The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-19
VIII Decide "Fair and Lower
Cost, Committee Asserts.
First Submit Tentative List To
Retailers, Plan.
ITO STRIKE At NECESSITIES"
Green Declares Public To Blame
for III. C. l..
People Insist on "Choicest of
Goods" He Asserts.

The county fair price committee to-
day summoned all retail grocers of
Topeka to meeting at the Chamber
of Commerce December 26 at s p. m.
At this meeting a tentative list OF
fair maximum prices ON foodstuffs
will be presented to the grocers by
the committee. according TO W. IL.
kemper. chairman. If these prices
meet with objections on the part OF
the Grocers, Kemper will ask them TO
appoint a committee of five to meet
with his committee to go over the pro-
posed list
In our fight to reduce prices. We
are striking first at the necessities of
life. kemper declared. IF these are
forced down, other prices will follow
as natural consequence"
The tentative price list to be pre-
sented to the grocers. which will not
be made public. is the result of a
thoro canvass of grocers by the fair
price committee. Blanks were sent
out to all grocers and they were asked
to fill in the prices they were charging
for listed articles of food. Two such
sets of blanks were sent out. on
some foods the merchants were pretty
much together, but on others there
was too great difference in prices.
After "Happy Medium"
In making out ,its tentative list OF
maximum prices. the committee has
| endeavered to arrive at a HAPPY
medium that will be fair to the
! grocer and yet will make food prices
uniform and lower. The list finally
agreed upon will be published so the
| public may know what they should
| pay for groceries. Later the commit
tee Will make similar list of maxi
mum wholesale food prices complied
from blanks sent to the 1obbers.
When the committee was making
survey of retail food prices and
yariances on certain articles were
| found on the returned lists, Bert
Grocery company was asked to give
the grocer's side Of the story. He said
he knew the large grocery stores of
/ tne CITY were not profitet ring and
! that they were selling at as low a
margin as possible, even selling some
articles al loss.
| Defends Small Grocer.
He made defense for the smaller.
| grocer, who has to charge higher
! prices in some cases, he said, because
he cannot buy his goods in quantity
lots is do the larger firms.
| Green said the public was largely
to blame for high prices People will
not buy cheap articles as they used
| to. he declared. They want only the
choice cuts of meats, the best quality
OF canned goods and the game in other
foodstuffs. Moreover they nav what
ever price the grocer asks for his
godos. If they would object TO the
! price and go somewhere else to trade
| they would bring the merchant TO
time, according to Green.
/ Women Promise Aid
| Mrs George Supple. president of the
/ Topeka Women's Relief Corps and
/ secretary of the state organization,
who has been recommended to sue
coed r. r. Austin. resigning member
of the fair price committee declared
| that the housewives Of Topeka would
do everything in their power TO aid
the committee in forcing down prices.
They will buy only what they need and
will not pay more than the COMMITTEES
| sets as fair price. according to Mrs.
! Supple. The working girls are largely
responsible for high prices. i'm Mrs.
, Supplies opinion. They want only tho
best and most expensive articles. shs
said. and IL Is up to the fair price
committes to secure their aid in the
H G. L, fight