,illustration3 8,pounds6 ,i never weighed them0 ,,adventures ,,in ,,thrift ,by ,,anna ,,steese ,,richardson ,,illustrated ,,by ,,charles ,s4 ,,corson ,,indianapolis ,,the ,,bobbs-,,merrill ,,company ,,publishers ,,copyright #aiae ,,the ,,crowell ,,publishing ,,company ,,copyright #aiaf ,,the ,,bobbs-,,merrill ,,company ,,press ,,of ,,braunworth ,,co4 ,,bookbinders ,,and ,,printers ,,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,preface ,the incidents1 the stores1 the organizations and the individuals described in this book are real1 not fictitious4 ,at the time that this book goes to press1 each one of the societies mentioned is actively engaged in the task of reducing the cost of living for its members4 ,the ,national ,housewives' ,league has its headquarters at #be ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,mrs4 ,julian ,heath1 a real flesh and blood woman1 is president of the organization4 ,the ,housewives' ,cooperative ,league is still working actively toward cooperative buying and no doubt for several years to come can be reached through its efficient secretary1 ,miss ,edna ,o4 ,crofton1 ,norwood1 ,ohio1 a suburb of ,cincinnati1 from which city the organization directs its work4 ,the ,cooperative ,store at ,montclair is a flourishing reality4 ,the ,experimental ,farm at ,medford1 ,long ,island1 is still encouraging local farmers to sell direct to the housewives of ,greater ,new ,york and vicinity by parcel post and express4 ,even ,mrs4 ,larry and her friend1 ,claire ,pierce1 exist under other names1 and they participated in the adventures herein described4 ,this explanation is given because when the chapters appeared originally in the ,woman's ,home ,companion1 the author received many letters containing queries of this nature3 8,is there such an organization as the ,national ,housewives' ,league1 the ,housewives' ,cooperative ,league1 a ,cooperative ,store in ,montclair80 8,is there such a farm as you describe under the title of the ,experimental ,farm at ,medford8 ,if so1 ,i want to get in touch with its superintendent40 ,the material in this book1 which is of profound interest to all home-makers present or prospective1 is presented in fiction form because the writer1 being a housekeeper1 realizes that household routine is so much a business of facts and figures that studies in thrift are more acceptable to busy women when brightened by the little touch of romance that goes so far in leavening the day's work of the home-maker4 ,a4 ,s4 ,r4 ,,adventures ,,in ,,thrift ,,chapter ,i 8,luxury is attained through thrift40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #a4 ,mrs4 ,larry folded her veil with nice exactitude and speared it with two invisible hairpins4 ,then she bent her hat one-fourth of an inch on the right side1 fluffed up her hair on the left and tucked her gloves under her purse4 ,these pre-luncheon rites completed1 she reached for the program of music4 ,but1 glancing casually at ,claire ,pierce on the other side of the table1 she dropped the square of cardboard1 with its ,pierrot silhouettes1 and studied the girl curiously4 ,when one has picked up a remnant of chiffon taffeta in a most desirable shade1 at two-thirds the price asked at the regular counter1 and has ordered a tidy luncheon of chicken-salad sandwiches and chocolate with whipped cream1 in the popular restaurant of ,kimbell's very popular department store1 one has cause to look cheerful4 ,and ,claire's expression was anything but cheerful4 ,she had removed neither veil nor gloves1 but1 with her hands folded in her lap1 she sat staring through the window which overlooked one of ,new ,york's busiest corners4 8,my dear1 what has happened80 ,claire transferred her gaze from the roof-tops to the pattern in the tablecloth which she outlined mechanically with a finger-tip4 8,i--,i've--broken with ,jimmy1 and--and--he went back to ,kansas ,city last night40 8,oh1 you poor lamb6 ,whatever went wrong between you two8 ,why1 you were just made for each other40 8,that's what ,jimmy said10 murmured the girl in a choking voice4 ,the great restaurant1 with its chattering shoppers1 faded away4 ,they two seemed quite alone4 ,mrs4 ,larry reached out a warm impulsive hand and gripped ,claire's fingers1 cold even through her heavy gloves4 8,why didn't you tell me before80 8,telling doesn't help40 8,oh1 yes1 it does1 my dear4 ,do you suppose that if ,i had known1 ,i would have dragged you from one sale to another1 boring you with such unimportant details as trimmings and findings8 ,no1 indeedy6 ,we'd have gone home to my apartment and talked about ,jimmy1 and cuddled the baby40 ,claire covered her eyes quickly with a shaking hand4 8,oh1 ,i couldn't have stood that4 ,this has been much better4 ,it's helped me to forget for a little while40 ,mrs4 ,larry shook her head4 8,oh1 no1 it hasn't4 ,you're not the kind to forget4 ,you're too sweet and womanly and loyal1 and you're going to tell me what happened1--why you sent ,jimmy away40 8,because ,i love him too well to marry him40 ,mrs4 ,larry's pretty oval face clouded4 ,she was essentially a normal1 single-minded woman4 ,to her way of thinking1 if you loved a man1 you married him and made him happy4 ,you did not send him off to another city to live among strangers1 quite probably in some fussy1 musty boarding-house4 ,subtleties of this sort positively annoyed her4 ,they seemed so unnecessary1 so futile4 ,however1 she cloaked her real feelings and threw an extra sympathetic note into her next speech4 8,well1 tell me the worst6 ,i'm bromidic1 ,i know1 but perhaps ,i can help4 ,marriage does help one to understand the male creature60 ,nobody could withstand ,mrs4 ,larry in this mood4 ,mrs4 ,larry was not her real name4 ,she was ,mrs4 ,lawrence ,hall1 born ,gregory1 christened ,elizabeth ,ellen1 but from the day of her marriage she had been nick-named 8,mrs4 ,larry0 by all those fortunate enough to count themselves as friends or acquaintances4 ,and she loved the name4 ,she said it made her feel so completely married to ,larry4 ,for be it known that ,mr4 ,larry was the planet round which ,mrs4 ,larry1 ,larry ,junior1 ,baby ,lisbeth1 and even ,lena1 the maid of all work in the house of ,hall1 revolved as subsidiary stars4 ,unhappy wives1 bewildered husbands1 uncertain bachelors and all too certain young women confided their love-affairs to ,mrs4 ,larry and left her presence cheered1 if not actually helped in the solution of their particular problems4 ,so she was quite sure that ,claire would open her heart when the proper moment arrived4 ,it came when the white-uniformed waitress1 having served the sandwiches and the chocolate1 hurried away to collect payment on a luncheon check4 ,the words were not gracious1 but the tone in which they were uttered would have moved a heart of stone4 ,they fairly set ,mrs4 ,larry's quivering4 8,well1 if you must know1 it was this--and this--and this----0 wailed ,claire1 as she poked the tip of her spoon into the top of her sandwich1 the whipped cream on her chocolate and the powdered sugar heaped in the silver bowl4 8,the high cost of living--money1 dirty1 sordid1 hideously essential money4 ,we can't live on ,jimmy's income1 and he's too proud to let father give me even my ridiculous little allowance after we are married4 ,he says he'll support his own wife and his own house1 or he doesn't want either4 ,and1 do you know1 he doesn't draw any more money out of the firm each month than my father pays for the upkeep of our limousine8 ,can you picture me trying to stretch forty dollars a week to provide everything--everything--for ,jimmy and me80 8,you could learn1 dear10 suggested ,mrs4 ,larry1 with a secret thrill at the thought of her own housewifely abilities4 8,that's what ,jimmy said1 but when we figured it all out1 from house rent to cravats for ,jimmy1 crediting me incidentally with being the experienced housewife ,i am not1 there wasn't five cents left for insurance1 the savings fund or the simplest recreation1 let alone luxuries4 ,in his profession1 ,jimmy'd just have to keep up appearances on the outside1 if we had to live on oatmeal gruel and dried apples in the privacy of our apartment4 ,i tried to persuade ,jimmy to let father loan him a few thousand1 just for the good of his career4 ,he accused me of trying to weaken his character4 ,he said ,i could learn how to manage1 if ,i really loved him4 ,and ,i told him if he waited until ,i knew how to manage a house on forty dollars a week1 he'd forget how to love me40 ,claire made a fine pretense of choking over her hot chocolate4 ,anything was better than allowing even so sympathetic a person as ,mrs4 ,larry to see that she was shedding tears over a certain party now speeding in the direction of ,kansas ,city4 ,mrs4 ,larry drew her smooth brows together in a frown4 8,but1 ,claire1 dear1 there are women who keep nice little homes on twenty dollars a week40 8,their husbands are not ambitious and coming lawyers4 ,no1 dear woman1 ,i recognize my own limitations1 and ,i love ,jimmy too well to interfere with his future--to--to wreck his dear life4 ,but it does seem as if mother might have realized that one of us girls might fall in love with some one besides a rich man4 ,she might have taught me something about the value of money and the management of a house40 ,mrs4 ,larry1 reaching for her purse1 pictured the easy-going1 money-spending life of the ,pierce household1 with its inherited and well invested money and its irresponsible wife and mother4 ,but she said in her cheeriest voice3 8,well1 my dear ,claire1 there is always a way out of such a situation1 when there's nothing more serious at stake than the high cost of living4 ,and nothing in the world would shake the loyalty of a man like ,jimmy ,graves4 ,you see--in his very next letter----0 8,but there won't be any next letter----0 ,claire extended a ringless hand4 ,mrs4 ,larry gasped4 8,claire ,pierce1 you didn't60 8,yes1 and what's more--he--he took it4 ,of course1 ,i expected him to insist upon my keeping it40 ,mrs4 ,larry was so amazed1 so shocked that she almost forgot to leave a tip on the tray for the waitress4 ,she even rose without adjusting her veil4 8,let's go down to the concert hall10 she murmured4 8,they usually have an organ recital in the afternoon4 ,i can always think better to music40 ,they threaded their way between the tables and under the broad archway to the foyer connecting the elevators and the smaller dining-room used for afternoon tea4 ,here they were approached by a well-mannered salesgirl1 carrying small announcements1 which she offered with an ingratiating smile4 8,wouldn't you like to stop for the lecture this afternoon8 ,it will begin in ten minutes40 ,claire and ,mrs4 ,larry accepted the printed announcements mechanically1 their gaze fixed on the tea room1 which was already half full4 ,on the platform1 bustling employees of the store were arranging what looked like an exhibit1 bolts of cloth and silk1 ready-made garments1 shoes1 gloves1 linens1 perfumes4 ,the saleswoman followed their curious glance4 8,those are the heads of departments and the buyers4 ,they are going to answer questions after the lecture40 8,what's the subject of the lecture80 inquired ,mrs4 ,larry4 ,the salesgirl actually chuckled and pointed to the card in ,mrs4 ,larry's hand-- 8#8,what ,do ,you ,do ,with ,father's ,money8'0 ,other women had gathered round1 sensing the unusual4 8,it is a funny title1 isn't it80 exclaimed the girl1 quite thrilled by her small but interested audience4 8,a lady from one of the magazines is holding a conference here all this week for housekeepers and mothers40 8,yes10 interrupted ,mrs4 ,larry1 8but what does she mean by such a title1 #8,what ,do ,you ,do ,with ,father's ,money8'0 8,oh10 answered the girl brightly1 8she's going to tell you1 first1 how women who don't know how to shop1 waste the money their men folks earn2 and then the different buyers are going to tell you how to know the difference between good goods and bad40 ,an elevator discharged fifteen or eighteen women1 who1 with note-books in hand1 hurried toward the lecture room4 ,some of them nodded to the salesgirl as they passed4 8,lots of the ladies have been here every afternoon1 but ,i think this is going to be the biggest meeting of all4 ,that title's made a hit3 #8,what ,do ,you ,do ,with ,father's ,money8'0 ,mrs4 ,larry gripped ,claire's arm feverishly and fairly dragged her toward the lecture room4 8,my dear1 ,i told you there'd be a way out4 ,talk about providence1--to think of our stumbling1 first thing1 on a lecture about getting your money's worth4 ,you ought to take this as an omen60 ,they found seats near the platform and watched with interest the operations of the buyers arranging their exhibits and the movements of the competent-looking woman with a short maternal figure1 snapping bright eyes and a friendly way of addressing the women in the audience who plainly regarded her as their leader4 ,claire1 still benumbed by the departure of ,jimmy ,graves1 sat gazing in preoccupied fashion at figures which were just so many manikins4 ,gregarious ,mrs4 ,larry turned to the woman on her left4 8,have you been to the other meetings80 8,indeed1 yes1 and you wouldn't believe how much ,i have learned40 8,about what80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,oh1 about taking care of yourself before the baby comes1 feeding babies1 diet for older children1 discipline1 and lots of things that puzzle young mothers like me4 ,it's funny1 isn't it1 how we girls marry without knowing a single thing about handling children1 when they are the biggest thing in our lives after marriage40 8,except our husbands10 was ,mrs4 ,larry's mental reservation4 8,yes10 she said aloud4 8,i had lots of trouble with my first baby4 ,i managed better with the second4 ,but who bears the expenses of this conference8 ,we didn't pay any admission60 8,oh1 it's done by the ,kimbells4 ,my husband says it's a very clever way to bring women into the store4 ,and you just want to buy everything the doctors and the lecturers tell you about40 ,the brisk-looking leader had mounted the platform4 ,an expectant hush fell upon the audience4 8,yesterday afternoon1 when ,i announced the subject of to-day's lecture1 #8,what ,do ,you ,do ,with ,father's ,money8' a good many of you laughed4 ,some of you shook your heads1 because you know how hard it is to make father's money go around4 ,and one reason why it is so hard to stretch the family income is this3 ,you don't know what you are getting for the money you spend1--how much nourishment it contains1 if it is for food2 how long it will wear1 if it is clothing4 ,you take a chance4 ,you guess4 ,but you don't know4 ,and because you don't know1 quite a little of father's money goes to waste4 8,now1 this isn't your fault4 ,it is because economic and domestic conditions have changed or progressed1 but the training of women has not changed nor progressed in the same way4 ,we are still trying to economize by concocting dishes out of left-overs in the refrigerator1 and turning and dyeing clothes1 when it is far more important that we should know the true value of food and fabrics when we buy them4 8,a few generations back1 your ancestors and mine1 both husbands and wives1 raised together in the field1 the pasture and the garden1 most of the foodstuffs required for the family4 ,and in the great kitchen were woven most of the fabrics required for clothing the family4 ,what could not be raised on the land or made in the home was traded for at the country store4 ,quite generally1 these negotiations were conducted by the men of the family4 ,the women knew how much sugar would be brought home for each dozen of eggs1 how many pounds of butter they must send to the store for a pair of shoes4 8,then farms were cut up into towns1 towns were swallowed by cities and the family loom disappeared before the advancing factory4 ,the daughter of the woman who had dried apples1 cherries and corn on the tin roof of her lean-to kitchen served at her table the product of canneries4 ,and everybody whose ancestors had traded butter and eggs and cheese and smoke-house ham for drygoods had money to spend instead4 ,some of them had a great deal of money--more than was good for them4 ,the country passed through a period of prosperity and suddenly acquired wealth1 but nobody thought to teach this new generation of women the value of money or how to spend it to best advantage4 ,no one even realized that while extravagant habits were gripping ,american women1 nobody warned them concerning the lean days that would come with financial panic1 and nobody observed the quiet but steady increase in the cost of living4 8,then the deluge6 ,greedy corporations cornered food supplies4 ,the high cost of living became a bitter reality4 ,and behold1 press and public bewailing the extravagance of the ,american woman and comparing her unfavorably with her housewifely sisters across the sea6 8,this is unjust4 ,give the ,american woman lessons in thrift along the modern lines of income and expenditure1 and she will work out her splendid salvation4 ,throw light on food values1 on fabrics and their adulteration4 ,teach the woman how to buy as well as how to utilize what she buys1 and she will be able to solve1 in her own way1 the much discussed problem of the high cost of living4 ,she will know what to do with father's money4 8,it is not possible in one short afternoon to discuss food values and modern methods of marketing1 but when you have heard what these ladies and gentlemen have to say10 indicating the buyers in charge of their respective exhibits1 8you will realize what you can save by knowing more about what you buy4 ,i take pleasure in introducing ,mr4 ,jones1 the linen buyer40 ,mr4 ,jones1 an elderly man1 took his place beside a table piled high with towels1 table and bed linen4 8,as each one of us is limited to a few minutes10 he explained1 while the more experienced women in the audience opened their note-books1 8,i will take up just one point in the buying of linens1 the difference between real linen and mercerized cotton4 ,it is on this one point that shoppers are most often deceived and cheated4 ,do not misunderstand me4 ,mercerized cotton is worth the price an honest firm asks for mercerized cotton4 ,but it is not worth the price asked for linen4 ,when you buy mercerized cotton at the price for which you should receive honest linen1 then you are wasting fifty per cent4 of father's money2 throwing away fifty cents out of every dollar1 twenty-five cents out of every fifty4 8,mercerized cotton wears just as long as linen1 but it does not wear in the same way4 ,properly laundered1 it shines quite as highly as good linen damask1 but there is this difference--the first time mercerized cotton is laundered it begins to shed a fine fuzz or lint which settles on your clothing4 ,no doubt you have noticed this1 when you have dined at a restaurant and discovered lint from the tablecloth or napkin on your tailored suit4 ,most of the linen used in restaurants is not linen at all--it is mercerized cotton4 ,the lint which sticks to your clothes is the same lint that rises like a haze in a cotton mill4 ,but when ,i visit a big linen mill in ,ireland1 ,belgium1 ,flanders or ,germany1 there is no lint in the air4 ,flax1 from which real linen is made1 does not give forth lint4 8,buy mercerized cotton for your dining-room table or your bedding1 if you want1 but pay just what it is worth and no more4 ,to be quite explicit1 as mercerized cotton fabrics are worth just half what pure linen is worth1 if you pay for mercerized cotton the price asked for pure linen1 you are wasting father's money4 8,i have here two bolts of table #8linen' in exactly the same chrysanthemum design4 ,one of these is real linen1 value one dollar and fifty cents per yard2 the other is mercerized cotton1 value seventy-five cents per yard4 ,i am quite sure that when these two bolts are passed around1 you will not be able to tell the linen from the mercerized cotton4 ,my own salesmen can not tell them apart without applying some sort of a test4 ,down in our basement you can buy the mercerized cotton at seventy-five cents a yard4 ,if you will launder it carefully1 rinsing