The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-10-31
POLICE PURSES,
REFUSE TO BUY"
URGES OFFICIAL
Courage of Customers Only
Way to Cut H. c. L.,
Lester Declares

Chicago-A nation wide movement
to police our own pocket books and
develop courage of the customer in
front of the counter to refuse to buy
an article which he cannot AFFORD, was
advocated today by Orrin G. Lester,
vice-director of the savings division
of the Treasury Department. Speak
ing before the annual convention OF
the International Lyceum and Chau-
tauqua Association, in session here,
Mr.. Lester said that the development
of courage to refuse to buy and to do
It with as much grace and praise as
the clerk behind the counter names
the price, would make economy both
fashionable and respectable in Amer
lea.
"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 a proper proportion of the
above percentages? A dollar Is only
half as large as 1t was four and a
half years ago. We must either in
crease the size of the dollar or adjust
our wants to the size 1t now is.
Merchant Cooperation
an a movement of this character.
the people would be cooperating with
the merchants in a most practical way.
They would make 1t possible for the
merchant to render the sort Of serv-
ice that he desires to render to his Gus
toner and which he can only render
as the customer exercises discretion
and intelligence In his buying and buys
only those things which his income
justifes.
Goods were made to use, not to see,
and when a 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 for
the wise use Of money, Mr.. Lester
made especial appeal to the women OF
America. He said:
THE government movement for saw
ing, conducted through the medium OF
the sale and distribution of Thrift and
War Savings Stamps and Treasury
Savings 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. The
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 profiteers combined and all
the combines together cannot defeat
the 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 1t into their heads to stop eating
any one perishable food for five days.
they could ruin the market.
"A Pacific Coast newspaper dis
GUESSING this statement editorially. put
its finger on the cost of living remedy
when it said: 1t may be that prof
teering is at the bottom of present
high prices. but a man cannot profteer
If you refuse to buy his goods.
"Regal 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. Lester 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.
l-BCY W. S. 81