Republican farmer., 1920-05-14
Retailers Vote To Sell
 At A Minimum Profit

Hartford, May 13- Establishment of what are to be known and adver- tised as How cost of living lines of merchandise, comprising articles which people of moderate means re- gard as necessities and which mer- chants, will sell at the smallest possi- ble margin of profit was decided upon at the annual meeting of the Con necticut Retail Dry Goods association yesterday at the Hartford club. This decision was reached after an ad- dress by William F. Whitmore, re- gently appointed fair price commis- sioner for Connecticut, outlining his future policy in regulating retail prices for necessities
 A special committee was appointed to confer with MT. Whitmore regard ing maximum margins of profit to be established. On this committee, named in compliance with a previous request from MT. Whitmore, are: C. U. Upham of Ives, Upham & Rand, Meriden; George A. Gay of Brown, Thompson & Co.,, Hartford; W. E. Malley, of the Edward Malley Com pany, New Haven; John R. Hughes of Reid & Hughes, Waterbury; An drew Cooper, of the Rowland Dry Goods Company, Bridgeport, and Ed ward N. Allen. of Sage-Allen & Co.,, Hartford.
 elected: President, S. c. Parker, Bridgeport; vice president, Isidore Wise of Wise. Smith & Co.,, Hartford i; treasurer, c. A. Cook; secretary, E. " Vedder, Jr.; executive committee, George A. Gay, c. L. Upham, w. E. Malley, J. R. Hughes, H. M. Scharten- berg, S. M. Davidson and F. P. Schaef- fer.
 After the luncheon which followed the annual meeting, MT. Whitmore gave a general resume of his proce- dure. He urged merchants to adopt a general principle of price fixing during the present emergency. Ger tain lines of necessities should be set aside, to be known and advertised as low cost of living Iines." he said These articles should be of moderate price and good quality" He men toned wearing apparel as an item that should be in included in this list. They should be such articles as the wage earner and the low salar- jed man needs,'' he continued, tand should be sold at the lowest possible margin of profit; even at a margin less than that which might be regard ed as equitable by the fair price com mittee. Where it is necessary, the profits of the business should be made up in articles not justly considered necessities. The committee is not concerned in the margin of profit on silk gowns, silk stockings or shoes with wings, for instance" He urged all merchants to adopt the practice of flow cost of living lines and to instruct their buyers to buy in quan- tity, suitable merchandise to fill ur their stocks.
 At the conclusion of MT. Whit nore's address. the 35 merchants present voted unanim ously to support the fair price commissioner in the l furtherance of his policies as outlin- ! ed, and to enforce his suggestions as | to How cost of living lines of mer- ] chandise.
 GET S1O FINES.
 In the Stratford town court this morning. Margaret Moran and Will i jam Dalton of New York, were fined i S10 and costs apiece. Adeline Burke and John Corato of New Haven were
 each fined S1o and costs The foul
 comprised a party that were celebrat ing in Stratford last night and whc
 became so noisy it was necessary tt | arrest them.