Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-06
NATION WIDE PLAN
To CUT HIGH COST
Of LIVING OUTLINED
Government Campaign Is
Endorsed at Meeting Of
Women's Organizations of
State Held Thursday

The immense proportions of the
| governments countrywide cam
| palgn against the high cost of liv-
ing. and it's plan to bring together
all the people of the United States in
| an effort to direct the course of
! after-war reconstruction, were made
! public at a meeting Of fair price
! and government officials Wednesday
| night and at mass meeting of
| Georgia women Thursday morning
| at IL o'clock. Both meetings were
held at the chamber of commerce
and resulted in hearty Endorsement
| of the campaign.
Government representatives. for
| the first time, maze OFFICIAL dec1ara-
| lions that ( the lUnite States faces
an economical crisis beyond govern
mental control and appealed to the
patriotism Of the people as the one
| power which can avert an economi
! cal diSaster, which, they quite
| frankly admitted. is impending. Pa
{ triotic attention to the economic sit
uation and a. unity of purpose in
com batting it was declared to be as
important now as during the war.
Plan Is Outlined
The government plan, as outlined,
| contemplates the bringing together
| of all consumers in a campaign d.
sensible and thrifty purchasing and
methods of living.
Public opinion will be nodded, 1t
was stated, so that the public vii.
create it's own demand and set it's
own style, instead Of having false
| demands and. styles foisted upon
them by manufactures and comm err
cial associations, as was charged by
department Of justice officials
1t is planned to give publicity to
the prices charged by various mer-
chants and to issue lists of those
merchants who are dealing fairly
with the public, Prosecution. it was
stated, will be the last resort. but
will be carried through to the finish
if begun.
Campaign Is Endorsed
The campaign plans of the gov
crnment were outlined by Mrs. Ogden
Wade, of the department of Justice.
at the meeting Of representatives of
Georgia w 0 NJ ems organizations
Thursday morning, Resolutions in
dor8tng the campaign and urging the
organization of thrift clubs in all
communities for the execution OF the
| plans were unanimously adopted by
the hundred or more women attend
fng-the meeting
Resolutions were adopted also ina
dorsing the work of oounty fair prica
committees, and rising vote Of
thanks was given John A. Manget,
state fair price commissioner, for
his work in this capacity.
The first real step to be taken for
the organization Of women in Geor-
gia will be in the appointment Of a
women's state fair price commission
who will be named from Washin2-
ton The plan of organization will
be placed in the hands of the COM
missioner. who will name sub-com-
mittees in all communities to carry
on the campaign.
Mrs. Ogden Wade, in addressing
the meeting Thursday morning, de-
clared that the United States was
now facing very grave situation.
She said:
I'VE are facing an emergency or
peace which is perhaps more dan
gerous than the emergency of war.
There has grown out of, the war q
great claSs-not a few-Of men who
are taking advantage of conditions.
AS the result of this there h as
spread over the country a feeling Of
resentment. This is good for emotion
is the creator of all things. This
emotion if we take it in time may
be used to ar advantage, but if il
is allowed to RIM riot it will have
dangerous results"
Guy Now" Attack
Mrs. Wade charged the big manu-
facturers with spreading Il propa-
ganda, looking to the continued in
crease of prices. She attacked the
"Buv Now campaign, which she al
legged was causing people to make
purchases which they did not need
and brought about boarding. Many
manufacturers. Mrs Wade charged,
were expert psychologists, who prey
lpon the weaknesses of the Ameri-'
can woman. Mrs. Wade's address
won hearty applause from her audi
ence.
Many prominent women from all
parts of Georgia were present
Thursday. Mrs. J. E. Hays, of Mon
tezuma. president of the Georgia
Federation of Womens Clubs, pre-
sided and d, made a short address,
Among others speaking were Mrs.
Irving Thomas, president Of the At
lanta Womans club; Mrs. A. P.
Coles, president Of the Atlanta Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs; Mrs j.
E. Andrews, president OF the Allan
ia Parent-Teacher association and
Mrs. Samuel Lumpkin, director of
the thrift campaign in the south
eastern states.
The opening meeting of the gov
ernment's campaign OH Wednesday
night was attended by department
of justice officials and fair price
commissioners from the principal cit
les of Georgia. John A. Mangel.
state fair price ~ommissi oner, pre-
sided.
Up to the Public
Every speaker at the meeting
agreed on the point that the cam
paign against the high cost of liv-
ing must be waged through the
united effort of the public, and that
the government can do nothing more
than guide The campaign.
"Organized society must regulate
the situation" said Mayor James l..
Key, who welcomed the officials TO
Atlanta. TT cannot be left to the
cupidity and selfshness of some
who may attempt to profit from the
present industrial chaos"
Marion Jackson, assistant fair
price commissioner for Georgia,
urged the necessity of studying the
situation from all angles.
We cannot attack the retailer
and force him to fix a price and
then believe we have accomplished
something" he said 1--WE must go
back of the situation. Back to the |
cost OF labor and rent and electric |
power and all costs which influence |
the retail prices. We must see that |
every one gets a fair return for his