Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19

way about 1t. If we are ever to
reduce this cost of living we must
by some method develop such
sense OF self-respect among our
selves that we shall regard ex-
travagance as the only disgrace in
spending money, and economy as
both respectable and fashionable.
x X Xxx
Let Get your moneys worth"
become national slogan. Let the
people start movement to police
their own pocketbooks and by con-
certed educational propaganda de-
velop courage in customers in front
or the counter to refuse to buy
any article they cannot afford.
This would not be boycott
scheme. but simply a plea for in
telllgent use of our incomes and
for careful and judicious buying
movement in protection of our
own pocketbooks
such a movement should be in
no sense antagonistic to local
dealers. They should welcome it,
If dealers are in business for the
service of the public, as they
should be. they cannot render the
largest service so long as people
1t Is estimated that for most in
comes from rs per cent to 40 per
cent Is a fair estimate for food;
from Is per cent to 20 per cent for
clothing. Why should not the peo-
pie of not too low incomes CO.
operate in a movement whereby
we shall refuse to buy any neces-
sity or luxury of life that costs
more than we can afford to pay?
An investigation was made by the
savings division of the Treasury
Department among retail dealers
quire what they regarded as the
most effective and quickest way to
check rising prices and to reduce
high living cost. Something like
twenty-five visits were made to
various types of businesses and the
answer was brought back summed
up in two words. "Judicious buy
ing"
A Washington shoe merchant said
that in 1914 he figured that about
10 per cent of his trade could af-
ford and would buy novelty shoes,
meaning by novelty shoes those of
extreme styles. Today. he said,
that 80 per cent buy novelty shoes.
and only 10 per cent conservative
SnOeS. f1OuSemdlOS, LOT example,
think nothing of paying as much as
$18 for a pair of fancy shoes. This
dealer has on his shelves a large
stock of shoes bought in 1914,
which are six inches in height,
with cloth tops and Cuban heels,
and can be sold for from IS to IS a
pair. The extreme shoes this sea-
son are nine inches in height and
cost from Sc to $12 more. Every
time a half inch is added to the
height Of women's shoes from 81
to 81 is added to the price. and
women, by accepting these extreme
styles. are encouraging factories to
increase their shoes in height and
in price. because they haven't indie
pendence enough to unite in saying
that at 81 an inch there is a limit
to how high a. woman can protect
her ankles by leather.
\ X X X
It il not the intention of this
article to prove that the consumer
has been entirely responsible for
establishing present high prices.
He has been responsible, however,
up the prices that have been es-
tablished There are. Of course.
many other causes over which the
public has no direct control.
Our business system. for exam
pie, has become too highly or
gained. Instead of goods being
sold, as they were few years
ago, by the manufacturer to the
wholesaler and by him through
drummers to the retailer. the De-
partment of Justice has found that