Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-11

crackers is eight cents box, and it is so
shown in all invoices and bills and other COM
mercial literature. The retailer sells Them
for ten cents box, and he is willing to prove
to you that he is only making a two-cent
profit. And yet the treasury stores are SELL
ing these same crackers at seven cents a box
without losing any money, because the com
pany pays back fifteen cents on every dollar
for an order of certain size. This rebate
does not show anywhere on paper.
The treasury stores are now selling only
about seven hundred different articles but
they will get almost anything that a sub
scriber wants By making the order for a
single article part of large order, the store
management is usually able to get a whole
sale price. Thus one woman wanted a Hud-
son seal coat trimmed in beaver 1t could be
bought in a Washington retail store for six
hundred dollars. The store was able to sup
ply the same coat for three hundred and fifty
dollars although the dealer said that if the
order were repeated the price would be four
hundred, as fur was going up.
The treasury stores employ force of clerks
who are paid salaries just as high as they
would get in retail stores. They also make
deliveries, but they charge extra for these
All deliveries within a certain zone are fifteen
cents each. and those outside of that zone are
twenty-five cents.
The stores are at present doing business
of about eight hundred dollars a day, cash.
They seem to be attracting much favorable
attention. Several congressman have applied
for membership, and have been admitted.
One way in which the treasury stores eX-
pect to lower living costs is by using local
products. For example, it plays UP certain
-four made within twenty-five miles of Wash
tngton, which is a perfectly good -four and
can be sold at profit for two dollars less a
barrel than the high-grade patented f1ours
1t offers the patented iours for those who
want them. In like manner, it sells butter
locally made in preference to paying seven or
eight cents for an advertised label which has
been shipped a thousand miles or more. 1t
hopes to establish growing comfy with the
local farmers. For example, if a farmer who
was selling produce to the treasury store
wanted washing machine for his wife, the
store might get it for him at cost, and he
might reciprocate by giving the store a rock
bottom price on a tub of butter.
One of the most interesting things about
the treasury stores is their manager, Mr.. ]. G.
McGrath. He is a fine, imposing-looking gen.
tleman, white-haired and moustached, of the
Southern colonial type. He is about the last
sort of a man that you would expect to find
launching a new idea in the face of opposition
and prejudice. Nonetheless he is the &C
knowledged leader of the cooperative store
movement here in Washington. He lives for
cooperative stores. They are his hobby. He
does large part of his work for nothing. He
has been so busy since the war started that
he has not had time to buy a suit of clothes.
The other day he was putting through a rush
order for suit and overcoat so that he could
go to New York and get an inside price on
shoes from famous shoe magnate.
Mr.. McGrath was manager Of the co-opera-
tive store Of the Park View Citizens AssOca-
ton here in the district, which made a reputa-
ton by it's success in reducing the cost of liv-
ing, and which was the model and inspiration
for many other community stores. Later Mr..
McGrath was prime organizer or the Con-
sumers' league, of the district, which is to
be a buying organization drawing its mem
bers from the entire city. This organization
is still being organized. 1t has an excellent
prospect of success. Mr. McGrath devotes
most of his leisure to it.