it finally in very thin starch water1 iron it very dry with heavy irons1 you can get exactly the same gloss possible for linen damask1 and you will get its full value of seventy-five cents a yard4 8,the real linen sells at one dollar and fifty cents per yard1 in our linen department on the second floor4 ,if you want to spend a dollar and a half a yard for table linen1 just make sure that you are getting linen and not mercerized cotton1 that you are getting a dollar in fabric value for every dollar of father's money40 ,several clerks started to carry the bolts of linen through the audience4 ,instantly an eager woman was on her feet4 8,but how are we to know the difference between mercerized cotton and linen1 if your own clerks do not recognize it80 she demanded4 8,by asking the clerk to test what you are buying1 in front of your eyes4 ,have the material moistened on the right side4 ,if the moisture shows almost immediately on the wrong side you may be reasonably sure that it is linen damask4 ,if1 however1 the moisture does not show quickly on the wrong side1 you may be pretty sure that it is cotton so highly mercerized or finished that the polish or finish withstands moisture4 ,or you can have it rubbed with a damp cloth4 ,linen will remain smooth2 mercerized cotton will roughen4 8,moreover1 as soon as the salesman finds out that you know how to buy linen1 he will tell you the truth rather than be caught in an attempt to deceive you4 ,don't say to a salesman1 as some of our customers do1 #8,i don't know anything about linens1 except the kind of pattern ,i like1 so ,i'll have to depend on you about quality1' ,don't confess ignorance and invite deception when you can so easily possess knowledge40 ,when the linen had been passed from one part of the audience to another1 and the excitement had subsided1 the buyer of cotton dress goods took the floor to explain the difference in price and values between imported and domestic goods4 ,like the linen buyer1 he contended that the cheaper goods of domestic manufacture wear quite as well and hold their colors quite as long as their imported cousins1 the difference being largely in sheerness and in design4 ,there could be no doubt1 he admitted1 that foreign cotton goods1 like mulls1 organdies1 lawns1 veilings1 etc41 are more finely woven from more distinctive designs than those made in ,american mills4 ,but from economic reasons and not from patriotism1 he urged the woman of limited means to buy summer fabrics of ,american manufacture4 8,in preferring foreign fabrics10 he added1 8you are only indulging a taste for luxury1 satisfying your desire to have fabrics of more exclusive color and design than your neighbor4 ,you won't get one more day's wear for spending thirty per cent41 even fifty per cent4 more1 of father's money40 ,on the other hand1 the buyer of woolens advised shoppers1 especially those who sought material for tailored suits1 separate skirts and one-piece serge dresses for hard wear1 to give the preference to foreign weaves1 as these would withstand all bad weather conditions4 ,the buyer for flannels next took the floor1 and many women were surprised to learn that the all-wool flannel for petticoats and binders for the layette1 the all-wool shirts and stockings for the new baby1 represented a waste of father's money4 ,wool and cotton mixed or wool and silk will shrink less1 wear longer and give more comfort to the wearer than the coveted all-wool4 8,only don't pay for fine cotton and wool what you would pay for all-wool or silk and wool10 exclaimed the buyer1 as she carried samples of the different weaves from aisle to aisle4 ,the shoe buyer discussed the wearing qualities of different leathers and explained how cheap shoes that did not fit are more expensive in the end than higher priced shoes properly fitted4 ,also how the foot changes at different ages and how the health and working capacity of human beings are affected by so simple a factor as the shoes they wear4 ,but most interesting of all1 to the average woman1 was the illuminating talk given by the buyer of suits1 coats and blouses4 8,you women who buy ready-made clothes think that when you have undone the parcel1 paid the balance due on it1 and shaken out the garment1 it is quite ready for you to wear4 ,you have bought it ready-made to escape visits to the dressmaker or the annoyance of a seamstress in the house1 or any tax on your own limited abilities as a sewer4 ,all you have to do now is to wear the dress4 ,what is more1 you figure that it is much cheaper to buy a taffeta house dress for sixteen dollars and seventy-five cents than to have one made at the dressmaker's or in the home at twenty dollars or twenty-five dollars4 ,on the surface1 you are right4 ,you do pay out less money1 but ,i will tell you a little secret4 ,if you don't go over a ready-made garment1 even at sixteen dollars and seventy-five cents1 you have wasted several dollars of father's money1 and ,i will explain why4 8,in order to turn out clothing in quantities large enough to yield a profit and at prices low enough to have popular appeal1 a manufacturer must depend upon certain employees to inspect the output of the factory4 ,these women and girls work rapidly and sometimes miss defects4 ,for a few inches1 one side of a seam may slip from under the machine2 a tired girl may catch a button or hook with a single thread when she should use three or four2 a bit of lace may not be fastened tight4 ,now1 if on receipt of this garment you take time to go over it carefully1 you can lengthen its life one-third4 ,if a seam is not deep enough at a point where there is considerable strain1 rip it for a few inches and take a deeper seam by hand4 ,if you see that a piece of lace is almost loose1 re-sew it before it begins to fray1 or you will have to set in a new piece of lace at your own expense4 ,it pays to fasten on buttons1 bows1 ornaments and buckles4 ,you can't expect the workers in a great factory to take the same individual pains that your dressmaker or seamstress would take4 ,it costs money to renew trifles like these which drop from a ready-made garment4 ,sometimes you can not match them at all and your dress is spoiled4 8,i've known women who1 in their haste to wear a pretty new blouse1 neglected so simple a thing as sewing in shields4 ,if your dressmaker or the home seamstress had spent enough time to make a satisfactory gown1 you may rest assured she would not forget the shields4 ,a self-toned braid1 at ten or fifteen cents1 will lengthen the life of a ready-made skirt4 ,fashionable tailors never send out a high-priced suit without suggesting braid for the skirt4 ,for ten cents and a little time1 you can add this exclusive and economical touch to your ready-made skirt40 ,long before the different buyers had finished their talks1 ,claire ,pierce was roused from her lethargy of near-despair4 ,she was beginning to understand1 to a small degree1 why her efficient1 optimistic lover had been so sure that she would master the intricacies of household expenditure4 ,all around her were women who knew how to be happy on small incomes or who were there to find the road to such contentment4 ,she felt sudden contempt for the careless way in which she and her sisters had always ordered their gowns1 without even demanding itemized bills for the father who paid them so cheerfully4 ,as for ,mrs4 ,larry1 she had leaned forward in the receptive attitude of a child watching its first ,punch and ,judy show4 ,and now that the buyers were retiring behind their exhibits1 the conference leader once more mounted the platform4 8,i know we have all learned a great deal this afternoon about better values for father's money1 and ,i hope that each one of us will use this knowledge in our homes1 not only to save father's money1 but to bring to ourselves greater contentment with our lot1 and1 in the end1 little luxuries which we must now deny ourselves4 ,for in efficiency there is contentment1 and through true economy do we attain luxuries4 ,i believe in what is commonly called luxuries4 ,i believe in the right of every refined1 intelligent wife to enjoy these luxuries4 8,i wonder how many of you women are weary of petty economies1 of making over clothes1 of trying to stretch a chicken to cover the meat course for three meals80 ,a wave of laughter passed over the room1 but it was not free from hysteria4 ,the speaker continued4 8,i know just how you feel4 ,you turn and you twist1 you warm up and you conjure new dishes out of next to nothing1 and1 still1 at the end of the year1 you realize how little money has gone into the savings bank1 or how much is still due on the mortgage4 ,you wonder if you will ever be able to buy a complete new dress2 whether you can ever spare enough money for ,nellie to go to dancing school1 or for you and your husband to hear a good concert4 ,i hope these talks will help you to solve just such problems4 ,i'd like to think of each one of you having just one thing that you have always denied yourself1 and to have it by learning how to get the most for father's money40 ,on the applause which followed1 ,claire ,pierce rose1 new vitality straightening the figure that had drooped at the luncheon table4 ,it was ,mrs4 ,larry who sat quite still1 looking beyond the platform with its group of buyers1 its exhibit of purple and fine linen1 and the cheery conference leader1 far1 far up-town into a certain apartment where reposed certain manila envelopes known to herself and ,mr4 ,larry as 8,the ,budget40 ,as ,claire ,pierce touched her elbow1 she drew a deep sigh and rose4 8,oh1 dear10 said ,claire1 8if only ,i'd heard this talk before ,i said what ,i did to ,jimmy60 ,mrs4 ,larry came to with a start4 8,jimmy8 ,oh1 yes1 ,jimmy6 ,forgive me4 ,i'd forgotten him4 ,you see1 ,i was thinking of my ,larry40 ,,chapter ,,ii 8,there is nothing in high finance more excitingly uncertain than just trying to get your money's worth60--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #b4 ,mrs4 ,larry sat at the old mahogany secretary which had been ,great-aunt ,abigail's wedding gift1 her elbows planted in a litter of papers covered with figures and her despairing gaze fixed on a row of small manila envelopes4 ,it was the second day after the lecture at the ,kimbell store on 8,what ,do ,you ,do ,with ,father's ,money804 ,mrs4 ,larry had attacked her account book and budget envelopes in a fine spirit of enthusiasm4 ,with an intelligent knowledge of true fabric values1 she would be able now to transfer from the two envelopes marked 8,operating ,expenses0 and 8,clothing10 to the one marked 8,luxuries10 at least ten dollars a month4 ,but1 alas1 she found that the fund for luxuries amounted to exactly one dollar and thirteen cents1 while there existed no immediate need for renewing linen or clothing at the promised reduction4 ,on the other hand1 a month's rent was due1 and a dentist's bill had arrived that very morning4 ,both expenses were imperative and non-reducible4 ,she shook out the dimes1 nickels and pennies from the envelope marked 8,luxuries0 and arranged them in a geometrical design4 8,it can't be done60 she groaned1 and shook a rebellious fist at the smug-looking envelopes4 ,then suddenly she swung round in her chair1 startled by an unexpected yet strangely familiar sound4 ,she glanced sharply at the clock4 ,its tick was strictly businesslike and the hands pointed to twenty minutes past two4 ,yet surely that had been the click of ,larry's key in the front door1 and now ,larry's never-to-be-mistaken step coming down the hall4 ,only an emergency1 very bad news or very good1 would bring ,larry home in the middle of a crisp autumn afternoon4 ,now he was in the doorway1 looking quite commonplace and natural1 except for a sharp frown above the eyes which usually smiled at sight of her4 8,hello1 little woman10 he said1 drawing her close with that little air of proprietorship which never failed to thrill her1 8,i'm leaving for ,south ,bethlehem at five--back ,thursday--wonder if you could pack my bag while ,i take a nap8 ,head aches40 ,he was out of his coat and shoes with the last word4 8,put in a soft shirt10 he added as he sank on the couch and reached for the rug4 8,has anything happened80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry1 adjusting the rug to his feet in the way he liked best4 8,i should say so10 he answered drowsily4 8,directors couldn't declare any dividend this quarter4 ,had all of us on the carpet this morning4 ,seems up to me and ,duggan to reduce expenses4 ,i've got to cut about ten thousand dollars in my department this year4 ,call me at three-thirty1 will you1 dear80 ,and he was off6 ,mrs4 ,larry stood like a statue1 staring down an this wonderful creature who1 confronted by the task of reducing expenses by ten thousand a year1 could fall off asleep in a few seconds4 ,that's what came of being a man1 she decided--a man1 privileged to deal in big figures1 hundreds1 thousands1 instead of dollars1 quarters and dimes6 ,her glance traveled back to the hated sheets of papers and the accusing envelopes1 labeled3 8,rent10 8,operating ,expenses10 8,food10 8,clothing10 8,savings10 8,care and ,education10 8,luxuries40 ,something very like hysterical laughter rose in her throat4 ,larry could sleep with a weight of ten thousand on his mind1 and she would lie awake nights figuring how to save ten dollars a month4 ,she looked down at her husband4 ,how strong and capable1 even in his sleep1 this man who worked day after day1 year in and year out1 for her and the babies1 who turned over to her all that he earned4 ,the beauty of his unquestioning trust brought a different sort of choke to her throat4 ,of course1 she would find a way to save that extra ten each month--for ,larry's use or pleasure4 ,then she tiptoed out of the living-room1 closing the door behind her1 lest the children1 coming in from their walk1 should fall upon their father like the ,philistines they were4 ,but as she packed his bag and laid out his clean linen1 her mind turned over and over the troublesome question1 and the lines reappeared in her broad white forehead4 ,she was tabulating the luxuries which they denied themselves4 ,first1 there was ,larry's love for music4 ,from the day of their engagement they had subscribed annually to a certain series of orchestral concerts4 ,when it had come time this year to renew the subscription1 she had had to tell ,larry that the family budget would not admit of the expenditure4 ,larry1 ,junior's1 measles1 her dentist's bill1 and the filling out of their dinner set from open stock1 had overdrawn the envelopes marked 8,care and ,education0 and 8,operating ,expenses10 leaving a vacuum in the one labeled 8,luxuries40 ,she did not care so much for herself--twice during the last season she had been too tired really to appreciate the symphonies1 but ,larry rested and recuperated through music4 ,he had pretended not to care1 and had suggested that they might buy an occasional ticket for the very best concerts2 but she knew that giving up the subscription tickets had marked the biggest sacrifice of ,larry's married life4 ,then for herself there was the day when ,belle ,saunders had told her that1 being in mourning1 she would sell her blue fox set for fifteen dollars4 ,and ,mrs4 ,larry1 looking into the envelope marked 8,clothing0 had realized that one must go without furs--as well as subscription tickets1 but a fox set at fifteen dollars was an opportunity4 ,it was utterly absurd1 she agreed with the lecturer1 that a husband and wife with two babies could not enjoy an occasional luxury of this sort on an income of two hundred dollars a month4 ,it was unthinkable that on this income she might not take advantage of an opportunity like ,belle ,saunders' fox set4 ,she was tired of skimping and saving1 tired of self-denial in this city of ,new ,york1 where at every turn was the temptation to buy that which would beautify one's home or brighten one's life4 ,and then suddenly a sharp pain shot through her heart4 ,if she were dissatisfied with what they were getting out of life1 how must ,larry feel8 ,if she irked at spending everything on stern necessities1 how must he1 who earned it all1 rebel8 ,there was no doubt about it6 ,she must reform her management of their income4 ,a new envelope marked 8,larry0 must be started and filled--ten dollars a month1 one hundred and twenty dollars a year--her little labor of love for ,larry's pleasure1 no1 not selfish pleasure1 but for both of them a little joy in living that would lift them above the mere sordid effort to make both ends meet and to educate the children4 8,larry10 she inquired1 as he brushed his hair with the vigor of one who has enjoyed a well-deserved nap and is the better for it1 8why are you and ,mr4 ,duggan expected to save all the money for the company80 8,because we have the two departments where it can be done4 ,duggan is superintendent of employees4 ,he must reduce the force or the wages1 or increase the output of his workers4 ,this will lessen the cost of production1 through better management--efficiency1 we call it4 ,i must buy to better advantage1 for less money1 and still give the firm the same quality of raw material to work with40 8,but you can't do that1 ,larry4 ,if you get cheaper material it's bound not to be so good40 8,not necessarily10 said ,larry1 slipping on his coat4 8,it's up to me to study the market more closely1 to find new markets1 if ,i can4 ,that's why ,i'm going to ,south ,bethlehem--if you'll let me40 ,he smiled down on her1 loosening the hands that clasped his arm so closely4 8,don't take it so seriously1 little woman4 ,i've been up against stiffer jobs than this1 and always found a way out4 ,kiss the kiddies for me4 ,if ,i don't get through to-morrow night1 ,i'll wire40 ,the door banged behind him and ,mrs4 ,larry shook herself impatiently4 ,what in the world had she started to call after him8 ,that the wire would cost a quarter and he must not waste the money6 ,the thought of it made her dizzy and faint4 ,no matter where ,larry went1 how long he was gone1 he had always kept in touch with her by night lettergrams1 and she had come to begrudge him this comfort6 ,could it be that she had taken the lecturer at ,kimbell's too seriously8 ,or was there something radically wrong with the plan of her budget1 with her household management2 she had tried so hard to be thrifty4 8,thrift60 ,what did the word mean8 ,she reached for her dictionary4 ,thrift--care and prudence in the management of one's resources4 ,well1 ,larry's salary was their one resource--and there was no increasing it4 ,the seven little envelopes were as inevitable as the rising and the setting of the sun4 ,what had ,larry said8 ,it was up to ,duggan to reduce the force of workers or cut their wages4 ,she had long since parted with a general housekeeper who represented waste in the kitchen4 ,now she was doing her own cooking1 with ,lena1 a young ,swedish girl1 at three dollars a week to help in the kitchen1 wash dishes and take the children for their daily airing on ,riverside ,drive1 and a laundress one day in the week4 ,no1 there was no reducing the force or wages4 ,and what had ,larry said about the purchasing department8 8,buy to better advantage4 ,find a new market40 ,she shuddered at the thought4 ,had she not bought a lot of canned goods at a department store sale1 only to find that they were 8seconds0 and tasteless8 ,hadn't ,aunt ,myra induced her to buy poultry1 eggs and cheese from the man who ran ,uncle ,jack's farm on shares1 with the result that one-third of the eggs were broken through poor packing1 and they had to live on poultry for days interminable--or have it spoil on their hands8 ,and ,mr4 ,dorlon1 the grocer1 was so clean and convenient and obliging4 ,she simply could not change1 she told herself firmly4 ,and yet1 the lecturer insinuated that a housewife wasted money when she did not know food values4 ,she had decided that the very foundations of her household management were shaking1 when the telephone bell rang and she hurried down the hall to answer it4 8,can't you and ,larry come over to dinner to-night80 ,teresa ,moore inquired4 8,the ,gregorys are stopping over on their way to ,california40 8,oh10 