The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-10
CONNECTICUT ", s. s. COMMITTEE
 STILL URGES CAREFUL BUYING
Says This Is Means of Reducing High Cost of
 Living; Merchants Are Objecting.

Hartford, Sept. 6. - In spite of criticisms from one or two merchants, tho Connecticut War Savings Com Tlttoe has announced Its intention of continuing its efforts to induco the public to buy more carefully as a means of reducing the high cost of living. Tho controversy cEan when Edward N Allen, chairman Of the Hartford War g Engs Committee, wrote a letter c. Mrs. Richard M. HLsseIl, state director. offering hts ros- frnatiou as protest against tho com ulttee's advice against iudlsCrimiuate buying, Mir. Aliens point being that # people stopped buying, the market would be disrupted and production would fall off.
 His resignation was promptly ac- cepteG by Mss Irene W. O'Brien, actiuE state director, who announced that the committee was trying tO re- duca only the abnormal demand for goods and that Mir. Aliens objections wore based upon a misunderstauding Nr. Allen Is one of the owners of a Hartford department store.
 The Hartford Times published yes t.~Iay 0 statement from the War raviugs Committee defending its po- Htiou and quoting an editorial in The Times in support of it's contention that indiscriminate buying on the part of tE- public is one factor in the Con- stant increase in prices. The state meut follows:
 "Tho Connecticut War Savings Committee has watched with aston ishment and some amusement the outburst of criticism, resentment and misunderstanding oCcasioued by it's recent publicity conducted under in- strucLuns from tNe savings division of the First Federal Reserve bank to combat the high cost of living publicity whose purpose was far from antagouizing any class. individual, or business interest, but on the contrary Co assist the public as a whole to meet whCt everyone agrees is a na- tonal crisis It is too important a crisis, in fact. and too fraught with danger for every citizen of this coun- try to be treated from the standpoint of merchants alone or any other class.
 It is unfair for our critics to pick up and c-l1gEerate certain portions Of cur publicity and to ignore it's obvious intent as a whole Tn reply to such criticisms or implications ths commits can only say that it is ready at any time tO defend it's convictions and to account for it's course of action 10 any impartial authority; and that 1t considers It's work too iTnpor taat to be obgcured or siGetracked by coz troyersies or non-cssential matters No public spirited citizen can take serious objection to movement tend ing to discourage reckless eztrava- gauce and to promote sensible spend ing and sensible saving.
 ''The committee has made # suf- dciently clear that it does not regard lie advance as a panacea for all illz It does not set itself up as q censor of individuals and their expenditures Its publicity mentioned furs. for ir- stance, merely as examples of articles purchased fin large quantities at a time when the majority of people complain that they find the cost oi necessities bu-densome. It would rot presume to say that persons wha can afford to buys fnTs should not in- GuIge in them as they please. HNirs as furs. do not interest it in tht slightest. What Is an extravagancs 10 one person is not an eztrayhgance to another, and it is for the indiyit ual to decide. The committee is Ina tArested in extrNvagance only as such and as .t becO4n = widespread enough to be an economic menace, and con aeduently the business of tho pub lie. Our position in this regard i' reflected admirably in another edt