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

VIZ WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 5.--Washiug-
wv tons newest retail store, now in the
second week Of promising career, is
located IN the sub-baSement of the Treasury
building. To reach it you descend two flights
below the main floor, and travel about a
quarter OF mile by way of narrow winding
Railways such as those used by the ghosts in
the Mysteries of Udolpho."
But the store when you get to it, is sur
prisingly like any crossroads store in the
country 1t sells all sorts of groceries and
salt meats, and also clothing and shoes and
various other articles in the dry goods line.
The only difference between this store and a
good many other stores is in the prices. They
are lower here. Rice that is retailing for
eighteen cents up on the surface of the earth
may be purchased down here for fifteen cents.
standard brand of coffee that brings the
retailer from fifty-fve to sixty-ive cents a
pound may be bought here for forty-six cents
Seventyfve-cent butter may be purchased
here for. sixty-eight cents.
These samples are typical of the savings
on food which this store offers, but the saw
ihgs on clothing are much larger The other
day woman who had just bought coat in a
retail store came into this basement haven of
the harried consumer, and saw exactly the
same coat offered for sale. She asked the
price. 1t was twenty dollars less than she
had paid. She wept loudly and had to be
comforted by the management.
This Is the only untoward incident which
has marred the even tenor of the stores sub
terranean existence except when the manage
ment had five hundred pounds of sugar to
sell. All of the six thousand subscribers who
have right to buy at this store made a
simultaneous drive for that sugar. riot en-
sued, and the general manager had to make
speech and lock up the rest of the sugar in
the office safe before order. could be restored
He says that the store will not offer any more
sugar for sale until it has twelve thousand
pounds on hand.
AS you may have guessed by this time, this
is one more cooperative store. 1t was or
ganiZed with the august and reassuring per-
mission of the secretary Of the treasury. Its
stockholders are six thousand employees of the
treasury department and it's allied depart
ments Each of these has Clipped in five dol
lars. In return he gets ticket allowing him
to buy at the store. Any time he becomes dis
satisfied he may turn in his ticket and get his
five dollars back The store is governed by
an executive committee of the stockholders.
1t is managed by Mr.. j. G. McGrath, who is
the grandfather of the community store idea
in Washington.
This store in the basement of the Treasury
building is only one of three that are under
Mr.. McGrath's management. A second is al
ready operating in the war risk insurance
bureau, and is doing good business. The
third is to be in the bureau Of engraving and
printing, and is now being organized.
These stores are conducted on exactly the
same basis as any other retail stores, except
that they do not have to pay rent. Uncle Sam
gives them space free of charge. That is one
reason why they can offer food cheaper than
the retailer of course. On the other hand
they are operating on a small capital, so far,
and cannot get the discounts that go with
large orders. 1t has been figured out that the
store can be operated on these discounts
alone when it is able to get them on all lines
of goods, and thus can sell everything at the
wholesale price.
For example, the store has already bought
large enough quantities to obtain the discount
on a certain brand of crackers, or biscuits put
m in boxes The wholesale price of these