The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-08-27
Consumers Protest
CONTINUED from Page one)


berry"
Flushing, n. Y: 81 bought foui
pairs of nylon hose at $1.65 pail
that sold at $1.35 a pair an hour ear
lier in the day.
Louisville, KY: when / asked the
! clerk for the same hose which
bought for so cents pair she told
me that they were now SO cents.
very angrily refused to pay that price
and the clerk informed me that
might as well pay - (store) the
additional price as all the merchants
had raised the price on their stock"
General Complaints
The letters reaching the consumer
division voicing general price com
plants are concerned mostly with
rising food costs, particularly those
in which national SURPRISES have been
reported, with some complaints about
quality deterioration in clothing and
durable consumer goods. The follow
ing excerpts from letters are typical
of the complaints received:
Newark, N. j.: 1--WE use a great
deal of canned tomato juice = our
dealer told us we had better buy two
or three cases as there was going to
be a shortage. That is ridiculous and
should be stopped. At time like
this, people should not be kidded into
spending their money for large sup
plies of things"
Oklahoma City: IF there isn't some
thing done about unnecessary price
raises among wholesale and retail
merchants Gall over the U. S. Al we
are going to have a wonderful surplus
time. There is absolutely no need for
this. Nothing scarce here but mon
ey."
Lubbock, Tex: please do not think
am busybody, and trying to cause
any trouble, but l do hate to see our
good American people who are trying
to buy bonds and willing to sacrifice
our boys if it is necessary let some
dad blasted food merchant i. get
rich through our bellies"
NOW IL 10 Ct fiOii J-0O-ihObho
Portland, Ore: "In Portland, the
speculative rise in meat products
started with the retailers-not with
the packers, but it only took them
about six weeks to catch up with the
retailers; now it is merry-go-round
between the two, and the consumer
is caught between them
Fort Eustis, Va.-"Today l drove to
Yorktown, Williamsburg and stopped
at several highway restaurants; they
are charging 15c and zoe for dime
beer and since last Thursday hot dogs |
have gone up from sc to 10c These
were the only articles checked but !
everything else | am told has been adj |
vanced considerably. The selec-
tees make a very small salary and |
for one hate to see profiteering at
their expense This practice in |
areas near large army camps seems
TO me to- be a direct violation of the |
presidents proclamation on profiteer-
ng."
University City, Mo-: "My father
makes about $40 per week with no
of earning more. with
everything going up, but wages re-
naming the same for us, what are we
o do? We are not getting even the
1arest necessities of life-enough of
he right food, at least. We are not
he only family in the same position.
lust how can we continue to exist?
low can we be strong and healthy? L
Do we not need strong people for
,ur national defense?
West Hampstead, Long Island, N.
T.. I'VE are thoroughly convinced
here has never been anything like
he high-handed and utterly unprinci-
lied moves made by all classes of
radesmen in boosting the prices of
II kinds of basic materials overnight (
)ur members have letters to show
hat prices of many needs in every
ay life have been put up by large
orcentages, for no good reason"
Milwaukee, Wis. Il get to Platte I
lille, Wis, often have store
lere. discovered that they have
dvanced prices considerable on items
nat have been in stock over a year. I
hey just cross off the original price :
nd write in an advanced figure.
oted an cupboard motor and glad
one bags that / was interested in.
o charge more for new items is right
the material is of recent acQuisi-
on and is to be expected if advances
ave been made in the wholesale
ice but to mark up old stock is not
1nest nor called for. They are max
g their regular profit plus this extra,
hich is all velvet or just plain rob-
cry"
The number of retailers who unduly
post prices or encourage consumer
,arding s comparatively small,
PACS officials point out In many
these cases retailers are made the
whiting pawns of spectators higher
}, who stand to reap profits from
MICS OPACS officials suggest that
tailers guard against such practices
checking shortage rumors with
vernment reports, or by making in
irv direct IN OPACS itself