Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-16
GR0CERS 'EXONEnATED
OF ANY PR0F|TEER|NG
Aichnonders Back From Ma
tional Convention With
Paulrs Address.
CALL AssocIAT1os TOGETHER
Local Trade Will Assrmbls rhf. pyssk
10 Hosr Reports Of Delon ton ana
Consiner Number of Important Mat
ters-Placo Not Selected,

oNoncrRtcd Of tho charged ,rn,bt,n
~ made Of protteer!ng during tSel
world War by the ConErons of thai
United States. according TO J. HI
hmesburE, secretary OF tho R,chmondl
otoccrS. Inc, an organization com
posed Of the majority OF tho grocsrsl
IN tho city. MIR. Am~-hury viii re-
port TO tho merchants on tho address
or irving $. PAUL.. ConEressman. who,
mafc tho retailcra OF tho countrvI
more trouble thGn any ono else inI
mo country. Ills eSonerat!on Of thsl
retailer vii! be told the entir, rctnili
krocere' body This week =, sp.cia |
meo''ns called 10 hear the repor, ofI
national delegates md consider u,hcrI
matters "f Importance
what Mr. Amebbury will toll ,b.i
meeting VII be MIR PauiIs ga NJ
words, copies VI hts address h,y,nyI
been procured by him. h. addres,l
ma generation OF the merchant. FOL
on" year ago arrived in wash
NIXON I" undertake the biggest iobi
~ ne all III" bigger hccau,al
"" ala no, know what 4, was Tb.i
country had been through ,r~m.r
6ons economic upheaval and ,bs-as
was widespread clamor ovor n.
increasing cost Of tho publics nec.
"ssi'ics az lfc
'ntch the CnIpri,.
congress had decided 'ha, sor.
one vac a prof.tecr and tina, rro,
ie"rs must 20 I" jail. rho. had li,,la
iH"a VINO n" was nnr apparnr,lvs
cared less. hut IN" task had beeny
H"'"Gai"d !" Joint committee ,oS
mas" mn inv"vtiEation av IN Tho 70,
con for Tn" spread ~ pric. bo,woan
producer and consumer and catch m.
culnrit
iiappilr tho commission did no,
Shar" tho opinion - certain rol,,t
clans and had u bcllcr that mos, nort
want 20 be hcncs, and tina, ali ,n.,
need ia chance to rct ~ tho far,ef
ana nr"tcr' them rs ;hs basis for = I
'air judgment. /.
You could not have had those FAC.
had II no, been tor tho loval wo-. otI
N"nr own pr"sidcn' and officers AL
Wei 'S other leaders, In similar ,rado.
associations. Tn" value cf tho work
'h"N d'd FOR YOU and fnr tho coun,r,,
cannot be ovcrostima,cd
Nh hamper had appeared hcr1
as on various hearings. but pruu
pniiE with rofWcncc TO tho fac,,I 49,
hi own business Tho ncx. lin e
'an" Il was to help ~ organize
20 assist In Drafting thar much
GUESSED aust onunirc. which gave
50 much ann"yanc.. You may !,
u" thankful that THIS was Trartod
>"ur own committee. rather than
"fN"t'"" LOT OF N"io-scchinE pollt >
clans.
our FIRST conclusion was .m,i
tina, ~ could no, to" done. but wbc
YOU were presented with tho lirh al.
statistics ON which previous locisla +
iion had ben based--that which rcs,ed,
On contention that there vac a aOoi
Ter con, advance between your cos, I
ana Your selling pric'-th" conclu
SION h"Cam" unanimous tina, I, INNS,
he done. And !, vas donc.
Clean BiIl Of IIrnIfh
m" result - that tho facts nd
dnc"d justified the committee in yi~
ING You clean bin Of health on tho
accusations which had been mad.
aga nS' YOU. and y is some ~ the..
facts wish 20 discuss with YOU 10. (
day. regret that | cannot Sivc van
INC fu!los, facts tho story Is farl
70" great for this timc--but | sin.
c"reiN rrg" You 10 write your Con
gresham TO secure for YOU the re
port. u ~ the greatest compendium
OF TACT on food cots ever compil.d
ana Of incalcu!ab!" value 10 you as
gror"re.
The consumer turn. over nor food
Year and recall grocer no, above
eight times az best. In just such do
gre" rs he increases that turnover
food costs viii be reduced.
the invdsiIRation has shown that
IN 1913 tho grocer made nc, rrnN,
"f approximately 6l-2 cents on each
dollar Of sales, or on an operating
expense of ~ per cent: in 1916 :;
net profit ~ 80 cents on an opere,
ing expense Of I5.o per cent. in 1870
q net prom OF 2 =? cents on an on
Grating expense OF 1916 rer cent and
in 1921 profit az Gig cents no,
nT"ht on an operating cost OF l6.s
per cent
This ia cents profit mean, tina.
on tn" average family food bill OF
'."" IN" housewife hires her pur-
chasing agent for tho absurd sum OF |
~" rcr year. which ought 10 bc small |
enough fo- any one.
Easing Investigations on Tho
mh'kct basket OF th!rty-seven sta !
pc commodities. 1t appeared tha, In
l"l3. ~hen .hat market basket cost
s".iS the margin (includirg all costs
ana profits, was sl.09 (Which was I
2!2 per ctntD
Us prices rose profits receded. In
I'lh. when the market basket cost [
sos inc total margin was sl.oT. or
~ per cont. In 1915. when the cost |
was ''.''. IN" total margin was Sl6f /
"hIch gave the grocer Ill per cent, [
ana IN 1921. when tho cost was 1852
IN" margin was only sI.i7. which
CAV" iH.3 pei cent
70