The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-01-08
Old II. {. of
L. Is Called
on Carpet
Uncle Sam Calls Women OF
State for a Campaign
Against High Prices
BEN MOORE PRESIDES

wa uiEh LOST OF idNtnk Nas
called ON tlr carpet In Seattle to-
day by moro than 40 women
from all parts Of the state. who
assembled nt the Women's Uni
vcrsity club ut 1905 fifth ave.
The women represent prom
incnt organizations and were
called into conference by the
government. To form n statewide
society To operate along sduca-
tionai lines In fighting cxfrava-
giant buying and In reducing the
cost Of living.
Ben l.. Moore, assistant district at.
torney. presided at the morning ses.
sion OF the conference. taking the
place OF Distric, Attorney II. c.
Saunders. who was incspacitated
from attending the meeting by n fall
on the Ice wednesday evening.
AZ the morning session. which was
devoted 10 discussion OF food and
clothing values and economical buy.
inR. the lion and the lamb lay down
together. Distributors and ultimate
consumers met and discussed means
looking 10 the reduction OF living ex.
penscs and methods Of efficient buy
Ing.
Mrs. A. Oden. head OF the Rhodes
Bros millinery department. dc
ciarcd that people today were not
content with simple things and that.
as a consequence. the demand for
high-priccd goods was greater than
the supply.
Shortly after the termination of
the war n wave Of extravagant buy
ing set in" declared Mrs. Odcn.
Women refused TO purchase the
lower priced articles. II women to-
day would practice conservative buy
ing. the price of goods would go
down. For the factories which are
now busy manufacturing iuxuries
and the supply would catch up with
the demand"
Mrs. Oden declared that women are
partly responsible for the present,
high cost of merchandise, because
they insist upon buying fancy and
high-prioed articles
do I understand you 10 say" in.
terjectcd an interested auditor, that
when n woman buys n hat today for
$50. II will be as good as n $50 hat
she bought 10 years ago7"
mo. | wouldn't 80 as far ms that"
returned Mrs. Oden. with q smile
Almost everything has advanced a
little Bit"
Blames II 10 War
II. c. Beck. manager OF the Bon
Marche. and member OF the King
county fair price committee. declared
that the war was responsible for the
great increase In prices.
He urged that women. who form
90 per cent of the buying public. be
conservative In buying. He declared
that II was better for business for
every one TO practice economy; that
business did not care for or encour.
age extravaganza.
They Urge Economy
Thomas Kinsey, secretary OF the
Retail Grocers' association. explained
the position OF the grocers thruout
Cheasty's. gave a short talk on the
business of buying clothes. Both
speakers emphasized the need of
economy and conservative buying IL
the price OF articles was TO be re-
duced. MISREPRESENTATION was as.
signed as one OF the main reasons
for the present high cost OF merchan-
disc.
The afternoon session was to be
devoted to the organization OF the
society which should enlist tho wom-
en- OF the state in n fight for con.
servative buying and TO combat prof.
iteering OF all kinds.
The conference will end Thursday
afternoon.
Mrs. G. +. Balabanoff of Tacoma,
president OF the State Federation OF
Women's clubs; Miss Agnes Craig
representative OF the Home Econom-
les department of the State col.
lege; Mrs. Overton Gentry Ellis
chairman OF the Woman's Liberty
Loan Drive, of Tacoma: Mrs J. s,
Mckee, OF Vancouver, president OF
the Washington state Minute wo.
men; Miss Elmina White. demonstra-'
ton agent OF the State College Home
OF Tacoma: Mrs II. X. Struve, Ameri.
can Red Cross; Mrs. Ii. G. Beck, coun.
ell OF Catholic Women: Mrs. C. T..
Bogardus and Mrs. 10. II. Brande.
barry, Mothers Congress-; Mrs. Ar.
thur Varney. OF Yakima. president OF
the State Parent.Teachcr association,
M rc nf