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,larry's just left for ,south ,bethlehem4 ,i'm so sorry40 8,well1 you can come4 ,i'll telephone ,claire ,pierce and ,jimmy ,graves4 ,jimmy met the ,gregorys last summer40 8,claire might come1 but ,jimmy's gone back to ,kansas ,city4 ,invite ,claire and ,i'll drop out40 8,not for a minute10 answered ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,i'll phone my brother to fill ,larry's place4 ,it's all very informal4 ,we'll just make it seven instead of eight4 ,we'll all take you home and stop somewhere to trot a bit4 ,do come4 ,larry would want you to40 8,all right10 said ,mrs4 ,larry1 almost blithely4 ,she stopped at the secretary long enough to thrust the bothersome envelopes into a drawer4 ,at ,teresa ,moore's there never seemed any question about giving a little dinner or going to the theater1 and yet ,george ,moore earned only fifty dollars more a month than ,larry did4 ,to be sure1 the ,moores had only one baby--and ,teresa's mother gave her an occasional frock4 ,still1 some day she would ask ,teresa for a little inside information on budget-building4 ,it was ,teresa's bachelor brother who made the opening for ,mrs4 ,larry that very evening at dinner4 ,he looked with undisguised admiration upon a baked potato which had just been served to him by the trim maid4 8,teresa1 ,i take my hat off to your baked potatoes4 ,there isn't a club chef in ,new ,york who can hold a candle to you when it comes to baking these40 8,it isn't the baking1 my dear boy1 it's the buying of them4 ,a watery potato won't bake well40 8,ah--and how1 pray1 do you know a watery potato from a dry one80 inquired her brother with something akin to respect in his voice4 8,by breaking them open1 silly boy10 she answered with a gay little laugh4 8,as runs one1 so1 generally speaking1 runs the whole basket4 ,i don't look at the size or smoothness of the skin1 but at the grain of the broken potato40 8,are they ,maine or ,long ,island potatoes80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry suddenly4 8,maine10 answered ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,there isn't a ,long ,island potato on the market to-day40 8,but1 ,mr4 ,dorlon--0 8,told you so6 ,yes1 and they always will1 if you ask for ,long ,island potatoes4 ,i don't take any one's word for food4 ,the only safeguard is to know your market for yourself and ask no information of the dealer40 8,then you think there are no honest dealers80 asked ,mr4 ,gregory4 8,lots of them10 replied his brisk hostess1 8but we women put a premium on misinformation and trickery by demanding what the market does not offer4 ,we demand fresh country eggs when only the dealers in certified eggs can furnish them1 and so we get cold storage eggs labeled #8country1' ,we demand ,long ,island potatoes when the market is sold out1 and we get ,maine potatoes at a slightly higher figure than they should bring1 because the dealer does not dare tell us the truth4 ,if he does1 we go to another dealer who knows us better40 8,in ,boston10 remarked ,mrs4 ,gregory1 8we have a little marketing club and study prices and market conditions4 ,it takes time1 but it saves us all quite a little40 ,mrs4 ,larry ate mechanically1 hardly knowing what was served4 ,this was what the lecturer had meant about studying food values--what ,larry had meant by finding a new market4 ,but both of them had missed the mark4 ,she would combine the two1 study the old markets and find new ones4 ,mrs4 ,moore was warming up to the topic and everybody was interested4 8,new ,york is headquarters for the ,national ,housewives' ,league4 ,we have district branches and leaders1 and we are shaking up the dealers just beautifully4 ,last week our district leader announced that there had been a drop in bacon and ham4 ,one of the nationally advertised brands of bacon in jars was selling at several cents less a jar4 ,i asked my grocer why he had not reduced the price4 ,he said this was the first he'd heard of it4 ,the next day he started a sale on this particular brand1 and ,i bought a dozen jars4 ,he knew all the time that the firm had cut the price1 that ham and bacon were down1 but he did not give his customers1 who did not know the same thing1 the advantage of the wholesale cut4 ,other grocers gave it and announced it as a special or leader4 8,that's why ,i belong to the ,national ,housewives' ,league4 ,grocers and butchers may argue with an individual woman who has read about food prices in the papers1 but when a committee bears down upon them1 they listen respectfully and admit the truth about prices40 8,then you believe that the old ogre ,h4 ,c4 of ,l41 otherwise known as the ,high ,cost of ,living1 can be reduced by an organization of housewives who agitate for lower prices80 inquired ,mr4 ,gregory4 8,i believe in education first1 and organization afterward4 ,an organization of women who do not know food values or market conditions will start a sensational campaign against cold storage eggs or poultry1 and then subside4 ,what we need under existing food conditions is women educated as buyers1 not as cooks4 ,it's no use to economize in the kitchen and waste in the market40 ,mrs4 ,larry glanced round the table4 ,even the bachelor brother was listening intently4 ,of course--she had heard rumors of his attentions to that pretty ,murray girl4 ,as for ,claire ,pierce1 her face bore the expression of one who sat at the feet of wisdom and understood4 8,what does it avail a woman to have thirty-five recipes for utilizing the remains of a roast1 if she does not know how to buy a roast in the beginning8 ,our grandmothers1 yes1 and even our mothers1 used to devise means of making what was grown on the farm go as far as possible4 ,to-day1 our men folks grow nothing4 ,we women in the cities and the towns and the villages must go out and buy so wisely that we rival in this new housekeeping the frugality of our ancestors4 ,it's all in the buying40 ,mrs4 ,larry1 nibbling a salted almond1 thought of her own burning zeal in using up left-overs1 and almost sighed4 ,no doubt ,teresa ,moore and the lecturer were both right4 ,it was all in the buying4 ,and her patient industry in the kitchen had probably been undone and set at naught by the trickery of grocer or butcher4 ,she had been paying the old price for bacon and ham4 ,she had been paying the price of ,long ,island potatoes for the ,maine brand4 ,she-- ,goodness gracious6 ,larry had gone to ,south ,bethlehem to find a better market--and she had only to turn the corner4 ,again she glanced round the table1 her eye resting now on ,teresa ,moore's new bonbon dish1 which she had bought at a mid-summer sale1 and at ,mrs4 ,gregory's fresh1 straight-from-the-shop black chiffon4 ,of course they could have new things4 ,they had found the right market1 through organization and education4 ,she wanted to laugh aloud1 did ,mrs4 ,larry4 ,she wanted to go right out and send a telegram about that new envelope marked--no1 not 8,larry10 but 8,a little pleasure as we go along40 ,however1 as the conversation had drifted from food values to a new play1 she pulled herself together and chatted with the rest4 ,but as she parted with her hostess a few hours later1 she said3 8,teresa1 give me the address of the ,housewives' ,league40 8,going to join1 honey80 asked ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,yes1--,i'm starting on an adventure--in thrift40 8,i'll go with you10 laughed ,teresa4 8,meet me at the headquarters of the ,housewives' ,league1 #be ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 ,monday morning4 ,we're having a demonstration of meat cuts--by a butcher40 8,i'll be there10 replied ,mrs4 ,larry promptly4 ,she did not go alone4 ,claire had insisted on accompanying her4 8,so long as ,teresa doesn't know about--about--,jimmy's going away as he did1 we won't have to tell her4 ,and--and--even if ,i never did marry and1 of course1 ,i wouldn't marry any one but ,jimmy--,i might want to do work among the poor and this would help me40 ,mrs4 ,larry nodded her head4 ,she was wise enough not to insinuate that welfare work would never supplant love for ,jimmy in ,claire's heart4 ,the all-important thing just now was to act as if nothing had happened between the two young people4 8,i love to have you with me1 ,claire4 ,perhaps ,i'm a little stale in the domestic light4 ,your fresh view-point will help me amazingly40 ,stepping from the elevator they found themselves in a huge undecorated auditorium covering an entire floor of a great office building4 ,just ahead was a desk1 where they registered in the ,national ,league1 paying ten cents each and receiving in return a small button1 with a navy blue rim and lettering on a white ground1 8,housewives' ,league40 8,wear this whenever you market10 said the secretary4 8,it commands respect40 ,beyond the desk was a space given over to desks1 tables and bookcases filled with free bulletins and literature on food values and food preparations1 easy chairs and settees4 ,teresa ,moore came bustling forward to greet them4 8,this10 she explained1 8is the first club-room ever opened exclusively for housekeepers4 ,here may come any housekeeper1 member of the ,league or not1 ,new ,yorker or suburbanite1 to read our bulletins and magazines1 to rest1 to write notes on ,league stationery1 to meet friends4 ,we want to educate home-makers to the club idea1 to put housekeeping on a club basis4 8,way over there in the corner is the desk of our national president1 ,mrs4 ,julian ,heath4 ,across the room is the gas demonstration1 cooking1 ironing1 etc4 ,and now we must hurry if we are to see the meat demonstration40 ,one side of the great auditorium was filled with camp chairs and groups of interested eager women4 ,on a platform1 a force of butchers and helpers were hanging up a great side of fresh beef4 ,near the platform were two blocks on which the meat could be cut into pieces4 8,now1 ladies1 this is the fore-quarter--0 ,illustration3 8,the price for this cut today is--0 ,a great hustling for seats and advantageous positions1 whipping out of note-books and pencils1 then respectful silence4 ,deftly one helper cut and sawed while the butcher held up cut after cut and explained their food values and their prices4 ,invariably he said3 8,the price for this cut to-day is--0 showing the variability of the market4 ,mrs4 ,larry listened almost breathlessly1 glancing now and then at the oblong diagram of a side of beef furnished by ,mr4 ,richard ,webber1 the dealer who had arranged the demonstration4 ,the different sections of the beef were colored like states on a map4 8,this1 ladies1 is the chuck steak at sixteen cents a pound40 ,mrs4 ,larry looked at it with disapproving eyes4 ,that would not do for ,larry4 ,he must have the best and most nutritious beef4 8,just as tender if properly cooked and just as nourishing as sirloin10 announced the butcher4 8,but it lacks a certain flavor which both sirloin and porterhouse have40 ,he was handling more familiar cuts now4 8,first and second ribs1 twenty-four cents a pound because they are most in demand4 ,but ,i consider the second cut1 third1 fourth and fifth ribs just as good at twenty-two cents a pound4 ,the seventh and eighth ribs1 known as the blade1 have a fine flavor and are more economical at eighteen cents4 ,use the bones and blade for soup--and have the rest rolled and skewered40 ,mrs4 ,larry nibbled her pencil and frowned4 ,a difference of six cents a pound between the first cut and the last--and she had never asked her butcher which rib it was4 ,last ,sunday's roast had cost twenty-six cents a pound1 and she had not known whether that was the right price on beef or not4 8,here is what ,i call one of the most economical cuts--if you can get your butcher to make it for you4 ,some do not handle it4 ,it's the ninth and tenth ribs1 boned1 known as the inside and outside roll roast1 tender as porterhouse steak1 solid meat1 no waste1 at twenty-five cents a pound4 ,five pounds of this are equal in nutritive and cash value to eight pounds of the usual rib roast40 ,mrs4 ,larry's pencil fairly flew4 8,here is the most economical cut for a large family4 ,the cross rib at twenty-one cents a pound4 ,average weight fourteen pounds4 ,but be sure you get the best grade of beef if you try this cut4 ,if it weighs less than fourteen pounds1 you are getting poor quality of beef4 ,note the fat1 creamy yellow1 not a bit of dead white4 8,now1 have your butcher cut off two steaks first--,saturday night's dinner6 ,the next piece makes a fine pot roast for ,sunday and ,monday1 and the balance a big pot of soup stock4 ,from the pot roast you will have some cold meat for hash40 8,suppose you want just those two juicy steaks10 suggested a well-dressed woman near the platform4 8,well1 see that the butcher cuts them off the right end10 readily replied the butcher4 8,but10 exclaimed ,claire1 as the result of watching her mother's household management1 8suppose you order by telephone--0 ,the butcher and his helper looked at each other and grinned4 ,as one voice1 the other women cried1 8,oh1 don't do it60 8,never buy meat by telephone10 emphasized ,mrs4 ,heath1 the national president1 8go to market--it pays40 ,claire was blushing furiously4 ,of course1 everybody would guess that she was unmarried and inexperienced4 ,in reality1 her question was already forgotten4 ,the audience was absorbed in watching the butcher carving the hind quarter of the beef4 8,you ladies scorn the flank10 he explained1 as he held up a long thin cut of beef1 8but the inside cut1 with a pocket to be filled with poultry dressing1 makes a fine pot roast4 ,and now for the steaks1--0 ,delmonico1 porterhouse1 sirloin and round--he explained their points clearly1 and then a young bride brought up the question3 8,what is minute steak80 8,you'll have to ask the chef10 replied the butcher1 nodding to a stout mustached man on the edge of the crowd4 8,we thought you might ask questions like this1 so we brought him along40 8,minute steak10 explained the chef1 8is any good cut1 without bone1 sliced very thin4 ,it gets its name from the short time required to cook it40 ,zip1 the saw1 knives and hatchet gleamed in and out of the red flesh1 and the pages of ,mrs4 ,larry's note-book bristled with facts and figures4 ,when the demonstration was over1 she snapped a rubber band around the little book1 thrust it into her bag and walked thoughtfully to the elevator4 8,did you enjoy it1 honey80 ,teresa ,moore linked arms with ,mrs4 ,larry and rang for the elevator4 8,well1 if there's any enjoyment in learning how little you know1 ,i must have had a perfectly splendid time60 replied ,mrs4 ,larry1 not without slight sarcasm4 8,fine6 ,i felt the same way--once4 ,now go a-marketing while it is all fresh in your mind4 ,put the fear of ,god in the heart of your butcher4 ,you won't have to do it but once1 ,i venture to assure you40 8,i will10 said ,mrs4 ,larry firmly1 as they parted at the corner4 ,then suddenly she stopped and stared in dismay at an unoffending1 overtrimmed pincushion in a shop window4 ,memory turned a blur of red beef1 white bone and creamy yellow fat4 8,i don't believe ,i'll ever recognize those different cuts when ,i see them40 8,i will10 said ,claire ,pierce firmly4 8,i mean to have a talk with our butcher1 too4 ,no doubt father has paid him thousands of dollars1 and now he can pay back some of the overcharge by teaching me how to buy meat properly4 ,let's go into that shop2 ,i want to buy a note-book like yours40 8,well10 said ,mrs4 ,larry thoughtfully1 as they waited for ,claire's parcel and change1 8they do say that meat is cheaper in ,kansas ,city than in ,new ,york40 ,,chapter ,,iii 8,there's always a reason for high prices1 and it's well worth finding out40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #c4 ,mr4 ,larry1 settling his stalwart shoulders into his overcoat1 stopped and looked down with a smile at the pink-tipped finger peeping through the buttonhole in his left-hand lapel4 ,he had come to recognize certain wifely signs4 ,mrs4 ,larry's finger attached to this particular buttonhole indicated that ,mrs4 ,larry's gray matter was twisting itself into an interrogation point4 8,well80 he prompted4 8,um-m60 she murmured2 then1 with sudden accession of courage3 8,larry1 when you went to ,south ,bethlehem looking for a new foundry to buy castings1 what did the old man say80 8,the old man80 echoed ,mr4 ,larry4 8,yes1 the man where you had been buying them before4 ,didn't he want you to keep right on buying from him8 ,didn't he say anything80 8,did he8 ,why1 as soon as he heard we were dickering with new people1 he had half a dozen of his best men camping on our trail1 cutting prices4 ,that's the game--play one concern against the other40 8,thank you1 dear10 murmured ,mrs4 ,larry1 with a far-away look in her eye4 ,mr4 ,larry caught the pink-tipped finger as it slipped from the mooring in his buttonhole4 8,what's up1 sweetheart8 ,been hearing a lecture on #8,every ,wife ,her ,husband's ,partner'8 ,going into business80 8,that's just it1 ,larry1 ,i am your partner1 and ,i ought to make a business of it40 ,mr4 ,larry drew her close1 looking a trifle anxious4 8,i don't want you any different4 ,i love you just as you are40 8,yes1 but you might love me better----0 8,i couldn't40 8,yes1 you could--if ,i were a better manager4 ,larry1 we eat too much4 ,i mean1 ,i don't market efficiently40 ,her husband groaned4 8,i don't want an efficient wife1 the kind that counts her steps and moves1 and has charts and signs hanging all over the house40 8,i'm not going to do any of those things2 but ,i do want to buy for our home as closely as you buy for your firm4 ,i'm afraid that ,mr4 ,dahlgren1 my butcher1 is overcharging me4 ,i've bought meat there1 and vegetables and fruit ever since we moved into this apartment2 we've paid him hundreds and hundreds of dollars1 and--well1 ,i think ,i ought to talk to him40 ,mr4 ,larry kissed the pink finger-tip1 and several more1 before he answered4 8,before you make any statements about his overcharging1 you must know the prices elsewhere40 8,oh1 ,i do10 and she held up a sheet of paper covered with figures1 some newspaper clippings and a ,housewives' ,marketing ,guide of the current week4 8,i got these at the ,housewives' ,league meeting40 ,the clock in the living-room struck the half hour and ,mr4 ,larry reached for his hat4 8,that's right--you hand it to the old boy1 straight--and tell me about it to-night40 ,when the door had closed on ,mr4 ,larry1 his wife tripped to the telephone and called up ,claire4 8,i'm going to have it out with my butcher10 she announced very firmly4 8,if you've remembered anything that ,i've forgotten1 now's your chance to help me40 8,i'll be over in half an hour10 answered ,claire briskly4 8,mother wants me to answer some invitations for her1 and then ,i'll be free for the morning4 ,it's dear of you to take me on your adventures4 ,by-by40 ,mrs4 ,larry stood looking at the now silent telephone4 ,certainly ,claire was taking the thing splendidly4 ,if only ,jimmy knew what was going on6 ,yes1 decidedly1 ,jimmy ought to know4 ,having settled this matter to her satisfaction1 ,mrs4 ,larry proceeded to act with characteristic promptness4 ,she took her pen in hand-- 99 99 99 99 99 8,dear ,jimmy3 8,clearing out a drawer this morning1 ,i came upon the program of the ,monday ,night ,dance4 ,didn't we have a wonderful time8 ,if you are as good a lawyer as you are a dancer1 you'll be famous before long4 8,so sorry you did not have dinner with us before you left4 ,you must never treat us that way again4 8,can't write any more1 because ,i am going over to my butcher's to take my second lesson in reducing the high cost of living4 ,claire is going with me4 ,of course1 she'll write and tell you all about our adventures in thrift4 ,i suppose we'll have some wild experiences4 ,but when you really1 truly love a man1 you don't mind what you go through for him4 ,not even if this means stalking that ogre1 #8,high ,prices1' to its darkest lair40 99 99 99 99 99 ,she sealed and stamped the envelope with an affectionate little pat4 8,it's just as well not to take any chances on some catty ,kansas ,city girl discovering that ,jimmy's heart has had a wound