Evening star., 1941-03-23
Miss Harriet Elliott
Takes on importance
In Defense Lineup
DefIotion Of Mild Sugar
Run Shows How Her
Office Gets Results
BY RUTH COWAN,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

Qrd1teQ from COlleSe CAMPUS IO
be the only woman member of the
Defense Commission, and White
House doors swing open easily for
defense commissioners.
Her responsibility-that of pro-
tecting the American housewives S
pocketbook while Uncle Sam shops
for guns and battleships-has in
creased as the program to aid en-
battled Britain gains speed.
She was one of nine govern
mental officials, including Secre-
taries Ickes and Perkins, called in
by President Roosevelt to discuss
a home defense plan in which any
one-man or woman, child to
grandpa-who wants to help can
do his part.
Out of these conferences came a
plan which the President is study
ing. Mrs. Roosevelt. who was pres
ent at the discussions and is much
interested in the role of women
in defense, said recently she ex-
pected some announcement would
be made shortly.
Halted Sugar Rise.
So the students at the Womans
College of the University of North
Carolina-Miss Elliott is on leave
as dean-and her mother, Mrs.
Elizabeth Elliott, "a, and her father,
Allen Curtis Elliott, IS, of Carbon
dale, Ill, who keep tabs on her
IIitc ic in
there pitching.
But Aunt Hit"-she got that
nickname when a small nephew
tried to say Aunt Harriet" and
had to compromise-continues calm
even If she is in the midst of
things. For one thing she is very
busy-and indications are she is
going to get buster.
An idea of how the Consumers
Division of the Defense Commits
sion operates can be gained from
the way she called halt to a mild
sugar run before it had got started
recently.
A few weeks ago a man con-
nected with a sugar organization
said in a speech that mounting war
hazards mean the Government
must eventually ration sugar and fix
prices" Much sugar is imported,
he said, and shipping costs have
doubled in the last 18 months.
Sugar Man Refuted.
He said he did not believe sugar
would reach the Is to 80 cents a
pound level of the World War days,
but he added that he couldn't see
how it could sell for less than dime
q pound.
At work in Miss Elliott's division
Is a staff of 25 to 80 price experts.
To each is assigned the task of
studying the supply, demand and
price range of various commodi-
ties-wheat, sugar, cotton, wool,
meat, metals.
Thus to the desk of the man
watching the behavior of sugar was
sent by the Government clipping
bureau a news story reporting the
speech in Baton Rouge. In the
next two days he noted in the mar
ket reports that the price was kick
ing up a bit. Then st. Louis in
formed the Consumers Division that
small run" on sugar was begin
ming.
Promptly Miss Elliott conferred
with experts on sugar and the de-
cision was made that there was no
cause for fear. Through the news
papers she put out statement that
rumors of sugar shortages. sugar
rationing and price increases had
no basis of fact and were entirely
unwarranted.
Sugar Settled Back.
Existing stocks of sugar readily
available to consumers in the
United States are now considerably
larger than usual" she said. IF
necessary, sugar production can be
expanded materially in domestic
areas as well as in nearby foreign
areas. Cuba has large surplus
stocks of sugar currently because of
the drastic curtailment of European
markets"
Sugar settled back into the groove.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in
the Labor Department show that the
cost of living in large cities has in
creased only IL per cent from De-
cember 1899 to December 1910. In
this period food increased "a; cloth
ing O3; but house furnishings de-
clined %.
Records show that the cost of liv-
ing jumped 16.5 per cent from 1913
to 1916. From December 1915 to
December 1917-the eve of the
United States entrance into the
World War-the increased cost to
keep roof overhead and to eat was
ia per cent.
The index figure for the cost of
living-food. rent, clothing, fuel,
house furnishings-in large cities
was found to be 1907 on January
Is. 1t was the same on December
IS. On December Is, 1887, it was 103
Lowest Was 90.8 in 1888.
This index figure in 1918 was TOT
It rose to 978 on December 1917
and to 1880 in December, 1918. Up
it went to a peak of 1874 in June,
1920. Six months later it had dropped
Ill points. From December 1922
to June, 1880 it held in the 120's.
The lowest point since has been 90.8
recorded for June, 1888, in the de-
preston.
These charts make the work and
worry of these last months worth
It to Miss Elliott. She has much
praise for the cooperation she has
had from wholesalers and retailers
in holding almost steady the prices
Mr.. and Mrs. America are having to
pay to live while the Nation rearms
Last fall, Miss Elliott called into
conferences representatives of re-
tailers and wholesalers. They quick
ly discovered what the students at
Greensboro, N. c., already knew
that the pleasant little Quaker could
get them to talk about their prob
lens.
Let's sit down and talk it over
has been her operating code in hel
political science classrooms and in
her Office as dean. She calmly has