The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-03-07
Retailer and the Food Ad-
ministration


ministration building here which is
nearly filled with pasteboard boxes con-
tanning pledge cards signed by about a
quarter of a million retail dealers in
foodstuffs. Each of these pledge cards
is represented in the window of some
store by big striking poster which an
nounces to the public that the man in
side the store has solemnly sworn to
sell food at the lowest price that will
leave him fer profit, and to coop
crate with the Food Administration fer
the elimination of waste and the in
crease OF efficiency.
This pile of promises is growing daily,
and will soon contain the name Of every
one of the 400. 900 retail dealers in the
United States. 1t represents a re-
markably interesting effort to control a
vast and scattered business, without
the exercise of arbitrary power, by Or
ganizlng 1t in great cooperation eff
fort. The orators tell US that in this
war the United States stands for IN
diVidual liberty and social CO. operation
as aga inst autocratic domination. The
method which the Food Administration
has adopted for the control of the re-
tail trade is thoroughgoing test of the
efficiency of that theory OF government.
The relation of the retailer to the
Food Adminietrati ton is little under
stood. People know that the whole
sale dealers and the manufacturers
have been licensed by the federal GOV
eminent, SO that it has a direct power
over them, and may put them out of
business, permanently or temporarily,
if 1t sees fit. They know, toe, that
this punitive power has been exercised
on occasion, that control of the big
dealers is a reality. But the question
is often asked: OF what value to me IS
this control of wholesalers and manu-
facturers if the corner grocer is allowed
to charge me what he will?
The answer to this question is, in
general, that to perfect the control of
such a multifarious thing as the Arneri-
can retail trade would be a long and
difficult Job even if arbitrary methods
were used. To obtain that control by
developing q spirit of cooperation Is
necessarily still greater task. But it
is going forward apace, and great
deal has been accomplished. The grow
ing pile of pledge cards is evidence of
that. And the letters in the Food Ad-
minlstration files from retailers in all
parts of the country, telling What they
have done to save food and cut down
prices, are still better evidence. Then,
again, the average consumer does not
realize what conditions he would have
faced if there had been no control. 1t is
stated by those who are in q position to
know that sugar would now be selling
for thirty cents pound if it had not
been under government control from
the plantation to the corner grocery
store. That may be taken as a sample of
what uncontrolled war prices would be-
The Food Administration has one way
of bringing punitive pressure to bear
upon the retailer; it may forbid the
wholesaler or manufacturer to sell to
him. Such measurer is in It's very
nature one of last resort. The Food
Administration is not approaching the
problem in that spirit. 1t believes that
great deal more may be accomplished
by enlisting the retailer on its side than
by holding threat over his head. For
the retailer can do a great deal more
than reduce prices. He is an expert in
matters of food. He can be, if he will,
valuable advisor to his patrons. He
can save the nation time, money and
men in the way he conducts his bust
ness. He is worth vastly more as a
patriotic assistant than he possibly
could be as man with no motive for
good behavior except threat of punish
ment hanging oyer his head.
AS more than half of the retailers in
the country are already pledged to do,
the grocer as a patriotic assistant to his
government can do great deal in the
way of cutting out was e, especially in
matters Of credit and delivery. These
are two of the biggest items in the
American high cost of living. Grocers
all over the country, acting through
their associations, are working on this
problem in way that will not only 90
long way toward cutting down the
cost of food in war times, but will sure
ly put the retail food business in Ameri-
ca on more economical basis for all
time.
The big idea in all the schemes that
are being put into effect for cutting
down delivery and carriage costs is that
the customer may have both delivery
and credit if he is willing to pay for
them, while the customer who is will
ing to dispense with these things shall
thereby get his food at lower prices.
AS everyone knows, the Food Ad-
ministration publishes in the news