that she might heal4 ,i've heard a lot of strange things about the way a man's heart acts on the rebound40 ,nevertheless1 she was very careful not to allow ,claire to see the address on the letter1 which she mailed in the first box they passed4 ,when ,mrs4 ,larry1 armed with market quotations1 entered the ,dahlgren market1 with its glittering marble slabs1 its white-coated cutters1 and its generally up-to-the-minute air1 she felt a sudden sinking in the region of her heart4 8,jud10 the rosy-cheeked1 bright-eyed cutter1 who always took her order1 came forward1 book in hand4 8,what is it this morning80 8,a roast of beef----0 8,two ribs or three80 he suggested1 already writing the order4 8,i think ,i'd like to see it40 8,certainly4 ,bill1 let me have that prime rib1 rolled4 ,no1 the other cut40 ,a helper produced a roast1 beautifully rolled1 all crimson flesh1 flecked with rich1 creamy-white fat4 ,jud tossed it on the scales1 and in a flash had it off again4 8,not quite eight pounds--two dollars and thirty-two cents4 ,can't be beat for slicing down cold4 ,anything else80 he added4 8,we have an unusually fine pair of sweetbreads to-day4 ,some chops for lunch80 ,mrs4 ,larry was doing mental arithmetic4 ,claire had been using her pencil4 8,two-thirty-two--,that's thirty cents a pound40 8,what cut is that80 ,mrs4 ,larry asked1 with a fine assumption of firmness and indicating the rolled roast1 which ,jud had tossed into the basket1 as if the sale were made4 8,that80 echoed the wondering cutter4 8,that's a ,delmonico roast--fancy40 8,haven't you--haven't you a third or fourth rib roast1 something cheaper than this80 8,well1 of course1 ,i can give you any cut you want10 said the amazed attendant1 accustomed to filling unqualified telephone orders4 8,but ,i'd advise you to take this--no waste40 ,mrs4 ,larry looked up from her quotations4 8,the second cut is only twenty-one cents a pound1 to-day4 ,i'll take that40 8,certainly10 acquiesced ,jud2 8but you won't find much saving in that piece1 what with bones and tailings40 ,he had flung another roast1 unrolled1 on the scales4 8,seven pounds--one dollar and sixty cents4 ,mebbe you'd rather have three ribs than two80 ,again ,claire's pencil moved to the rhythm of figures4 8,if it's twenty-one cents a pound1 it ought to be only one dollar and forty-seven cents40 8,this cut is twenty-three cents a pound40 8,but the market quotations say twenty-one cents10 murmured ,mrs4 ,larry4 ,jud's good-humored face clouded4 ,here was an experience practically unheard of in the ,dahlgren market1 and plainly beyond his jurisdiction4 8,i guess you'd better talk to the boss40 ,mr4 ,dahlgren stepped forward solicitously4 8,nothing wrong1 ,i hope80 ,mrs4 ,larry felt her color rising4 ,the few women in the market1 like herself1 were well-groomed1 well-tailored4 ,they turned and stared at her and ,claire4 ,price-haggling in a shop of this class suddenly seemed cheap and common4 ,and yet she was determined to put into practise the lessons in meat buying she had learned at the ,monday morning meeting of the ,housewives' ,league4 8,i don't quite understand why this cut1 the third and fourth ribs1 is twenty-three cents a pound when the ,housewives' ,league price says twenty-one cents10 she explained1 proffering ,mr4 ,dahlgren the printed sheet4 ,the butcher's shrewd experienced glance swept the line of quotations4 8,ah--hem--yes1 ,i see4 ,u'm--,quite so4 ,twenty-one cents to twenty-three4 ,that's right4 ,twenty-three cents--and that's what we're charging you40 8,but10 murmured ,mrs4 ,larry1 trying to look severe1 8why do you charge me the top price instead of the bottom one8 ,i am a regular customer4 ,i pay my bill weekly1 which is as good as cash1 my husband says40 ,being launched1 she felt quite courageous4 ,surely this was the way ,larry would talk to competing firms6 8,i have been marketing here for three years and have paid you hundreds of dollars40 8,i appreciate all that10 said ,mr4 ,dahlgren good-naturedly1 8and ,i want to hold your trade2 but we do not carry the twenty-one-cent grade4 ,see80 ,decidedly ,mrs4 ,larry did not 8see10 and her puzzled face betrayed the fact4 8,the difference between twenty-three cents and twenty-one cents does not represent the whim of the butcher1 ,mrs4 ,hall1 but the grade of the beef sold1 and ,i might say1 also the expenses of store management--what your husband would call overhead expenses4 ,this particular roast1 cut from the ,argentine beef mentioned in your ,marketing ,guide1 could be sold by some butchers at twenty-one cents a pound1 because the ,argentine beef wholesales at ten to ten and a half a pound4 ,but ,i handle only fancy1 native1 stall-fed beef1 which wholesales from fourteen and a half to fifteen and a half cents per pound4 ,our prices here are regulated by what ,i pay1 which is always top notch for selected meats1 and by the expense of running the shop4 ,cleanliness1 modern equipment1 highly paid clerks1 good telephone and delivery service all come high4 ,then1 of course1 in a shop like this heavy accounts are carried----0 8,oh--then ,i pay not only for the meat ,i buy1 but must make up your losses from charge customers who do not pay4 ,i really gain nothing by paying my bill weekly40 ,a great light illuminated ,mrs4 ,larry's marketing vision4 ,mr4 ,dahlgren looked uncomfortable4 8,oh1 ,i wouldn't say that1 ,mrs4 ,hall2 but the sort of custom ,i have1 what we call ,a-#a charge trade1 demands the best----0 8,it can10 asserted ,mrs4 ,larry significantly1 8if it does not pay40 8,i can't offer you seconds in meat1 poultry or vegetables4 ,now1 take this lettuce----0 ,he picked out a head of choice lettuce and pulled the leaves apart4 8,see8 ,not a withered leaf1 not a single leaf you could not serve on your table4 ,fifteen cents4 ,well1 you can go to the dago stand round the corner and buy lettuce for eight or ten cents4 ,my lettuce you have charged and delivered in clean baskets1 by clean1 respectful delivery boys1 and you'll have enough for two salads4 ,the ,italian sells you lettuce that is withered on the outside from long standing in his hot cellar1 or small heads from which all the outside leaves are stripped4 ,you pay cash1 the lettuce is dusty1 it is delivered by a dirty little ragamuffin who ought to be in school1 and you get one salad as against two from the head bought here4 8,same way with those meat quotations4 ,i went down to hear that lecture4 ,i sort of felt some of my customers would be there4 ,the man who gave what you called your meat demonstration is one of the biggest dealers in this city4 ,he wholesales as well as retails4 ,he does not carry a single retail charge account4 ,he would not give credit to a woman who had traded with him ten years4 ,every sale is a cash transaction--no waiting1 no chance of loss4 ,of course1 he can undersell a man like me4 ,i don't pretend to compete with him4 ,you can go to his market--across town--or you can order by telephone or postal card1 and he will give you good meat1 not fancy grades like ,i carry for my exclusive trade1 but good meat1 and you will save money4 ,his rent is less than mine and he pays smaller wages4 ,i am not knocking his meat2 but ,i will say that if you take his roast at twenty-one cents a pound and mine at twenty-three cents a pound1 and treat them exactly the same way1 you'll be able to tell the difference4 ,it's in the flavor and the tenderness and the juiciness1 and of the twenty-one-cent roast ,mr4 ,hall will probably say3 #8,roast a little dry and flat to-night1 isn't it8'0 8,then this ,marketing ,guide is really no guide at all80 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry1 suddenly recalling that she had meant to clean the baby's white coat this morning1 and here she was spending precious minutes unlearning what she thought she had learned so well4 8,oh1 yes1 it is--if you know how to use it4 ,take this one item alone4 #8,the market is flooded with ,florida oranges and grapefruit4' ,that's your chance to lay in a supply of both fruits while the wholesale prices are down4 #8,cranberry shipments are heavy and market glutted4' ,that's true1 too4 ,cranberries have sold a few weeks back for twelve cents a quart4 ,i am selling now for nine4 ,it would pay you to make up some jelly and set it aside1 or1 if you have a cool place1 you can keep the raw berries just as well as we can4 ,just now the manufacturers of ---- bacon are cutting prices--they are overloaded4 ,i can save you three cents a jar if you want to buy a quantity and stock up4 ,next week it may be back to the old price40 8,and these prices change all the time1 like this8 ,why haven't you told me such things before80 8,well10 said the butcher1 trying hard not to smile1 8you never asked me4 ,you usually order by phone1 and--0 8,you can send me the roast--the second cut at twenty-three cents--five quarts of cranberries and a dozen jars of bacon10 said ,mrs4 ,larry out loud4 ,inwardly she calculated3 8,fifteen cents saved on cranberries1 thirty-six on bacon4 ,every penny cut off what it might have been1 saves just a little bit more40 ,safely back on the sunlit street1 ,mrs4 ,larry and ,claire glanced at each other4 ,the faces of both were a trifle flushed4 8,i've had more agreeable experiences10 commented ,mrs4 ,larry1 with a wry smile4 8,i don't care what happens10 said ,claire1 looking straight ahead1 8,i'm going to win out in this game4 ,it means everything to me40 ,whereat ,mrs4 ,larry felt an inward glow4 ,she hadn't made any mistake in writing to ,jimmy ,graves4 8,if you feel that way about it1 ,i'll telephone you my plans every day40 8,do10 said ,claire1 as she hurried away4 ,frequently1 when ,mrs4 ,larry discoursed on the happenings of the day to her husband1 she felt that ,mr4 ,larry was not so deeply interested in domestic problems as a carefully chosen father might be4 ,but on the memorable evening after her discovery that the same cut of beef might sell for twenty-one or twenty-three cents a pound1 and for a very sufficient and convincing reason ,mr4 ,larry gave her remarks flattering attention4 ,after he had studied the ,marketing ,guide and gone over ,mrs4 ,larry's figures1 he drew her down into the great chair that had been built for two and which faced the sputtery gas log4 8,tell you1 little woman1 you are all right6 ,i supposed it cost just so much to keep up our table1 and there was no use fighting the high cost of living1 but ,i believe you are on the right track4 ,finding the cause of high prices is the way to begin40 8,and1 ,larry1 one cause of our high prices is the neighborhood in which we live40 8,well1 we're not going to move out of it4 ,i won't raise my children in an undesirable neighborhood just to save two cents a pound on meat40 8,i have an idea60 remarked ,mrs4 ,larry1 snuggling closer in the arm that seemed always waiting for her4 8,if the cheap markets can't come to our neighborhood because of the high rents1 ,i'm going to them4 ,all of them deliver4 ,the man who talked to the ,league said so2 ,i don't suppose the ,east ,side butchers would come over here more than once a day40 8,and his system of delivery at all hours is one of ,mr4 ,dahlgren's heavy overhead expenses1 remember40 8,and you're not to complain1 understand1 if sometimes there is a shortage in tenderness or juiciness of roasts40 8,i'll be the best little victim of your experiments in thrift that ever was10 said ,mr4 ,larry assuringly4 8,oh1 ,larry1 that's the very idea6 ,every day will brings its adventure in thrift4 ,i'll have my next trip in the morning40 8,why don't you start with the open market80 suggested ,mr4 ,larry4 8,i thought they were just for the poor40 8,they are run by the city for the people--and we are the people1 aren't we80 8,well1 not just people--when you have the darlingest and most understandingest of husbands--0 8,and the most calculating and parsimonious of wives40 8,now you're making fun of me4 ,but ,i'll try the city market to-morrow4 ,there's one at the end of the ,broadway car line40 8,yes2 at the old ,fort ,lee ,ferry4 ,you ought to catch some ,new ,jersey farmers there1 with fresh butter and eggs40 ,at ten the next morning ,mrs4 ,larry and ,claire started for the people's market4 ,this was ,mrs4 ,larry's usual time for marketing4 ,at ten-thirty they sprang from the car1 near the dull1 redding-brown ferry house1 and looked around for the market with the true country atmosphere4 ,near the recreation pier were scattered a few wagons that suggested the hucksters who sometimes dared to invade the sacred precincts of her exclusive neighborhood1 with heaps of over-ripe pineapples and under-ripe apples4 ,here and there were push carts1 such as ,mrs4 ,larry had seen that day when she had 8slummed0 through the great ,east ,side in search of a wedding gift in old ,russian brass4 ,a few rickety stands completed the background1 and these were heaped with sad-looking poultry1 tubs of butter1 and crates of eggs1 bearing striking black and white signs that announced big cuts in prices4 ,hucksters1 peddlers and sharp-featured tradesmen greeted them with strident price quotations4 ,but ,mrs4 ,larry's glance sought in vain for the kindly farmer and his wife1 the sort she could suddenly recall as handing her bits of home-made cake1 pot cheese or a tiny nosegay of garden flowers in the days when she had gone to early market with her grandmother in a quiet ,pennsylvania city4 ,a neatly dressed man1 with a semi-official air1 who had evidently noticed their bewilderment1 raised his hat and spoke courteously3 8,is there anything special you want80 8,no2 nothing special--we thought we'd like to see one of the city markets40 8,well1 you're a little late to see the market at its best4 ,i'll explain1 if you don't mind4 ,i'm on ,borough ,president ,marks' committee and we are very anxious to interest ,new ,york housekeepers in these markets40 8,but it's not clean10 protested ,mrs4 ,larry1 driven to frankness by her disappointment4 8,it's as clean as any open market can be kept4 ,everything is cleaned up and flushed every night1 but you see people have been trading here since six-thirty this morning40 8,as early as that80 exclaimed the astonished ,claire4 8,yes1 the farmers are early birds4 ,they are the first to arrive and the first to leave4 ,they sell out in no time4 ,one man brought in two loads weighing about five tons each1 solid produce1 and his wagons were empty in two hours4 ,among other things he sold six hundred bunches of celery at ten per cent4 less than you can buy it at your fancy grocery store4 ,he sold small heads of cabbage for four cents1 large for eight1 solid as rock and fine for cold slaw4 ,you may pay the same in your store1 but the heads are soft and wasteful4 ,his cooking apples brought ten cents for a two-quart basket that grocers sell at fifteen or twenty1 according to the customer4 ,we've got rid of eight hundred pounds of fresh fish1 brought direct from ,monmouth1 ,new ,jersey1 by a real fisherman4 ,on ,friday we'll sell one thousand eight hundred pounds caught by the same man and his neighbors40 8,then these10 murmured ,mrs4 ,larry1 indicating the straggling wagons and push carts1 8are not farmers80 8,no2 these are hucksters1 mostly1 or small dealers4 ,you could buy for the same prices at your door or at their stands down-town4 ,we group the farmers under signs3 #8,,farmers' ,,wagons1' and discourage hucksters who fix wagons to look like the real farm article4 8,we have a representative of the ,department of ,weights and ,measures to receive complaints1 and to test weights and measures4 ,this morning we ordered off a push cart man because his fruit and vegetables were not fresh4 ,we are doing everything in our power to protect housewives and encourage them to patronize the open market1 because that means more farmers will come here4 ,and we are aiming to bring about direct connection between producer and consumer--farmer and housewife40 8,but what of that wagon10 inquired ,claire1 indicated a huge delivery wagon bearing the name of a prominent down-town department store1 8does that firm sell fresh food80 8,no2 staple groceries which they can buy in huge quantities1 like five pounds of granulated sugar at twenty-three cents1 when your grocer and mine are charging us at the rate of three and one-half pounds for eighteen cents4 ,this firm delivers orders4 ,the farmers1 the hucksters and stand men can not4 ,but we arrange for that by having a man who will deliver the ordinary market basket from any of our open markets at ten cents40 8,then the delivery is extra and cuts into the saving on prices80 8,not enough to notice if you buy in good quantities4 ,now figure this up for yourself4 ,what are you paying for potatoes80 8,twenty-five cents a basket40 8,how big a basket2 how many pounds80 ,mrs4 ,larry stared4 8,pounds8--,i never weighed them40 8,but that's the only honest way to sell potatoes4 ,big potatoes leave huge air holes in the basket that weigh nothing4 ,well1 here are seven pounds for ten cents4 ,the same quantity by measure would cost you at least fifteen cents4 ,this head of cabbage at six cents would cost ten in your store2 six bunches of beets here for ten cents1 two bunches in your store4 ,two quarts of onions five cents1 ten in your store4 ,three fine rutabagas for eight cents2 ,i paid eight cents for one like these down-town4 ,you can afford ten cents for delivery on a list like that40 8,i would save about thirty cents4 ,ten cents would go for delivery1 ten for car fare--and my time--0 8,well1 of course1 you have not bought much1 considering that you must have them delivered and you must pay car fare4 ,women like you from the distance must either buy in larger quantities or carry things home on the car40 8,carry them60 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,yes2 women come here with old suit-cases and bags4 ,women with babies bring the babies in the carriages and fill the front with vegetables1 etc4 ,mothers of older children use the little express wagons4 ,they don't spend ten cents for deliveries40 8,do--do many ladies come here80 8,say1 if you want to see ladies marketing1 you go over to the market under ,queensboro ,bridge to-morrow morning--early40 ,mrs4 ,larry laughed joyously over her recital that night4 8,evidently the early bird has come back into style10 was her husband's comment4 8,are you game for the early market80 8,indeed ,i am10 declared ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,just think6 ,i didn't save a penny to-day--lost time and money--because ,i didn't know enough to dig out your old suit-case4 ,anyhow1 ,i think it is cowardly to market with a bag or suit-case4 ,my grandmother and aunts carried a market basket1 and so shall ,i40 8,hurrah60 shouted ,mr4 ,larry4 8,a fig for convention-bound neighbors4 ,but do you own one80 8,i just do10 responded ,mrs4 ,larry proudly4 8,aunt ,myra sent it to me last fall1 packed with pickles and jelly40 ,and the next morning1 after wafting a kiss to the sleeping ,mr4 ,larry and stealing a glimpse at the rosy-cheeked small ,larrys1 she drank a cup of hot coffee1 munched a roll1 and by eight o'clock was at the ,queensboro ,bridge market4 ,but she was not accompanied by ,claire on this trip4 ,the girl's enthusiasm was beautiful to see1 but ,mrs4 ,larry was a cautious person4 ,she did not want to kill it by drawing on it at seven ,a4 ,m4 ,the family of ,pierce were not early risers4 8,ah1 this is something like10 she sighed as she saw the groups of farm wagons from ,long ,island1 with tanned lean men handling poultry1 eggs and vegetables4 ,she bought with enthusiasm fowl that she knew were fresh killed and picked1 at the price often charged for cold storage poultry2 vegetables that were firm and fresh2 fruits at close to wholesale prices4 ,the farmers and dealers helped her pack her basket compactly4 ,all around her were comfortable-looking1 well-dressed women4 ,beyond the line of wagons1 push carts and stands was a second line of automobiles1 many of whose owners were marketing at her elbow4 8,it's the automobile folks that are saving money10 said a farmer's helper1 as he packed a crisp head of lettuce into the last corner of her basket4 8,you'd die to see how it riles their chauffeurs to have to come for the