Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-15

Washington, d. c., Jan. 13.-To
organize the women Of the United
States in an eort to reduce prices
by teaching them to buy economi-
cally, to refuse overpriced and ex-
travagant goods, and to report
profiteers, is the latest effort Of the
department Of justice in its fight on
the high cost Of living. Miss Edith
Strauss has been placed at the head
Of this new organization, and she
claims already to have organized
more than three million women.
Probably no one thinks that tell
ing women what to buy and what
not to buy will be a very potent
force in reducing the cost of living.
Our ways of buying may be careless
and extravagant, but 1t must be
clear to all that our ways Of pro-
ducing and distributing are far
more fundamental to the cost Of
living problem. None-the-less, this
effort to teach women how to buy,
as long as it is not offered as a
cure-all, is a measure which every
husband and father will appreci-
ate.
The merchants claim that women
will not buy cheap or reasonable
things, but demand high priced
articles. This charge is preferred
against men as well as women, but
the women being the main shop
pers are saddled with the bulk of
the responsibility.
Women do 80 per cent Of the re-
tail buying, and are, therefore, the
element to which the producer and
vender of goods must cater. Mer-
chants report that where tests have
been made, articles reasonably
priced failed to sell, whereas others
of similar value, marked higher,
were quickly disposed of. Just
what advertising accompanied these
sales is not clearly brought out.
Still, extravaganza and reckless
ness have characterized buying
ever since the close of the war. To
swing the pendulum back to the
side of economy is the aim Of the
department Of justice. This, the
department believes, is the first step
toward lowered prices.
When the department Of justice
, came to it's conclusion about the
! women of America, it sent for Miss
Edith Strauss, economic expert, and
appointed her to teach women how
they can best use their influence
! over trade and finance SO as to
benefit society and themselves.
Miss Strauss has outlined an or
ganization plan for each state SO
that in time the economy campaign
may reach all the women OF the
country. Each city or other COM
munity unit is to have a chairman
and committees. These officers in
form the women Of the locality
about fair prices of necessities, and
urge them to refuse exorbitantly
priced goods. The women are
reached through clubs, parent
teachers associations Of the schools
I tLSS anu plilSl Va
Over 100000 women members
of some 10000 clubs are already
well organized. These women are
studying their local price situation
Their attention is attracted to the
necessity for conservative buying
so that production may catch W
with consumption. They are re-
minded that if they will dispense
with luxuries and demand palmer
goods, the manufacturers will pro-
duce cheaper articles. Palmer
goods usually require less labor
and time in the making, and there
fore production can speed up.
The consumers whims are the
producers barometer. He com
plains that he must turn out full
trimmed coats, because coats no
trimmed remain on the retailer!
racks. 1t is up to you, the clut
women are told, to show the retailer
what you want-a coat extrava
gantly priced because Of freakisl
style, a new fabric, and fur col
lar. or a conservative garment of {
substantial material.
Besides studying economy, buyer.
are urged to report to the stat,
or local fair price commissioner
all cases of obvious profiteering
So far reports have resulted in ovel
800 profiteers being arrested. Eigh
of them have been brought to tria
and all eight were convicted. Tn,