The Benson signal., 1919-11-15
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UA(ID OFFICIAL.
Co,--2gs Of Customers Only
Way to Cut II. c. L.,
I-os:er Declares

OElcaSC-A IdL1ON VICE movement
to police our own pocket books and
develop courage OF the customer in
front OF the conntar to refuse to buy
an article which he cannot afford, was
advocated today By Orrin G. Lester,
weed: director Of the savings division
oa the Treasury Department. Speak
ing before the annual convention of
The international Lyceum and Chau-
tauuua Association, in session here,
Mr. Lester said that the development
1t with IS much grace and praise as
the clerk behind the counter names
the price, would make economy both
fashionable and respectable in Amer
ila.
'It is estimated,' Mr.. Lester said,
that for most incomes an average
OF 20 to 40 per cent may be allotted
for food and from 10 to 20 per cent
for clothing. Why should not the
people of not too small incomes start
a concerted effort to refuse to buy an
article of food or clothing that costs
more than @ proper proportion Of the
ahevo percentages? A dollar is only
half as large as it was four and a
half .,ears ago. We must either in
crease the size Of the dollar or adjust
our wants to the size it now Is.
Merchant Cooperation
'In a movement OF this character,
the people would be cooperating with
the merchants in most practical way
They would make it possible for the
merchant to render the sort of serv-
toner and which he can only render
rs the customer exercises discretion
and intelligence in his buying and buys
only those things which his income
justifles.
Goods were made to use, not to see,
and when people will not use them
they will not sell. When they will not
sell, they come down in price or go
out of existence"
In discussing thrift and the need fo1
the wise use of money, Mr.. Lester
made especial appeal to the women OF
america. He said:
"The government movement for saw
g, conducted through the medium oi
10 sale and distribution of Thrift and
ar Savings Stamps and Treasury
:avings Certificates, is very closely con
nected with the question of the high
| living cost The practical and lasting
answer to this question lies more in
education than in investigation. This
Federal Food Administration found
that 80 per cent Of products consumed
in this country passes through the
hands Of the women of this country.
People Supreme
"All the profteers combined and ali
the combines together cannot defeat
tle people on this question when they
get interested enough and information
enough to act together. The thing
want to see in this connection is a
Refuse to Buy movement among the
people of this country. A prominent
produce dealer Of San Francisco said
the other day, If the people should
take it into their heads to stop eating
Gl1y CILC pOA IS1lCCbLC AOOu iOl ANC
they could ruin the market
"4A Pacific Coast newspaper, dis
cussing this statement editorially, put
it's finger on the cost of living remedy
when it said: 1T may be that prof.
teer.ng is at the bottom of present
high prices, but a man cannot profteer
! if you refuse to buy his goods
"Regai dless of Investigations and
criminal prosecutions, we shall have
the problem of the high cost Of living
so long as we have an extravagant and
thoughtless consuming public"
/ Mr.. LeEter concluded with an ap.
peal for the speeding up of produc.
ton, the elimination of useless waste,
consistent and rigid economy and saw
ing and investment of those savings in
| government savings securities and
| Liberty Bonds.