baskets40 ,the baskets1 of course--and ,mrs4 ,larry suddenly realized that her arm throbbed like the proverbial toothache4 ,she had a full block to walk to the car1 a transfer to make1 and two blocks to walk at the other end of the line4 ,the prospect was not cheering4 ,she sought out the man who had contracted to deliver baskets at ten cents each4 8,what time shall ,i get these goods80 she asked4 8,before nightfall10 answered the man4 8,but this chicken is for dinner10 she said4 8,i must have it by two o'clock40 8,then you had better take it with you10 said a by-stander1 a competent-looking woman4 ,mrs4 ,larry unpacked the basket1 had the fowl1 some sweet potatoes and celery done up in a big paper sack which she could carry1 and turned the balance of her marketing over to the delivery men4 ,why in the world hadn't she thought of this and let ,claire bring them both over in the ,pierce limousine8 ,well1 she'd know better the next time4 ,and she turned over the silver lining of this particular domestic cloud so quickly that the young bride1 sitting opposite her on the cross-town car simply had to smile back4 ,after which they fell into conversation4 8,i've just about decided10 the younger woman remarked1 as she looked at ,mrs4 ,larry's great bag of provisions1 8that you've got to pay the high cost of living either in money or time or strength4 ,i bought four dollars' worth of produce this morning for about two dollars and seventy-five cents4 ,that is1 ,i save about one dollar and twenty-five cents on what you'd pay to the grocer on your block1 or your regular butcher4 ,but it takes two hours of my time1 and then we can't tell how long these city markets will last4 ,if they are to be open in winter1 the city will have to lay floors of concrete1 my husband says1 and provide better protection all round4 ,that means the city will have to charge the dealers for rent1 and then--up will go the prices4 ,seems like you have to pay somebody his price or give a lot of yourself in saving40 8,it is discouraging10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,the chief trouble ,i have is in taking care of goods in quantity after ,i buy them4 ,you have no cellar or pantry in an apartment-house4 ,there are closets and bins enough in my kitchen1 but winter and summer it's too hot1 vegetables and fruit spoil40 8,and that eats up what you save going to market4 ,buying in small quantities comes high4 ,now if a lot of women could go together and buy and then divide up1 they could save money40 8,oh1 ,i've heard of that system4 ,they're called #8,marketing ,clubs1' ,i believe there's one in ,brooklyn4 ,suppose we look into it10 she added4 8,i'll have my husband get the president's address4 ,he knows some newspaper men and the club has been written up lots of times4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i remember the president's name is ,mrs4 ,bangs40 ,so they exchanged cards1 and1 much to their amusement1 discovered that they lived on the same block4 ,the little bride's name was ,mrs4 ,norton1 and1 as they parted at her door1 she bound herself to join ,mrs4 ,larry1 ,teresa ,moore and ,claire ,pierce on their adventures in thrift4 8,it's so much nicer to travel in pairs than in odd numbers10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,it's awfully good of you to let me come10 answered ,mrs4 ,norton4 8,none of my intimate friends are particularly interested in this sort of thing1 but ,i've just got to be40 ,mrs4 ,larry shifted the heavy parcel to the other arm4 8,every wife would be happier if she was interested4 ,i'm beginning to think that she really can't be happy if she isn't--efficient1 though my husband hates that word40 8,so does mine10 said ,mrs4 ,norton1 and having found that their husbands were of one mind1 they decided that it was a real bond between them4 ,,chapter ,,iv 8,a wise woman knows that economy in money isn't always real economy40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #d4 ,mr4 ,larry tasted the second mouthful of lemon pie and glanced at ,mrs4 ,larry4 ,then he plunged into the business of finishing off its yellow and white sweetness1 just as if it had been ,mrs4 ,larry's very best brand of dessert4 8,oh1 ,larry dear1 don't--don't eat it4 ,it's simply fearful--and ,i bought it at the exchange1 too4 ,i guess she put too much corn-starch in it--or didn't cook it enough40 ,there was the hint of tears in her voice1 and her chin quivered just enough to deepen the dimple that cleft it4 ,down went ,mr4 ,larry's after-dinner coffee cup1 and in two strides he was round the table1 throwing his arms about her4 ,he spoke very tenderly3 8,what is the matter1 dearest8 ,are you sick80 8,no--honey--,i'm just a little fool60 ,and now the tears flowed frankly and unchecked4 8,you're nothing of the sort1 and one lemon pie--0 8,it's not the pie1 ,larry1 it's--it's everything6 ,ever since ,i started to cut down our table expenses1 ,i've been losing money in other ways4 ,i can't be in two places at once1 can ,i80 ,mr4 ,larry shook his head4 8,and so--when ,i'm chasing all over town looking for cheaper markets1 things go wrong here at home4 ,while ,i was picking up bargains in poultry and vegetables in the city market last ,saturday1 ,lena broke one of my best goblets--they cost me forty-five cents each--there went all ,i saved on vegetables4 ,i never let ,lena wash the fine glass and china when ,i'm home4 8,then this afternoon ,i went to ,mrs4 ,norton's to talk about organizing a marketing club to buy in quantities1 and suddenly remembered ,i had made no dessert4 ,the exchange charged sixty cents for that apology for a pie4 ,i could make the real thing for twenty40 8,you bet you could10 remarked ,mr4 ,larry1 heartily if inelegantly4 8,and the cleaner charged me one dollar for cleaning baby's coat4 ,i've always done it myself with a quarter's worth of gasoline4 ,so here ,i am1 trying to work out some method of reducing household expenses1 but neglecting my house and cooking and wondering whether in the end ,i'll have saved even a single penny40 8,experiments are sometimes costly1 but if they develop into labor savers or expense reducers1 they are well worth while4 ,you remember ,maguire1 who insisted that if the firm would give him time to experiment he could make one of our machines double its capacity8 ,the firm agreed and paid his salary for two years4 ,then suddenly he turned the trick1 and cut down expenses in that particular line of output about one-third4 ,that paid1 didn't it80 8,oh1 ,larry1 you are so comforting4 ,i do think there must be something in cooperation1 in buying directly from producers in large quantities1 because everybody is talking about it40 8,then stop worrying about the little leaks and stick to it till you find out where the big saving lies10 said ,mr4 ,larry4 8,and1 by the way1 here's a letter ,i found under the door and forgot to give you before dinner4 ,of course1 ,i'm not jealous--but ,i have a natural curiosity to learn what ,kansas ,city man dares write my wife40 ,mrs4 ,larry reached for the letter1 worry vanishing before the sunny smile4 8,jimmy ,graves6 ,give it to me instanter60 ,mr4 ,larry retained his grip on the letter and looked at her accusingly4 8,now1 little woman1 don't you try to understudy destiny4 ,it's ticklish business to patch up a quarrel between sweethearts4 ,better let them work out their own salvation40 ,mrs4 ,larry possessed herself of the envelope1 patted the hand that relinquished it1 and replied3 8,did you ever think1 honey1 how many young couples1 blinded by anger1 self-pity or pride1 can not see the road which leads to the salvation of their happiness8 ,well1 ,i just painted a sign-board1 not another thing1 ,larry1 so let's see whether ,jimmy read it aright40 8,dear ,mrs4 ,larry10 ran the letter--8,it certainly was good of you to write me so kindly after ,i rushed out of town without so much as telephoning1 but1 manlike1 ,i left a lot of things till the very last minute4 ,and it was jolly to hear of the adventure in thrift which you and ,claire are sharing4 ,you know the sort of girl she is1 too modest to let even the man who loves her know how thorough and earnest she is4 ,she hasn't written me a word about it1 and perhaps she won't1 so if you have time to drop me an occasional line about your jaunts1 ,i sure would enjoy it4 ,and when you've done all the stunts1 perhaps ,i might come on and blow you both to a dinner1 reward of virtue and all that sort of thing4 ,that is1 if you think it wise for me to come4 8,my regards to old ,larry and chuck both the kiddies under the chin for their adopted ,uncle ,jimmy4 8,p4 ,s4--,don't let ,claire overdo the thing4 ,remember ,i am trusting you with the biggest thing in my life40 ,mrs4 ,larry raised shining eyes to her husband's face4 8,oh1 my dear1 can you read between the lines8 ,he doesn't admit that anything has happened between them--man creature that he is--but he is starving for a word of her40 8,well1 why don't you tell her80 8,honey1 she'd never speak to me again4 ,no--,i shall just write an occasional sign-board for ,jimmy4 ,claire doesn't deserve one40 8,don't be so hard on ,claire1 dear4 ,remember1 she didn't have your advantages--a sane home life--a fine wholesome mother who believed in marriage for love--0 8,to say nothing of a man worth waiting and working for--0 interrupted ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,outside the question1 madam4 ,claire has been raised in the atmosphere of personal luxury and in the belief that there is nothing worse than having to do for herself and for others4 ,if she wasn't vastly different from her pleasure-loving mother1 ,jimmy ,graves never would have had a chance with her4 ,it would have been a millionaire or nothing for her40 8,and as she has turned her back on millionaires1 ,i propose to do my part in steering her toward happiness with the common or garden variety of husband4 ,but1 of course1 this must be done tactfully4 ,so1 when she comes for the conference to-night--you are to act as if she just dropped in accidentally and we insisted on her staying to see the fun40 8,fun6 ,um-m--0 murmured ,mr4 ,larry4 8,if this conference is on the practical question of reducing the cost of living1 and ,claire betrays interest1 ,i fear she will rouse the suspicions of sharp-eyed1 clever ,teresa ,moore4 ,why can't you women play the game of being in love1 like we men do1 open and above aboard80 8,because1 dearest husband1 for generations we have been taught that a #8nice' girl does not flaunt love4 ,your grandmothers might have died of love1 but admit it--never4 ,however1 at the present rate of liberation1 we'll soon be proposing--0 8,do you really believe that men propose8 ,why--0 8,now1 ,larry ,hall1 don't you dare start that moth-eaten argument4 ,you did--0 8,of course1 but you were an exceptional girl--0 ,having admitted that such might be the case and having escaped from her husband's enfolding arms1 ,mrs4 ,larry outlined the evening's plans4 8,you remember that dear little ,mrs4 ,norton ,i met coming from the ,queensboro market8 ,well1 she and ,i decided that on this block are enough housekeepers to form a market club--0 8,no doubt the lady across the hall1 with the chestnut locks and the five hundred dollar ,pekinese1 will be deeply interested in such a project40 8,now1 ,larry1 don't be discouraging4 ,we have been looking over our neighbors1 and we're going to start with the ones that take their own babies for an airing on the drive40 8,wise and observant lady60 8,i wrote to ,mrs4 ,bleecker ,bangs1 president of the ,brooklyn ,market ,club1 for suggestions1 and she answered right away4 ,her letter with the clippings she enclosed will help us outline our plans40 8,and who are #8we'80 8,mrs4 ,norton1 ,teresa1 ,claire--0 8,then ,i'm expected to furnish a valid excuse for spending the evening away from home80 8,no1 indeedy4 ,you stop right here4 ,mr4 ,norton and ,mr4 ,moore are coming4 ,you men can help us organize4 ,you ought to help4 ,it's your money we're trying to save40 8,quite so20 responded ,mr4 ,larry1 with sudden gravity4 ,after all1 these investigations did seem to mean quite a lot to the men who earned the money4 ,so at eight o'clock1 ,mrs4 ,larry faced her little audience of six1 ,mrs4 ,bleecker ,bangs' letter in hand3 99 99 99 99 99 8#djj ,lafayette ,avenue1 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 8,my ,dear ,mrs4 ,hall--,i would be very glad to supply you with suggestions for organizing your club1 but my time is taken with writing4 ,ladies by dozens are asking me how to organize and should be instructed4 ,so ,i send you newspaper clippings1 interviews with me1 which will do just as well4 ,follow the suggestions in these articles and you will have great success1 ,i am sure4 8,sincerely1 8,charlotte ,r4 ,bangs40 99 99 99 99 99 8,explicit and to the point10 remarked ,mr4 ,larry4 8,and now for the clippings40 8#8,on ,friday evening10 ,mrs4 ,larry continued1 8every member of the club comes to see me and brings a list of the things she would like to have purchased for her4 ,she also brings her money1 because everything is cash1 and ,i have to have the money to pay as soon as ,i have made my purchase4 ,i go to the market about eight o'clock1 because the busiest time is over then1 and ,i can pick up bargains4 ,that is the whole secret of saving by this plan--buying bargains which are going for almost nothing4 ,for instance1 a broken basket of fine ,hubbard squashes will be offered at a very great reduction1 because the busy time is over4 8#8,i purchase to the best advantage ,i can4 ,the things are delivered at my home early in the afternoon1 and all the housekeepers come over and take their things home1 and settle the account then and there4 8#8,the rules of the club are not many nor very complicated4 ,we hold business meetings once a month for the purpose of making a schedule of buyers4 ,that means four members each twenty-eight days2 two trips to market for each member4 ,when it is inconvenient for a member1 she gives her reasons1 and usually some other member is ready to step in and exchange with her4 ,of course1 each club member knows who is to buy that week4 ,monday and ,thursday nights each member of the club sends in a list of the things she wants1 with the quantity and the money4 ,the marketer combines these lists to get the quantity as well as the articles4 8#8,what happens if only one person wants a small quantity of one particular item8 ,that article is crossed from their list1 and they are warned1 so they can get it from the greengrocer4 ,we had a lot of that when the club first started2 now it seldom happens4 ,even when it did happen1 and the various members bought one or more items each week from the greengrocer1 they saved so much on the staple items bought wholesale that we have never had one who willingly withdrew from the club4'0 ,mrs4 ,larry paused dramatically1 and ,mrs4 ,norton murmured1 8,lovely60 8,does she give any actual comparison between her prices and what the ordinary housewife pays80 asked ,mr4 ,moore4 8,oh1 yes10 answered ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,here's a table3 ,retail ,market ,grocers' ,price ,club ,price ,lettuce1 a head #aj;c #b;c ,squashes #e;c #a;c ,celery1 a bunch #ae;c #d;c ,best butter #dj;c #bi;c ,best eggs1 a dozen #dj;c #bf;c ,potatoes1 a bushel #b4dj #a4be ,apples1 a bushel #a4be #ej;c ,tomatoes1 a quart #aj;c #b;c ,cauliflower1 each #aj;c to #ae;c #c;c 8#8,besides1 we pick up bargains by getting in after the rush is over4 ,only last week ,i bought beautiful lettuce at a cent a head4 ,earlier in the day it had sold at two and a half cents the head to greengrocers1 who retailed it at ten cents4 8#8,do we save as much as that1 the difference between two and a half and ten cents on everything8 ,on a good many things1 yes6' 8,imagine6 ,last ,thanksgiving she bought white grapes by the keg10 interrupted ,mrs4 ,larry2 8sixty pounds at eight cents a pound1 when all retailers were asking us eighteen and twenty cents4 ,just listen3 8#8,at the end of each year the secretary makes her report1 showing approximately how much the members of the club have saved4 ,the difference is between the wholesale and retail prices of food supplies4 ,last year's report showed a saving of nearly sixty per cent4 ,that was our banner year1 but we have never run below forty per cent4 ,at first ,i counted on saving forty per cent42 now we think it safe to say we save fifty-five per cent4' 8,now1 ,teresa1 isn't that great80 8,it is1 my dear--too great to be practical or to last4 ,i investigated the ,brooklyn ,market ,club when it was first started several years ago1 and found it was practically only for ,mrs4 ,bangs and her particular little group4 ,in that group were her own married daughters and a very few intimate1 tried friends1 who understood one another and worked out the plan systematically4 ,then1 for months ,mrs4 ,bangs gave herself over to running the club4 ,she had no children at home1 nothing to interfere with the successful management of that little organization4 ,in fact1 when ,i asked her whether any one else would take up the work if she dropped it1 she said she was quite sure no one could4 ,and any organization which demands an enthusiast1 a fanatic1 as its manager is not practical40 8,but1 my dear woman10 remarked ,mrs4 ,norton briskly1 8surely any of us could train ourselves for the work40 8,any one who does must be paid for it1 must make a business of it1 because it will take all her time4 ,i don't want to throw cold water on your lovely plan1 ,mrs4 ,larry10 she said affectionately1 8but ,i don't want you chasing rainbows4 ,let us analyze some of ,mrs4 ,bangs' figures and compare them with our own needs4 ,you speak of organizing a club of six4 ,well1 let us say ten1 if we are to buy in such quantities4 ,very well4 ,mrs4 ,bangs buys sixty pounds of white grapes in order to secure a keg at the rate of eight cents a pound4 ,what would you and ,i do with six pounds of grapes8 ,how could we keep them until they were used1 in our little apartments8 ,and do you know what lettuce at two and three cents a head means8 ,buying a sack or crate of it4 ,we'd receive about eight heads1 each one of us--and how much would we have to throw away when it spoiled on our hands8 ,my husband won't live on lettuce6 8,and then there is the question of delivery4 ,i have bought fruit wholesale for preserving1 and paid from twenty-five cents to a dollar for having it delivered4 ,at the lower figure1 you wait till the expressman pleases to deliver it4 ,then comes the question of distributing it from the apartment at which it is delivered4 ,how would your kitchen look if it was the delivery center1 and we divided up sacks of potatoes1 barrels of apples1 kegs of grapes and crates of lettuce8 8,and can you see us1 all creeping home after nightfall with our supplies1 leaving you and your girl to clean up the mess8 ,not for my kitchen1 ,mrs4 ,larry40 ,a silence followed these few spirited remarks4 8,that does put it in a new light10 said ,mrs4 ,norton at last4 8,but it looked so lovely on paper40 ,claire echoed the sigh4 ,mrs4 ,larry1 her shoulders drooping pathetically1 was folding up the clippings4 8,don't let me discourage you10 continued practical ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,if you think you can organize and secure ten women willing to give a great deal of time and put up with considerable inconvenience in order to save1 perhaps1 ten per cent4 in the final accounting1 go ahead and try it2 but ,i thought you ought to know that ,i had thoroughly investigated ,mrs4 ,bangs' plan and found just where it fails us women in small apartments4 ,i do not think her club even exists now1 but it served an excellent purpose--it made ,mrs4 ,bangs an authority on household economics and marketing1 and she is very busy writing for publication40 8,well1 then1 it helped some one10 remarked ,mr4 ,larry1 trying to speak lightly1 and wishing he could pat ,mrs4 ,larry's hand without being caught in the act4 8,oh1 yes1 each of these cooperative plans has its good points10 continued ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,i have two friends living in ,chicago who belong to such an organization1 and they