Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-15
Frederic Haskin's Letter
WOMEN ORGANIZED AGAINST PRICES

sentence Is one year OF imprison-
ment or $1,000 fine.
Miss Strauss has obtained the
cooperation Of the merchants In her
efforts to reduce prices. At a re-
cont meeting Of retail dealers OF
the United States she urged the
merchants to try out the economy
sale plan. The economy sale, as
conceived by Miss Strauss. is not
an deliberately staged and adver-
tised bargain sale. The department
Of justice does not want to stimu-
late buying at present. The idea is
to divert shoppers from the allur-
ing expensive bargains" to really
economical purposes.
The merchant sets apart q Sec
ton of his store, the basement,
perhaps, for economy sale goods
priced as low as possible, and GER
tainly lower than his high grade
stock. These goods are to be plain
goods for every day use, of good
quality, seasonable, and in good
condition.
The shoppers attention is brought
to the sale. or rather department,
| by the stores advertising being cen
tered upon it. Miss Strauss sug-
gested to the merchants that the
cheaper goods might be advertised
by a window display Of q complete
outfit for a man and one for a
woman each priced at 500. Each
.. article in the outfit was to be tag
ged with its price. so that passers-
by could get an idea Of rate at the
economy sale.
The merchants signified their
! willingness to try Miss Strauss
plan in token Of their desire to meet
the public half way. Some dealers
insisted that they were already SELL
ing plain stock, and as cheaply as
possible, but all agreed to turn the
spotlight OF publicity away from
fancy goods.
The retailer is extremely sensi-
tive about being thought a profit
teer. 1t was with the hope of
changing public opinion. which
merchants feel il against them,
that the retailers adopted q resolu-
ton to cooperate with the depart
ment OF justice in the various ways
requested of them.
Even with the dealers, professed
eagerness to guide the public to-
ward economy, the outlook is that
prices will continue to rise. Mer-
chants laying in stock now COM
plain that they are charged more
than ever for their goods. A re-
| tailers' chart of prospective prices
for 1920 shows possible increases
/ Of women's coats, 80 per cent, mems
felt hats, 40 per cent; shoes, 80 1S
, per cent, and other things in pro-
portion from 10 to so per cent in
advance.
! Obviously economy is our only
hope of making our shrunken dol
lars go round. DR.. Henry van Dyke
in a letter to Miss Strauss, says
that the people of the United States
are partly responsible for the high
cost Of living, because so many OF
US eat more than is necessary
spend our money unwisely, and dc
not put in an honest days work
In conclusion DR.. van Dyke says:
THE display of extravaganza in
dress. which may be seen in all OF
our great cities, is not only an ex-
hibition of folly, but also a direct
Indictment to envy and unrest
among the poor. The latter, how
ever, show that their objections to
this kind of display are not truly
philosophical, by initiating it them.
selves as soon as they get little
more money. 1t is in fact a topsy.
turvy world in which we live. The
only prospect of lettering it, sc
far as can see, is through a gen
eral return to plain living and higt
thinking This can be accomplish.
ed by legislation. Men and wome1
must do it for themselves, volun.
tarily."
| Somehow, DR.. van Dykes word:
fail to bring comfort to one who
is trying to cover a constantly ex
panding living cost with a singular.
ly inelastic income. Some of u:
may be blowing in our money OF
fancy clothes, but for others Twins
is becoming palmer all the time
And perhaps our thinking is no
as high as it might be, but vol
can't blame US for wanting to keer
something down.