The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL.
INFORM ALTON
BUR AU
FREDERIC J. RASKIN, Dtrooeex.
wAahingtsa. .. @
SHOPPING BUREAU FOR
SOLDIERS.


New York. Sept. 19.-The last
great parade is over. and the last in
terested spectator of the war has gone
| home with the virtuous feeling that
he has done his duty and that now he
| should be let alone to battle with the
ALA bsorbing question OF the high cost
of living. At least. so it appears. for
\ the few who have remained to carry
| on the work of reconstruction are hav-
ing a sad time in their efforts to
arouse enthusiasm.
The city is still painted with cordial
| welcome Home" signs; information
| booths for soldiers are thickly scat
tered turnout the congested districts.
where they incidentally fill a great
need among civilians. and the uniform
| in all it's masculine and feminine va
rieties is still common on the streets,
altho 1t has long since become passe
/ on the stage. The Star Spangled Ban
ner has also been discarded by the
theaters, and all the red. white and
! blue Columbias and Liberties have
disappeared from the cabarets. In
| fact, the military note has become
| faint almost to the point of extinction.
The other morning a group of Riddles
A, stood hooking the jerky gait of a dis
abled ex-soldier. who was hobbling
along in civilian clothes.
II don't think it's fair; people for
! get too easily" said the young woman
who had witnessed this scene. as she
|
herself before a flat-topped desk and
began to hunt for some postal cards.
II don't blame the boys for feeling
bitter" she went on freely. after Sc
curing a promise that her name would
not be mentioned. They're getting
them now"
A pale. tired-looking youth pre-
sented himself at the door of small
-, o.,-k, Of
the soldiers shopping bureau" he in
quired. When assured that it was, he
explained that he was greatly in need
of a suit of clothes. He had bought
the suit which he had on, but he
needed another cheaper one in which
to work. The young woman led him
briskly to the open door of closet
filled with all sorts and conditions of
masculine clothes. With an expert
eye. she picked out a blue suit of good
quality and handed it to him.
This ought to fit you" she said
The ex-soldiers face flushed pain
fully. But have only a little
money" he said.
VERY well, you can pay us 50 for it.
Shall I wrap it up for you?"
The young woman and the applicant
disappeared into an adjacent room
from which could be heard the crack
ling sound of wrapping paper and the
hum of voices. When the young man
was dispatched with his bundle of
clothes, the yo--- woman returned
and explained that his family had been
completely wiped out by the influenza
epidemic while he was fighting in
France, and that when he returned he
discovered that all of their property
including his own effects, had been
sold to cover the cost of doctors bills
and funerals. He has had a great
deal of trouble in getting a job" she
continued, and finally had to take
one paying him only as much as he
was making when he was drafted.
whereas the cost of living has
doubled"
Between sixty and eighty soldiers
visit the Soldiers Shopping bureau
every day to take advantage of its
| service. This consists chiefly of shop
ping cards which entitle men honor
ably discharged from the army to dis
counts on civilian clothes. But in
cases where such assistance appears to
be needed the men are supplied with
clothes at whatever they can afford
to pay. Moreover, II a man who has
just secured a job wants to buy a new
suit of clothes, the Shopping Bureau
will provide him with the necessary
credit and permit him to pay it back
in small monthly installments from his
salary.
Clothes are not the only articles for
men to discounts. are supplied by the
bureau. Leather goods, furniture
household fixtures and jewelry are
also covered by its service. so that the
returned soldier who wants to get mar
ried and set up housekeeping can do
so as inexpensively as possible The
discounts are really provided by va
rious New York stores who regard il
as their patriotic duty. The owner OF
one store which is supplying a liberal
discount to soldiers on wearing APP
parel lost two boys in the war Credit
is also supplied by these stores. but
the Shopping Bureau is held RESPONSE
bic in case of non-payment.
The bureau was first established by
Mrs. Guy Tolman of the Mayors Com
mittee of Women on Reconstruction
and Relief because it was found that
returning soldiers were being taken
advantage of by many concerns
Especially during the summer months
the first thought in a mans mind
upon receiving his discharge papers,
was to discard his uniform, and usual
ly he didn't care how much he paid to
fulfill this desire. Indeed so reckless
were some of the men in this respect
that having no money with which to
purchase civilian apparel they decided
to Join mysterious religious fra
ternity on the outskirts of the city
which believes that the essence of p1Ir-
ity and piety is to go without clothes
At this point the editor of a local
newspaper. came to the rescue. how
ever. with a drive to secure cast-off
clothing for them. Many suits of
clothes and pairs of shoes were OBJ
tanned in this way, which explains
why the shopping bureau can afford
to sell them at such a low price. 1t
has been found that the average SOL
der dislikes- to accept charity. so that
ia II
sum is attached to each article.
1t is interesting, just to sit in the
headquarters of the shopping bureau
for an hour or two and watch the
various types of applicants who come
in. Altho many of them have been
tramping the streets for days, looking
for work, they do not seem to be the
least bit discouraged. Any bitterness
they may feel is always passed off in
jest or in a sort of courageous sar-