for that privilege
"Now is the psychological time to take
drastic steps and to do things Now we
can appeal to our consumers that it is a
patriotic duty for them 10 help promote
reduction in the high cost Of living. And
this club, with its force of 600 women,
can, If they will work together, secure
and get wha tever they want, if they only
go after it. But one individual can not do
II, for the task Is too great | hope that
this club will put forth efforts as 1T never
has done before and conquer this most
terrible enemy and foe which is gnawing
the health out of the nation, high food
prices.
1T is really impossible toDtalk in
telligently on prices without going INTO
detail of the contributing factors of these
prices. There is not time 10 go into the
subject very deeply, but | will give just
"a few points as the situation appears TO
me. Most Of my remarks will be re-
garding the food situation. The subject
of high prices is not a war product. war
has fastened these tendencies. IL gave
opportunities for speculation and extor'
ton. Living was going up long before
the war, ami IL will continue unless radical
steps are taken to check this situation
IL Is much the outcome OF change IN the
economic foundations Of American hic.
In the first place, supply and demand
and competition no longer arc tho control
ling factors as they used to be. Now IT Is
monopoly. speculation, extortion and
greed Railroads have held the key "a
high cost Of living, for they arc inter
locked with most of the monopolies trusts
and combines, which control produce.
hone every ono of you Is following the
case of the Packing Company of Chicago
An Australian shipper can send butter
$4,000 miles 10 England for | cent pei
pound From California 10 New York
1t costs three times as much and is one
third the distance.
"The effect of oxtortionatc prices means
reducing the diet all around. II means IN
many cases under feeding The use oi
substitutes is not going to solve this prob
lem of conservation absolutely and much
less that OF conserving the health of our
nation. According to Miss Todd of
New York, who investigated schools a'
regards to tho change of food that has
taken place, sho found that the scholar
ship had been lowered most materially
through malnutrition, These things which
affect prices most materially affect con.
servauon. They can't be worked alone
or solved separately; they must be dealt
with hand in hand