save a great deal1 but they deal directly with the producers40 8,how80 asked ,mr4 ,norton1 deeply interested4 8,by parcel post1 express and correspondence4 ,their organization grew out of the old ,fifty-first ,street ,food and ,market ,club1 formed to clean up the markets and groceries and stands in their neighborhood4 ,from cleaning up food1 they naturally turned their attention to cutting down prices4 ,one of the leading spirits of this club1 which is little more than a group of practical1 earnest neighbors1 is ,mrs4 ,j4 ,c4 ,bley1 president of the famous ,chicago ,clean ,food ,club1 and active in all the good works done by the household economic department of the equally famous ,woman's ,club4 8,this little band of economists buys potatoes1 apples1 butter1 eggs1 poultry1 etc41 direct from farmers4 ,one of their number acts as purchasing agent and general secretary4 ,she carries on the correspondence with farmers1 has all goods shipped to her house and sends for her coworkers when fresh consignments arrive4 ,she is practically the middleman for the rest of the club1 and receives a small commission from the members4 ,and she is worth it1 because she conducts their business admirably1 and saves them as much as one-third on their supplies4 8,mrs4 ,bley1 a most practical woman1 is deeply interested in the experiment1 and hopes to extend the movement until farmers' wives and city housekeepers know each other better and are mutually useful4 ,when ,i visited her home last she was making a special study of cartons for the parcel-post service for her club members4 ,i call that practical40 8,but how do they get in touch with the farmers80 inquired ,mr4 ,norton4 8,through the granges and their secretaries4 ,all farmers' societies are encouraging direct sales by parcel-post system4 ,that is the hope of the woman in the small city apartment or modern cottage1 deprived of cellar1 pantry or storage space4 8,for the more fortunate woman who can still boast a cellar with dry bins1 or a huge pantry1 ,i imagine that the cooperative league1 run by ,mrs4 ,ellms of ,cincinnati1 would be ideal4 ,i can not give you the particulars1 but my cousin1 ,emily ,tyler1 can1 because she was a member of the organization when she lived in ,cincinnati4 ,wouldn't you all like to come round to our house ,friday night and meet her80 ,the invitation was accepted with enthusiasm1 after which ,mr4 ,larry rolled back the rugs and ,mrs4 ,larry turned on the phonograph for one-stepping1 while ,lena appeared with a fruit punch and little cakes4 ,for1 as ,mrs4 ,norton philosophically remarked--8,what's the use of taking economy so hard that you get to hate it80 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,tyler1 formerly of ,cincinnati1 now of ,flushing1 ,new ,york1 proved to be a plump and friendly young matron1 with deep blue eyes that took on a violet tint when she talked earnestly on cooperative buying4 8,you see1 ,i've brought the documents in the case10 she said smilingly1 as she pointed to a quantity of printed matter on ,mrs4 ,moore's library table4 8,but you must stop me the minute you feel bored4 ,i'm so homesick for my ,cooperative ,league that it is a joy to talk about it40 ,illustration3 8,i've brought the documents in the case0 8,first1 let me introduce you to what ,i consider the most practical organization of practical women in the country----0 ,she held up a tiny button3 8,national ,housewives' ,cooperative ,league0 ran the inscription4 8,and then to its very capable and practical president1 ,mrs4 ,joseph ,w4 ,ellms40 ,and here she produced a photograph of a refined1 rather intellectual-looking woman1 face oval1 mouth firm1 eyes looking keenly through glasses1 hair parted and waved over a fine white forehead4 8,mrs4 ,ellms1 with our splendid secretary1 ,miss ,edna ,o4 ,crofton1 keeps the sincerity of this organization always alive4 ,for cooperative buying needs sincerity1 firmness and stead-fastness of purpose4 ,no compromising with the corner grocer or a heedless servant if you want to be a real cooperator6 8,our ,league started in a very funny way4 ,we had a typical organization of mothers known as the ,hyde ,park ,colony ,mothers' ,club1 with meetings devoted to the conventional discussions of children1 their care1 feeding1 education and discipline4 ,one afternoon a member read an unusual paper on the increased cost of living1 and especially the power which women control as the spenders of the family income4 ,i think it roused what ,mrs4 ,ellms calls our enlightened consumers' conscience4 ,i know that ,i saw for the first time my duty as the dispenser of my husband's earnings4 8,that was five years ago4 ,to-day the ,league in ,cincinnati alone is the buying power for three hundred families1 and is growing steadily4 ,no society of this sort can have a mushroom growth1 because the cooperative idea does not appeal to emotional or impulsive women4 ,our ,cincinnati membership is divided into three centers4 ,then each center is subdivided into groups of ten members1 each having its own local director4 ,all public meetings are held in the public library and its branches4 ,demonstrations 7tests in foods1 weights1 measures1 etc47 and distributions are made at the homes of the directors4 ,these directors are the purchasers for the various groups1 except when supplies in carload lots are to be bought4 ,such purchases are then made by the executive board1 consisting of the president1 the officers and the directors4 8,none of these women are salaried officers4 ,they are anxious to serve for the experience gained1 the educational value of the work1 and the benefit each gains for herself and her neighbors4 ,no woman can do this work and not keep in touch with the many-sided question of economics4 ,she corresponds with farmers1 manufacturers1 merchants big and little1 government officials and professors of household economics and civics4 ,she must know the true values of such supplies as soaps1 cleansers1 etc41 as well as foods4 8,to give you an idea of our system1 last fall we bought flour at five dollars and fifty cents a barrel1 wholesale1 delivered to the homes of members4 ,the market price then for a single barrel was six dollars and fifty cents4 ,it is now seven dollars and fifty cents4 ,so you see1 the new member1 paying her initiation fee of fifty cents and her annual dues of fifty cents1 saved them at once on her one barrel of flour4 8,here is ,exhibit ,a--,bulletin ,no4 #a3 ,duties of local directors4 ,i want you to see how good a business woman a director must be40 ,she passed around a printed sheet1 five by eight inches4 #a4 ,visit wholesalers1 commission men and jobbers1 and ascertain wholesale prices on foodstuffs4 ,also get in touch with the producers as far as possible and buy directly from them4 #b4 ,buy in large quantities1 that is1 in barrel and case lots1 since the larger the quantity the less will be the cost4 #c4 ,have all orders shipped to one place1 preferably the home of the local director4 #d4 ,the director must own reliable scales and measures1 and keep an accurate account of all goods bought and pay all bills incurred by her own center4 #e4 ,each month the local director shall appoint a committee of three women1 to whom she shall submit a record of all expenditures and receipts1 together with the original bills for examination and approval4 #f4 ,each member participating in any purchase shares proportionately according to the amount taken1 in the cost of freight and express charges4 #g4 ,each member of a center must agree before an order is sent to take and pay ,,cash for her portion of order when received4 #h4 ,members failing to take their orders1 when ready for delivery1 shall forfeit their portion1 the same to be sold by the director in any way she sees fit to reimburse herself4 #i4 ,goods delivered by the director without payment shall be on her own responsibility1 and should she fail to receive money due1 she should have recourse to the usual methods of law to obtain settlement4 ,neither the ,league nor its officers hold themselves responsible for debts incurred by local centers or their directors4 8,you probably saw in the paper how last fall we bought a carload of potatoes from ,michigan1 saving fifty-five cents a bushel4 ,our ,thanksgiving and ,christmas turkeys we bought direct from farmers1 country dressed1 i4 e41 drawn and fully dressed instead of merely picked1 thereby saving more than five cents on the pound4 ,i could give one instance after another1 but to sum it up ,i would say that our aim is to set a wholesome1 attractive table for a family of six persons on fifteen dollars a week4 8,but you understand1 the directors alone can not accomplish this4 ,they must have intelligent cooperation from each housewife in ordering the supplies to be bought in quantities4 ,our ,league sounds the death knell of corner-grocery-to-table buying4 ,a cooperator must plan her purchases well4 ,and to help her do this our president has prepared some admirable bulletins1 two of which ,i happen to have with me40 ,the men in particular were much impressed by the carefully arranged suggestions on these bulletins4 ,then ,mrs4 ,tyler went on3 8,the educational campaign goes on the year round4 ,we have our own organ1 the ,national ,cooperative ,housewife1 issued monthly for members and filled with practical food suggestions1 reports of local meetings1 market reports and more market news4 ,just now the ,league is deeply interested in bringing producer and consumer together by means of parcel post shipments1 and each of its members and directors has a copy of the ,united ,states ,parcel ,post ,produce ,list1 issued by the ,cincinnati post-office4 ,this gives the names of farmers1 dairymen and poultry raisers in ,ohio1 ,indiana and ,kentucky1 who will ship supplies by parcel post4 8,the ultimate aim of the ,league is1 of course1 cooperative stores and distributing stations for its members4 ,just now each director opens her home as the distributing center for her group40 8,to whom are your local directors responsible80 asked ,mr4 ,norton4 8,to the executive board4 ,of course1 each director is anxious to make a record as a buyer4 ,but the buying is not all4 ,our officers believe that education in such problems as nutritive values1 substitutes for foods when certain supplies are scarce and costly1 the proper way to prepare supplies after they have been purchased at the lowest possible figure is quite as important as mere price-shaving4 ,the individual member must grow1 or she is of no value as a member4 ,the woman who joins merely to have a director save dollars and cents for her1 soon finds herself out of harmony with the ,league4 ,and quite generally she begins a course in self-education as a housewife1 which is the biggest result an organization can bring about40 8,but in buying such quantities10 suggested ,mrs4 ,norton1 8you must have the old-fashioned cellar to store potatoes1 apples1 etc40 8,no10 answered ,mrs4 ,tyler1 8a cool dry attic does as well1 with barrels well covered for a cold snap40 8,oh1 ,i wish there was such a club in ,new ,york1 so we could see it actually working10 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,there is one near ,new ,york--at ,montclair1 ,new ,jersey10 said ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,suppose we women take a run over there next week and learn what our neighbors are doing80 ,,chapter ,v 8,the housewife's pocketbook can beat its owner at keeping thin40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #e4 ,mr4 ,larry lounged in the doorway1 watching ,mrs4 ,larry array herself for her next adventure in thrift4 ,lena1 the young maid1 similarly occupied1 sat on the shirt-waist box with ,larry1 ,junior1 and his wee sister snuggling close4 8,the money for the milkman is next to the sugar can10 announced ,mrs4 ,larry1 settling her hat above anxious brows4 8,and you may boil rice for the children's luncheon40 8,there ain't any1 ma'am10 answered ,lena4 8,oh1 dear60 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry1 reaching for her veil4 8,i didn't have time to go over the groceries yesterday4 ,when you take baby out1 buy a pound package at ,dorlon's40 8,yes'm10 murmured ,lena4 8,but he's a robber1 ,dorlon is4 ,our grocer sells two pounds for what ,dorlon charges for one40 8,yes1 yes6 ,but that is loose rice4 ,the package is cleaner40 8,then don't ,i wash the package rice1 ma'am80 persisted ,lena4 8,why1 of course1 you do--you wash everything10 answered ,mrs4 ,larry1 a bit irritably1 as she drove a veil pin home4 ,whereupon ,lena1 the tactless1 pursuing her own line of reasoning1 remarked with a mere suggestion of triumph3 8,if ,i gotta wash it anyhow1 what's the difference whether it's clean or dirty to start with80 ,mr4 ,larry suddenly ducked out into the hall4 ,the telephone bell rang sharply1 and ,mrs4 ,larry reached for her gloves3 8,there are the girls now4 ,one more kiss1 dears1 and then mumsie is off40 ,the babies watched her going with mute disapproval4 ,lena was all right in her way1 especially during the daily outing1 but mumsie was a most wonderful person and greatly to be missed4 ,but then1 when one is properly trained1 one does not cry2 so ,mrs4 ,larry made her departure without the accompaniment of childish wails4 ,nevertheless1 the lines in her brow had deepened1 and as ,mr4 ,larry started to open the door for her1 she laid a hand on his coat sleeve4 8,larry1 dear1 these investigations of the high cost of living are getting on my nerves4 ,i'm leaving the babies too much with ,lena1 and ,i haven't saved a penny yet60 8,the way of the investigator is hard1 eh80 murmured ,mr4 ,larry1 as he bent for a farewell kiss4 8,but think what you will save when you have found out the right way6 ,anyhow1 ,i believe it is good for you to go about a bit4 ,you were sticking too close to the house before you started to look for short cuts in economy4 ,here you are--out of the house and away at eight o'clock40 ,claire1 ,teresa ,moore and ,mrs4 ,norton were waiting in the reception hall4 8,so you're all off for ,montclair1 home of the ,cooperative ,store1 the ,cooperative ,kitchen and the ,school for ,housemaids60 exclaimed ,mr4 ,larry4 8,may ,i have the honor of escorting you as far as the ,hudson ,terminal80 8,indeed1 you may60 answered ,teresa ,moore1 the audacious4 8,and you may help the ,cause by paying our fares--all of 'em40 8,delighted60 answered ,mr4 ,larry1 falling into step4 8,especially as ,i expect these investigations to make a millionaire of me some day40 8,you may laugh1 but ,i firmly believe that in cooperation1 or1 at least1 the cooperative store1 lies our one sure hope of reducing the cost of living4 ,it works two ways--it actually cuts down the price of foodstuffs1 and it teaches the woman thrift through investment in stock4 ,you know this has really been proved40 8,no6 ,where80 8,in ,england4 ,the ,international ,cooperative ,alliance was originally founded to reduce the cost of living for the underpaid working classes4 ,from a sociological and economic experiment1 it has grown to be the soundest and most democratic organization of its kind in the world1 numbering among its shareholders men and women from all walks of society4 ,before the war broke out1 families to the number of two million seven hundred and one thousand were buying their food1 clothing and homes through the ,alliance4 ,it employed more than eighty-one thousand persons1 ran a dozen factories to supply its different stores1 and it had its own fleet of steamships for transporting the output of its various plants1 which included plantations in ,brazil and ,ceylon4 ,it sold more than half a billion's worth of goods annually on a margin of two per cent4 ,and in #aiac it distributed among its stockholders of cooperative members profits amounting to eleven million dollars4 ,think of the war breaking down an economic structure of such magnificent possibilities40 8,perhaps it will survive even war4 ,but ,i don't know what you mean by its stockholders buying homes through a cooperative store40 8,oh1 that is quite simple10 explained the enthusiastic ,teresa4 8,a member or stockholder decided that he wished to use his interest or profits to buy a home4 ,when the next dividend was declared1 he did not draw out his money4 ,when his dividends had accumulated in the association treasury to the amount of one-fifth of the purchase price on the home he desired to own1 the association advanced the remaining four-fifths1 so that he could pay cash for his home4 ,the association was repaid by future dividends4 ,in other words1 he could buy a home through the association without loading himself with the usual mortgage and its high rate of interest4 ,the association was safe because it knew dividends would be forthcoming1 and that once a man or woman is started on the path of thrift it amounts to an obsession to save and to possess40 ,mrs4 ,moore stopped to open her bag and assure herself by means of a wee mirror against its gray lining that her hat was at the correct angle4 ,mr4 ,larry studied her in frank amusement4 8,teresa1 you are a singular combination of the frivolous and the practical4 ,can you leave your mirror long enough to tell me how they have managed to keep this ,english association free from graft80 8,through the high ideals of the men who founded and conducted it4 ,the association has never deteriorated from its original design of saving through honest cooperation into any scheme whereby the mass of stockholders would save only a mere trifle1 while the executive officers built up private fortunes through trickery1 watered stock1 et cetera40 8,and you believe that men with the same high ideals can be interested in such a project here in ,america80 inquired ,mr4 ,larry4 8,finding the right men and women to act as directors is not the problem10 answered ,mrs4 ,moore soberly4 8,the trouble is to convince individual stockholders1 especially housekeepers1 that cooperation eventually spells saving--a lower cost of living4 ,it may be the fault of our bringing up1 but we women seek economy in only one of two ways--an actual and considerable reduction in the price of goods sold1 or the money we put in the savings bank4 ,we lack the economic vision of the man1 which sees money invested1 paying a profit six months or a year ahead4 ,the feminine instinct for chasing so-called bargain sales blinds her to the bigger and safer saving which cooperation represents4 ,here in ,america cooperation is a form of fanaticism1 not of every-day common sense40 ,they were all sitting together on the elevated train1 and ,claire remarked crisply3 8,then you consider that men have higher ideals than women80 8,no10 said ,mrs4 ,moore2 8but in financial matters they have a broader vision4 ,for example1 a number of ,boston men who had studied the plans and ideals of the ,english association started a cooperative society under the name of ,the ,palmer ,cooperative ,association4 ,it was designed especially to help the employees of the ,new ,york1 ,new ,haven and ,hartford ,road and its allied branches1 to reduce the cost of living4 ,about two thousand of the railroad men subscribed to the stock1 but they were very slow about paying up4 ,the men believed in it1 but their wives did not patronize the store4 ,this was largely because all the business was done on a cash basis4 ,there was no sending ,johnny or ,jennie around to have something #8charged4' ,goods were delivered only when bought in large quantities1 and on certain days4 8,the women did not figure that in the average retail store delivery adds eight per cent4 to the cost of goods4 ,then the wives of the subscribers seemed to think that they should get goods at cost1 because their husbands held stock4 ,the manager of the store1 an experienced buyer1 saved them from fifty to seventy-five cents on a five-dollar order4 ,the profits of the store were to go back to the stockholders in the form of dividends4 ,the women1 and some of the men1 could not grasp the idea of future saving1 of dividend paying4 ,they felt that they were saving very little by paying cash2 they were annoyed by having to make out orders for large quantities1 when they had been accustomed to send round to the corner grocery three