The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-12-21
YOUR DOLLAR
(BY Consumers Union)

1Ou COulu ScI dlOIiS WllilOuV q
dentifrice, many dental authorities
agree. Brushing your teeth is import
ant, but it's the toothbrush, not the
dentifrice, that does the trick. Your
tooth paste, powder, or liquid denti-
frice will not stop decay, prevent or
cure disease, disinfect the mouth, or
cure bad breath. 1t will not rid you
of "pink toothbrush" or "film", will
not and need not alkalize the mouth
and cannot whiten the teeth except by
the use of bleaches dangerous to tooth
enamel. The most your dentifrice will
do is flavor the brush and provide a
very small amount of help in cleans
ing.
This does not mean that the choice
of ones dentifrice is not important.
2S%6 Of the tooth pastes tested by Gu,
for example, were harsh enough to
scratch glass plate. Tooth enamel
is softer than the test glass, and so
when you use these tooth pastes you
take chance of irreparably damag-
ing your teeth.
In it's December issue, Consumers
Union reports on 46 brands of tooth
pastes, tooth powders and liquid dem
|tifrices. Among the tooth paste
ratings are:
Best Buys: Milk-i-dent Wool
worth's), CD cooperative Distribu-
tors).
Also Acceptable: Craig Martin, Col
gate, DIR. Vests, PepsOdent, Squibb,
Iodent No. l, Bost, Worcester Salt.
Not Acceptable because too abra-
|sive: FOrhan's, Iodent No. 2, Kolynos,
Listerine, Phillips, Rexall, Wrigley's
|Spearmint.
X X X
Electric Shavers
Electric shavers have come down in
price and gone up in quality. Some
shavers tested by Gu this year give
as speedy and close a shave as
safety razor. And some cheaper mod
els, Gu found, give a better shave
than the more expensive editions of
the same brand.
Boards vary. So do faces. It's hard
to decide in advance whether any par
ticular shaver will suit each individual
user. Therefore Gu recommends buy
ing only on satisfaction or money
back" guarantee. Ratings of 16
shavers (the two Best Buys cost
|S750) are given in the December
issue of Gu Reports.
x X X
Union-Made Electric Shavers
Unskilled labor does most of the
work in manufacturing electric
shavers. Because of this, because of
the newness and comparative instabil-
Iity of the industry and the anti-labor
attitude Of the manufacturers, union
Organization has not as yet made
startling gains. United Electrical,
Radio and Machine Workers (CIO) re-
ports the following shavers to be made
under contract: Williams Roto-Shaver,
Casco, Gemlectric Tin spite Of the con-
tract, UERMWA considers Gem-lec-
tries attitude is anti-union). The In
ternational Association of Machinists
(AFL) has closed shop contract
with Schick, covering 30-odd skilled
workers, but the great majority Of
workers (up to 1,500 in rush times)
are unorganized.
X X X
&c a Day
The 3c-day hospital plan may be the
best you can get in your community.
But it's better insurance for hospitals
than it is for patients, Gu reports in
! its December issue. Benefits of the
largest plan, Associated Hospital Ser
vice of New York City, have been cut
to fewer days Of hospital care. Ma
ternity benefits are curtailed, use of
Operating room and x-rays is limited,
so that in many cases the contract
won't cover your total hospital costs
when you fall ill.
Even more important, 3-c-a-day
plans do not cover doctors bills. Hos
pital costs are only part of the ex-
pense of being i'll. High doctors bills
may offset every cent you save by
having hospital bills already paid
Adequate health insurance should
cover both Doctors and hospital bills
at reasonable yearly rates. 1t should
also prevent many severe illnesses by
providing regular medical attention,
before the illness gets to the hospital
stage.
Why don't the present hospital in
surance plans provide more adequate
protection? One reason, GU suggests,
may be too high administrative ex-
penses, and too high payments to hos
pitfalls. Another is the pressure of the
American Medical Association. Acting
in the interests of it's wealthier, more
influential members, the A. M. A.
uses its strength to veto prepayment
for physicians care.
GUS present advice is to join good
cooperative health group offering both
medical and hospital care, if you can
find one. If none is available, and if
you want and can afford to pay &c a
day for hospital service in acute
emergency illness, join a non-profit
hospital plan accredited by the Amer
lean Hospital Association. AS a mem