or four times a day4 ,and so the association died4 8,when you figure that those allied roads employ sixty thousand men1 each of whom would spend a minimum of four hundred dollars a year in a cooperative store1 you find that such an association would do a business of twenty-four million 7#bd1jjj1jjj7 dollars a year4 ,at least three per cent4 would go back to the men in the form of a dividend1 amounting in all to seven hundred and twenty million dollars4 ,then1 allowing an average saving of five per cent4 on goods purchased1 you find that the store could have saved its stockholders one million1 two hundred thousand dollars at the time of purchase1 plus seven hundred and twenty thousand dollars in dividends1 or one million1 nine hundred and twenty thousand dollars in a single year4 ,this shows you what one group of industrial workers1 cooperating in the purchase of food alone1 could save themselves4 ,the beauty of this system is that the more you spend the more you save--0 ,mr4 ,larry rose1 laughing4 8,it's a good thing that this is my station1 otherwise you might inspire me to resign my position and start a cooperative store4 ,well1 a pleasant day to all of you1 and more knowledge on the subject40 ,the four investigators nodded gaily to their vanishing escort and then settled down to the discussion4 8,so you think the average housekeeper would rather chase the rainbow of special sales than the more solid investment represented by a cooperative association80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,not when they have grasped the true idea of cooperative buying10 responded ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,boston now has a very successful association known as the ,new ,england ,cooperative ,society1 which uses the ,rochdale ,system in operating its stores4 ,its headquarters are at #g ,water ,street1 and it operates the following stores in that city3 ,charles ,river ,cooperative ,market1 ,south ,boston ,cooperative ,market1 ,tremont ,cooperative ,market1 ,devonshire ,cooperative ,market1 ,charlesbank ,cooperative ,market4 8,i understand that markets of the same sort will soon be opened in ,allston and ,melrose4 ,bucksport1 ,maine1 also has a market under the direction of this society4 ,you remember that night at our house when you met ,mrs4 ,gregory of ,boston8 ,she told us that she belonged to a marketing club in which the women took turns in marketing for the entire organization4 ,this saved money1 but it was quite a tax on the individual members4 ,she did not know there was a cooperative store in ,boston until she heard it discussed at our house4 ,when she returned home she bought a ten-dollar share in the ,new ,england ,cooperative ,society1 resigned from her club and now does all her buying at the ,charles ,river ,market4 ,only one share in a local society may be held by any one person4 ,those who wish to invest more than ten dollars may do so by purchasing what are known as preferred shares in the ,new ,england ,cooperative ,society4 ,these shares have a par value of ten dollars and draw dividends at the rate of seven per cent4 ,shareholders1 you see1 not only draw dividends1 but they receive discounts1 given at stated periods1 in proportion to the amount of cash purchases by members4 8,the ,new ,england ,cooperative ,society1 incorporated under ,massachusetts laws1 is required by those laws to maintain a certain reserve1 but all net profits of the stores above this reserve are distributed in discounts and dividends40 8,my dear ,teresa1 you talk like a man10 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,can't you put that into woman-talk80 ,teresa ,moore patted her friend's hand in a comforting way4 8,i'll try4 ,the cooperative society secures as managers for its stores men who know how to buy for markets which have earned from fifteen to twenty-five per cent4 net on the capital invested4 ,now1 if you own shares in that association1 you get your share of the profits4 ,do you see that80 ,mrs4 ,larry nodded4 8,you also buy your groceries at the lowest possible price for desirable goods4 ,instead of buying #8seconds' in groceries1 and inferior meats and fresh vegetables1 fruits1 etc41 at slightly cut rates1 you pay a fair market price for the best the market affords1 and at some future date you get part of what you have paid out1 in the form of discounts and dividends4 ,is that clear80 8,perfectly10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,then it must also follow that if a store is not properly run1 there will be no discount and no dividend40 8,that is quite true10 said ,mrs4 ,moore2 8but the history of cooperative societies in ,america proves that there are more failures from lack of cooperation than from bad management4 ,as soon as shareholders grasp the idea and really cooperate1 the store is a success2 but1 as ,i said before1 one must believe and understand cooperation to realize the benefits which will eventually accrue from membership4 ,it is what you might call a waiting game40 8,are there many such associations in the ,united ,states--in the ,west1 for instance80 inquired ,claire4 ,then she flushed furiously4 8,i really have no idea how many10 answered ,mrs4 ,moore tactfully1 ignoring the blush4 8,but occasionally a guest tells me of a new society formed in her community4 ,for instance1 ,polly ,sutton1 of ,washington1 was visiting me only last week and told me of the ,civil ,service ,cooperators1 ,incorporated1 which has a very nice new store in her neighborhood40 ,mrs4 ,moore opened her address book4 8,yes1 here it is--located at #aidh ,new ,hampshire ,avenue1 ,n4 ,w41 in a very fine residence district4 ,this society had a very peculiar start4 ,in the ,forestry ,service1 a small group of men wanted to purchase a superior brand of butter made in ,minnesota4 ,to secure it they had to order in large quantities1 and they were amazed at the large saving eventually made4 ,they had been banded together for the avowed purpose of increasing their efficiency1 protecting and promoting common interests1 cultivating harmony and good fellowship1 and maintaining high ideals in connection with public service4 ,their success with purchasing butter in quantities showed them the practical possibilities of the phrase #8promoting common interests4' ,gradually the social and civic betterment projects were abandoned1 and the club devoted itself to buying household supplies4 8,after a year the members decided to incorporate1 with a capitalization of three thousand dollars4 ,the shares are the smallest of any cooperative enterprise ,i have heard about4 ,they are of two kinds4 ,there are five hundred shares of common or voting stock1 at one dollar each4 ,no member may hold more than one share of common stock1 and every member must take one4 ,preferred stock costs five dollars a share1 and each member is expected to hold at least one share4 ,by a very helpful arrangement the entire five dollars does not have to be paid at once4 ,if one dollar is paid in toward a share of preferred stock1 the remainder may be accumulated through dividends1 though on stock not fully paid up only half the declared rate is allowed4 ,preferred stock gives no voting privilege1 but it receives a regular six per cent4 interest each year out of the profits4 8,the society soon outgrew its original quarters1 which were in a basement near the heart of the business section1 and it began to look around for a new location4 ,this was chosen by actually comparing the size of the orders received from shareholders in different parts of the city1 with the map of the city itself4 ,about this time1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,farnham1 an expert accountant1 who had been auditing the association books1 became imbued with the cooperative idea and was made manager of the store4 ,he believes that cooperative business solves the bulk of our high cost of living problem1 and he has developed many good ideas4 ,he has tried out the parcel-post plan of shipment and secured direct dealings with farmers4 ,the store is simply fitted1 but immaculately clean1 and the white-washed cellar1 dry and sweet smelling1 is a joy to the women who get a peep into it4 8,every ,saturday morning each member receives a printed order blank on which are listed the two hundred and sixty odd items carried in stock for the coming week1 with the current prices4 ,a printed news letter usually accompanies the order sheet1 giving notes of the business1 frank explanations of changes in price1 news of directors' meetings1 and serving generally to keep the members in touch with one another4 8,while telephone ordering and personal calls at the store are permissible1 more housekeepers prefer the mail order system1 as the fact has been well established that the quality of the goods never varies1 and that full weight may be depended upon4 ,by ,tuesday morning these order sheets must be received at the store1 accompanied by check or money order for the amount indicated4 ,this business is not only on a cash basis4 ,it actually requires its pay in advance4 ,but as it can proudly point out that it has never lost a dollar in bad debts1 the shareholders do not object4 8,polly sent me one of the price lists or order sheets1 and on comparing it with what ,i pay at my own corner grocery1 ,i find the ,washington cooperator saves not less than two per cent4 on her purchases at the time of the purchase2 in some lines of goods it runs as high as ten per cent4 but the real saving comes in the form of dividends4 8,and with the ,civil ,service ,cooperators1 ,incorporated1 as with all societies of this sort1 the woman must figure ahead in order to save4 ,she must have money on deposit at the store or send check or cash with her order2 she must order in quantities practically for the week1 and she must be satisfied with a weekly or semi-weekly delivery4 ,this plan absolutely breaks a woman of the expensive habit of sending maid or child to the nearest grocery store where she can have goods charged and delivered at any hour of the day4 ,i presume we will find the same conditions at ,montclair40 8,dear me10 sighed ,mrs4 ,larry1 8cooperative stores present a very complicated problem40 8,indeed1 they do10 admitted ,mrs4 ,moore4 8,all economic questions are more or less complicated1 and it's a great pity that we women are rarely educated to see financial administration in our homes as anything deeper than what we pay for actual groceries1 meat1 vegetables1 etc41 at the actual time of purchase40 8,you must not expect ,dahlgren equipment and decorations in this cooperative store10 suggested ,mrs4 ,moore as she led the way through the crisp sunlight down ,montclair's well-kept streets to #eag ,bloomfield ,avenue4 8,dahlgren adds the cost of mirrors and white marble to your cuts of meat1 while a cooperative store is run without frills1 at the least possible expense40 ,thus prepared for simplicity1 if not down-right unattractiveness1 in the cause of economy1 the ,new ,york quartet almost gasped on entering the store of the ,montclair ,cooperative ,society4 ,if there was an absence of glittering mirrors and obsequious clerks in white caps and aprons1 there was no lack of up-to-date equipment and methods4 ,efficiency and success shone in every corner of the plant1 consisting of the three-story and basement brick business block with a forty-foot front4 8,in a material way this plant is one of the things we have to show for our three years' existence10 explained ,mr4 ,leroy ,dyal1 the manager of the store4 8,and when a cooperative society has weathered its first three years1 it may feel comparatively safe4 8,the store is owned by over four hundred residents of ,montclair1 and run in their interests by a board of directors as follows3 ,president1 ,emerson ,p4 ,hains2 vice-president1 ,mrs4 ,alfred ,w4 ,diller2 secretary1 ,miss ,florence ,hains2 treasurer1 ,henry ,wheaton2 directors1 ,ralph ,t4 ,crane1 ,w4 ,w4 ,ames1 ,h4 ,b4 ,van ,cleve1 ,edgar ,bates1 ,george ,french1 ,mrs4 ,william ,ropes4 ,you will note that we have women on our board of directors and they are extremely interested and active4 8,all business is cash1 or the members may1 if they wish1 make a deposit and draw on that4 ,once a week ,i make a budget of prices1 and on comparing them with the prices in other stores of the same class ,i find that they run about four per cent4 lower4 ,in addition to this1 while we will deliver goods1 we allow a discount of five per cent4 to members who carry goods home4 ,therefore1 the housekeeper who markets here and acts as her own delivery man1 using her motor1 carriage or trolley1 or even the family market basket1 and walking1 saves at the time of purchase about nine per cent4 ,in addition to this1 as a shareholder1 she is paid her share of the profits on the business we do4 ,of this ,i will speak later4 8,we do everything we can to popularize this store1 not only with the stockholders1 but with the general public4 ,you see1 we have both a dry and green grocery department1 a meat and a fish department4 ,on ,saturdays we have a special sale1 known as the #8no rebate and no delivery sale1' which runs from five to ten ,p4 ,m4 ,this is so popular as a matter of economy with ,montclair people that we have great crowds during those hours1 many customers arriving at four-thirty and waiting the half hour till specials are on sale4 ,this gives us a chance to sell off all vegetables and other perishable foodstuffs that otherwise must be carried over the week-end4 ,i mention it merely to show you that a cooperative store is not necessarily high-brow1 as some women think4 ,we try to follow all modern business methods--but we permit no substitution1 adulteration1 nor any other of the evils of so-called modern merchandising4 8,to explain the theory on which our store and society are run1 ,i will say that the requirements for this1 as for all cooperative ventures1 are an adequate organization of consumers to act in their own behalf1 and a first-class plant4 ,our aim is not merely to transfer to the pockets of our shareholders the small net profits made by other storekeepers1 but so to manage the journey of food products from source to kitchen as to cut out certain evils from which the housewife suffers--the cost of duplicate or wasted motion1 and the adulteration and unsanitary conditions which surround the handling of products4 ,we eliminate many of the cost items of ordinary retail trade in competition1 and we protect the society from loss by doing only a cash trade4 8,our shares have a par value of ten dollars4 ,members may own one share or more4 ,the stock is non-assessable when fully paid1 and the subscriptions may be paid in cash or at the rate of two dollars per share down1 and the balance at the rate of one dollar per share monthly4 ,all sales are recorded on double sales slips4 ,one is kept by the shareholder and one by the society4 8,after effecting an organization and proving the honesty and sincerity of our members in supporting the venture1 the next step was a plant which would insure the most efficient handling of the trade4 8,of vital importance is to provide a proper medium for keeping fresh foods1 such as meat1 vegetables1 fruit1 etc4 ,this means an abundance of dry cold air1 in place of the ice supply with its unhealthy dampness and general unreliability4 8,for this purpose we have installed in our basement a ,brunswick refrigerating machine1 which produces an amount of cold air equal to the melting of six tons of ice daily4 ,this cold air is piped through ammonia cooling pipes which run through our glass counters1 wall cases and the regular refrigerators4 ,this system of cold air protection saves enormous waste in handling the stock4 ,we also have driven our own well one hundred and twenty-seven feet deep1 which is capable of furnishing thirty gallons of pure water per minute4 8,our plant follows in principle and construction the superb modern public markets of ,providence1 ,rhode ,island1 and ,worcester1 ,massachusetts4 ,it keeps the stock sanitary and enables us to regulate temperature in different refrigerators to meet the requirements of different sorts of food4 8,all the foods sold in our delicatessen department are prepared in our model kitchens on the floor above40 ,the ,new ,yorkers were shown through these kitchens1 where colored women1 immaculately dressed1 were preparing delicious salads4 ,they studied the method by which running water in the fish department positively eliminated all odor4 ,they were especially impressed by the freshness and crispness of the vegetables and the high standard of dry groceries on the shelves4 8,the best of everything10 murmured ,mrs4 ,larry1 8and at exactly what saving80 ,the manager smiled at her earnest query4 8,that can not be expressed in round figures4 ,it varies4 ,as ,i said before1 ,i think our prices average about four per cent4 below those of the competitive stores1 largely because they must spend money to attract trade which we hold through our membership4 ,the housewife who takes home her goods saves an additional five per cent4 ,the member who attends our ,saturday evening sales saves a little more4 ,and1 finally1 stockholders get back money in these two ways3 8,first1 regular interest on their investment of not more than six per cent42 second1 gains or profits which the store has made1 redistributed every quarter at the rate of five per cent4 on the amount of purchases recorded on duplicate sales slips40 8,then it is a success1 your store and your society80 asked ,mrs4 ,norton4 8,and the women believe in it and support it80 8,they certainly do4 ,they have the true cooperative spirit40 8,and what of your cooperative kitchen and your housemaids' school1 and----0 8,those8 ,oh1 they are another story6 ,the cooperative kitchen is managed by a different society1 and the school for housemaids by the ,housewives' ,league40 8,shall we see them80 inquired ,mrs4 ,moore1 as the quartet walked down the sun-bright street4 8,yes1 let us make a day of it in this remarkable community with its cooperative spirit1 even if1 as ,mr4 ,dyal says1 it is another story40 ,,chapter ,,vi 8,high prices do not necessarily mean high living40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #f4 ,mrs4 ,larry1 her chin cupped in her slim competent hand1 gazed at the toe of her bronze slipper4 ,a smile played round her lips and brightened her eyes4 ,mr4 ,larry1 leaning back in his favorite chair1 studied her with the satisfaction of a man who has found matrimony a success1 and is eager to blazon the fact to all the world4 8,well1--and what of to-day's adventure in thrift80 he asked4 8,oh1 ,larry1 it ended in such a mess60 she answered1 leaning forward1 her hands clasped about her knees4 8,the day started with a perfectly wonderful trip through the ,montclair ,cooperative ,store4 ,then1 because we did not realize that we had taken in about all the information we could absorb at one time1 we went chasing off to see a cooperative kitchen and training school for housemaids--0 ,she stopped abruptly1 and resumed her study of the beaded bronze slipper4 8,and then10 prompted ,mr4 ,larry in exactly the tone which he knew would bring a response4 8,oh1 ,larry1 ,i'm afraid ,i'm a little silly10 she sighed4 8,i can't rise to the heights of cooperation and the good of the greatest number and all that sort of thing4 ,moreover1 if ,i keep on investigating the attempts of my own sex to solve the high cost of living problem1 ,i shall develop into an out and out anti-suffragist4 ,if we women can not solve the economic problems in our own pantries and kitchens1 what right have we to meddle with state and national economics80 ,mr4 ,larry flung back his head and laughed with delight4 8,my dear girl10 he announced consolingly1 8if every man who has shown himself incompetent to direct the finances of his family and his business were deprived of the ballot1 the voting list in this city would be cut down about three-fourths4 ,but how does this bear on your trip to ,montclair80 8,oh1 in lots of ways10 replied ,mrs4 ,larry firmly4 8,now about the kitchen4 ,you see1 dear1 there is so much waste for families like ours1 who buy in small quantities4 ,and there is waste in service when each family keeps a maid in a small apartment like this4 ,that's why ,teresa ,moore said we really ought to see the ,montclair ,cooperative ,kitchen4 8,now suppose she and ,i had adjoining apartments4 ,suppose we had one maid between us instead of two1 and that the marketing was done simultaneously for both families in larger quantities1 and the cooking and serving were done in either her apartment or mine for both families1 see80 ,mr4 ,larry looked alarmed4 8,i see1 but ,i don't care for it4 ,i like ,teresa--in small doses--but ,i do not relish the idea of eating my meals with her three hundred and sixty-five days in the year4 ,a man chooses the woman who's to sit opposite him at table because he loves her1 not for economic reasons4 ,if this is what your investigations are leading to1 we'll quit here and now4 ,of course1 ,i don't want to interfere with your friendship with ,teresa1 but--0 8,larry1 ,larry10 chortled his wife1 8do run down a minute or two and let me explain4 ,i was only leading up to the ,montclair experience by presenting a hypothetical case1 as the lawyers do--0 8,oh1 if it's only that--0 said the mollified ,mr4 ,larry1 setting down once more to listen4 8,and anyhow10 pursued his wife1 8you wouldn't have to sit opposite anybody but me4 ,we'd have a table of our own1 one for each family40 8,like a high-class boarding house1 ,i suppose1 with near-silk candle-shades and a bargain counter fern dish in near-silver--0 8,but you don't have to go to the cooperative kitchen if you don't want to2 you can have your meals sent piping hot by paying a little more1 and even a trim maid to serve the dinner for you10 finished ,mrs4 ,larry in triumph4 8,fine6 ,and if you wanted a second helping of mashed potatoes1 ,i suppose the trim little maid would trip down three blocks and bring it back on the run4 ,great on a rainy night4 ,and suppose that ,i didn't like onions in my turkey stuffing1 but ,teresa's husband did1 who would win80 ,mrs4 ,larry shook her head at him4 8,that's why cooperative kitchens fail4 ,you men will have the kind of bread your mother used to bake--0 8,no1 the kind of pie my wife makes1 lemon with meringue this high4 ,do you think there's a cooperative kitchen on earth that can bake a pie like yours80 8,but you can't save a lot of money and have just what you want to eat1 ,larry1 dear40 8,all right1 then we'll save a little less4 ,digestion is an important factor in efficiency40 ,he said this with a twinkle in his eye1 and then turned sober4 8,you see1 my dear1 several years before ,i married you1 ,i yielded to the importunities of a chap who went in for this sort of thing4 ,he dragged me out to live in a cooperative home established by ,upton ,sinclair in ,jersey4 ,halcyon ,hall they called it4 ,my word1 such a site1 on top of a mountain with the world at your feet6 ,and then such rules of organization1 with the running of the plant neatly divided between us6 8,one woman tended all the babies1 another did all the cooking4 ,she was a dietitian with a diploma1 but she was no cook4 ,to save steps1 the food was run in from the kitchen to the dining-room on a sort of miniature railway4 ,sometimes it stuck1 and then everybody with a mechanical turn of mind rushed from the table to pry it loose4 ,of course1 by the time you got your soup or gravy it was cold1 but1 never mind1 the railroad was in working order again1 and nobody would have to walk from kitchen to dining-room60 8,larry6 ,you are hopeless60 8,so was this plan4 ,i dropped my board money and ran for my life--literally1 because the man whose specialty was engineering let something go amiss with the furnace in his charge1 and the whole place burned to the ground one frosty night4 ,several of the colonists' were severely injured2 one claims that she has never fully recovered her health4 ,but1 of course1 such troubles would not overtake a cooperative kitchen4 ,that is a simpler proposition1 so go ahead with your story and ,i promise not to interrupt40 8,well1 the enterprise is not quite a year old--it was started by ,mrs4 ,h4 ,a4 ,leonhauser1 wife of a retired army officer1 who has lived in all sorts of countries and posts and barracks and things1 so she knew the economy of cooperative living4 8,we found the kitchen conveniently located at ,valley ,road and ,mountainview ,place4 ,you never did see such a wonderful equipment of ranges and sinks and tables and cooking utensils outside of a hotel kitchen4 ,there was everything to do with and so much room to do it in4 ,there are times1 dear1 when an apartment house kitchen does get on one's nerves--it's like going round and round in a squirrel cage4 8,well1 everything started out beautifully--0 8,this morning80 queried ,mr4 ,larry4 8,no1 last ,november1 when the kitchen opened4 ,only the humblest helpers were what you might call servants4 ,everybody else had degrees and letters after their names4 ,the making of the menus and the balancing of the food values were done by a graduate dietitian4 ,a woman who had made efficiency a study was appointed as general housekeeper and she looked after the preparation of the meals40 8,who cooked them80 8,why1 the dietitian1 of course4 ,then a graduate in domestic science looked after the real economics1 figuring costs and specifying what prices should be paid40 8,any of these ladies ever been married or kept house80 8,now1 ,larry1 that is horrid6 ,you don't have to marry in order to keep house4 ,the idea was so to arrange meals that every one would be satisfied40 8,impossible60 8,by that ,i mean different menus would be arranged to suit the incomes of different stockholders4 ,even if you wanted a vegetarian diet1 it would be supplied4 ,if you wanted to have your meals in the dining-room attached to the kitchen1 there would be a table d'hte40 ,mr4 ,larry groaned4 8,french or ,italian80 ,illustration3 ,there would be the family dinner sitting on the back step 8,american1 of course1 and if you didn't want to come to the kitchen1 your dinner was to be sent to your home in a sort of thermos stove4 ,the table d'hte1 price fifty cents1 was to include a soup1 a roast1 a vegetable1 a salad1 a dessert and coffee4 ,every day a post-card folder was to be mailed subscribers1 with the dishes to be served the next day1 all prices marked for la carte service4 ,the housekeeper selected her menu in the morning1 sent it to the kitchen1 and then was free to go to town for shopping or a matine4 ,when she and her husband came home there would be the family dinner1 sitting on the back step in its little thermos stove60 8,but did it80 8,did it what80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,did it ever sit1 waiting on the back step for its subscribers1 stockholders or whatever you call them8 ,did the kitchen ever really live up to the promises of its prospectus8 ,did you meet any cooperator who has saved time1 trouble and money by and through that kitchen8 ,any one with an imagination can write a prospectus4 ,what were they doing in that kitchen to-day80 8,well1 now that was just the difficult phase of our investigation4 ,they seemed to be reorganizing4 ,a very clever young woman1 ,miss ,helen ,siegle1 has recently been placed in charge as manager4 ,she was most courteous1 but--er--evasive4 ,there was so much to be done1 she said--but the prospects of ultimate success were excellent4 ,she did not criticize past management1 but somehow you felt that things had not gone just so--you know what ,i mean40 8,yes1 the way we fellows felt at the club last ,january when we said what a fine year's work the house committee had done1 and all the time were pulling wires to get in an entirely new committee to look after things this year40 8,larry1 you certainly are a most understanding person4 ,miss ,siegle took us all over the plant1 but she did not tell us much about her own plans4 ,she really seemed to have her hands and her mind pretty full40 8,i should say so--think of trying to please each and every stockholder1 irrespective of different nationalities1 digestions and former condition of servitude to mother's cakes and pies6 ,but1 to sum it up1 you really did not secure any practical suggestions from the kitchen80 8,no10 admitted ,mrs4 ,larry reluctantly1 8we didn't see it in operation4 ,but the idea is wonderful1 if you could just get the right person to put it in operation40 8,if you found her1 one of the bachelor stockholders would promptly marry her1 and that would settle it4 ,and so from the kitchen you went to the school for housemaids80 8,no1 ,larry1 we did not4 ,teresa telephoned one of the ladies interested in the school1 and she was getting ready to go to a tea1 but said if we would telephone ,mrs4 ,somebody else1 she would be delighted--0 8,if she didn't happen to have a tea on hand also40 8,so then we all suddenly decided that we wanted to come home4 ,teresa remembered an appointment with her tailor--you know they are going to take the ,panama trip1 don't you8 ,and ,mrs4 ,norton wanted to fill in her dinner set at a china sale1 and ,i--well1 ,larry1 ,i had the funniest sinking sensation when ,i happened to remember that ,i'd been away from the children almost five hours4 ,and we ran like mad to catch the next train80 8,a fine1 dignified quartet of investigators1 you are6 ,now1 what did you learn as the reward of your trip8 ,just tell me that60 8,i learned that ,i'd rather have a real steak from my own broiler than a thermos stove on my back step40 8,good little wife6 ,and as a reward for that sensible answer1 you shall read this letter1 which may or may not confirm your findings40 ,mr4 ,larry drew a bulky envelope from his pocket1 slit it open and tossed the contents in ,mrs4 ,larry's lap4 8,you see1 my dear1 ,i have an old friend living in ,carthage1 ,missouri1 where once a very successful cooperative kitchen flourished4 ,he and his wife were stockholders but dropped out4 ,i asked him to tell me why1 and here is the letter in reply40 8,no1 it's from his wife1 and1 oh1 what pains she has taken6 ,just listen3 99 99 99 99 99 8,my ,dear ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,larry3 8,it is so nice to have an excuse to write to one of my husband's old classmates and to his wife4 ,so let us talk together as if you were here in our living-room instead of several thousand miles away4 8,if you were to ask any one who was a member of the defunct ,carthage ,cooperative ,kitchen why it failed1 he or she would immediately answer1 #8,why it never failed6' ,it was a great success1 yet it was discontinued because it was not possible to find enough members to keep the cost of the operative expense within the means of the members who still wished to continue the kitchen4 8,of the fifteen families who joined when it was organized1 five families dropped out because they could no longer afford to belong4 ,two families dropped out because they grew tired of walking such a distance to their meals4 ,one couple left because an invalid mother came to live with them4 ,another because they wished to set a better table than the kitchen's4 ,this couple frankly said they could afford luxuries1 but did not expect the kitchen to furnish them1 as the others could not4 ,it was true1 and no one minded1 especially as this couple were very hospitable4 ,you see1 in1 no case was it dissatisfaction with the cooperative kitchen management that caused the withdrawal of members4 8,if the cost of provisions had remained what it was when the kitchen opened1 doubtless the kitchen would have become a permanent institution4 ,but the price of foodstuffs increased so rapidly that the second year found the kitchen facing this question3 ,shall we cut down our table or increase the price of board8 ,there were some who could not afford to spend more on food4 ,these left and1 presumably1 at home did without some of the things that some of the kitchen members had considered necessary4 ,no one has ever claimed to live cheaper in his own home and keep a maid4 8,when the price of board was increased to three dollars and fifty cents1 then to four dollars1 per member per week1 it was more difficult to get members4 ,in a town like ,carthage there are many families that can afford three dollars per member table board4 ,there are fewer that can afford four dollars per member4 ,and it became difficult to find fifteen families living in the same neighborhood who could afford it4 ,in a town that does not have a local street railway one wants to live within a short distance of the house that serves breakfast4 8,besides1 as the membership decreased1 the expense per member increased1 so more families dropped out4 8,in order to be successful1 a kitchen must be located in a neighborhood where at least twelve families have the same standard of living1 the same tastes and are able to spend the same amount on their table4 ,this may be in a very small town or in a city4 ,in a town like ,carthage1 where the scale runs from a millionaire to a mail carrier in the same block1 it is difficult to pick that neighborhood4 8,it is interesting to note that not one of the things so freely prophesied contributed to the discontinuance of the kitchen4 ,never once was there disagreement over menus or payments4 ,never once was there trouble over children1 or complaint of unfairness1 or gossip1 or fault-finding4 8,to-day the members of the ,cooperative ,kitchen are close friends1 and we unite in praising the ability and the tact of the manager60 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,larry laid down the letter and looked at her husband with dancing eyes4 8,and so1 you see1 after all1 this matter of cooperative cooking and living practically resolves itself into the question of lemon meringue pie or--,brown ,betty1 according to your individual finances4 ,and to-morrow you get ,brown ,betty1 because ,lena1 having picked up a bargain in apples1 has laid in a stock which must be used40 8,lena60 exclaimed the astonished ,mr4 ,larry4 8,yes4 ,lena1 too1 is studying short cuts in economy and having little adventures of her own4 ,she has developed a good-sized bump of responsibility since ,i have been making these trips1 and she is alone with the children4 ,she takes great pride in saving pennies4 ,to-day she bought the apples from a huckster at three cents less a quart than we pay at ,dahlgren's4 8,to insure solid fruit1 she insisted upon picking out each apple with her own hands40 ,mr4 ,larry1 who had been opening his evening paper1 laid it down1 turned to his wife and spoke seriously4 8,you know1 little woman1 when ,i hear your friends roasting their help for carelessness and extravagance1 ,i often wonder where the fault really lies4 ,if the mistress buys supplies in small quantities1 or if she is extravagant1 how can she expect the maid to fight her bad management with thrift8 ,the girl is far more apt to say1 #8,oh1 what's the use for me to save what my mistress will waste in the end8' 8,i have been watching ,lena since you commenced your investigations in thrift1 and1 in her stolid way1 she is tremendously impressed4 ,she attacks her work in a more businesslike fashion1 and she certainly regards you with increased respect40 ,at the last word ,mrs4 ,larry shook her head4 8,i'm not so sure about that4 ,sometimes she questions my marketing abilities4 ,do you remember the other morning when we were starting for ,montclair1 she asked1 #8,what is the use of paying more for rice in package than in bulk if they both have to be washed8'0 ,mr4 ,larry's eyes twinkled4 8,yes1 she had you fussed for a minute40 8,and she gave me something to think about--is the habit of buying package goods economical or extravagant80 8,why don't you find out8 ,buy both kinds and see which has the better flavor4 ,weigh1 measure and compare40 8,i will10 said ,mrs4 ,larry firmly4 8,i'll start to-morrow morning4 ,and here's an adventure in thrift which ,claire must make with me4 ,i'll telephone her this minute40 ,but she paused with her hand on the receiver-- 8,i remembered just in time to save five cents4 ,claire is going to the ,bryant dance40 ,at that very instant the bell rang and ,claire came in1 a vision in coral tulle4 8,how'de1 everybody60 ,she paused1 in sudden embarrassment1 the color mounting to her softly waved black hair4 ,mr4 ,larry studied her with approving glance4 8,stunning1 ,claire4 ,whether it cost fifty dollars or five hundred40 8,less than fifty4 ,oh1 ,i'm learning10 she said with a happy little laugh4 8,it was awfully good of you to let me see it before you had danced some of the freshness out of it10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,oh1 ,i just had to come4 ,you see----0 ,she stopped--and again the beautiful color flooded her face4 8,of course10 said ,mrs4 ,larry1 as1 sensing the need of greater privacy1 she slipped her hand through ,claire's arm and led her down to the guest room4 8,but first1 let me catch up your hair a bit40 ,mr4 ,larry1 all unconscious that the spirit of romance had tripped into the apartment with the coral-tinted vision1 buried himself in his paper4 ,safe on the other side of the guest room door1 ,mrs4 ,larry held the radiant girl a little closer4 8,claire1 dear1 what has come over you80 8,this10 answered ,claire in a voice that trembled with happiness4 ,she held out her hand1 and in the soft light from a silk-shaded electrolier ,mrs4 ,larry caught the gleam of the diamond which had traveled to ,kansas ,city and back4 8,is ,jimmy here80 she asked4 8,no1 no4 ,he sent it with a most wonderful letter4 ,just a few lines--but--oh6 ,to-morrow's my birthday4 ,he asked me to take this back for a birthday remembrance1 because it was impossible for him to think of my hand without it4 ,i was to think of it as his birthday message--and not as binding me to any promise given in the past4 ,just as if ,i don't want to be bound60 ,she pressed the stone against her lips4 ,mrs4 ,larry laughed a trifle uncertainly4 8,a man's way of admitting he was wrong and saying he's sorry40 8,but why do you suppose he did it8 ,how did he know that ,i wouldn't send it straight back to him80 8,oh1 a man will usually take a chance--and he loves you1 which is the most important thing1 after all10 affirmed ,mrs4 ,larry1 as she recalled certain letters in the farthest drawer of ,aunt ,abigail's old secretary4 8,do you think you'll be able to do some investigating with me to-morrow8 ,i want to look into the cost of groceries1 but1 perhaps after the dance1 you'll be too tired----0 8,tired8 ,i don't think ,i can ever be tired again4 ,and ,i'll be here at eight in the morning40 8,no1 you won't10 said ,mrs4 ,larry positively4 8,i can't be ready that early4 ,make it nine40 8,all right10 said ,claire1 as she drew her wrap over her shoulders4 ,then she kissed ,mrs4 ,larry good night--and flitted off4 ,,chapter ,,vii 8,ignorance in the housewife causes dishonest prices in the grocery40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #g4 ,mrs4 ,larry and ,claire really meant to be on their way to ,dorlon's by nine o'clock1 but there were various delays4 ,lisbeth1 coquetting in her bath1 lured them for ten minutes4 ,mrs4 ,larry recalled that she must telephone her dressmaker4 ,claire remembered an unacknowledged dinner invitation and stopped to dash off a note4 ,it was ten o'clock when their adventure in thrift landed them at ,dorlon's high-class grocery store4 ,mr4 ,benton1 the suave manager of the store1 recognizing ,mrs4 ,larry as a customer in good standing1 looked a trifle anxious as he rose at his desk to receive them4 ,what employee had been remiss1 he wondered8 ,or had the cashier made a mistake8 ,for truly the pathway of a store manager is strewn with complaints6 ,mrs4 ,larry flung him one of her prettiest smiles and plunged into the subject of their call4 8,i don't suppose it's good business to tell your customers how to spend less money1 but that is exactly what ,i have come for10 she explained4 8,i have just wakened to the realization that while ,i am head of the purchasing department in our home1 ,i know very little about food values4 ,and ,i want to know more about the goods ,i buy in your store--how ,i can buy to best advantage4 ,would you mind giving me some pointers80 ,mr4 ,benton was plainly relieved4 8,indeed1 ,i'll be very glad to give you all the information ,i can4 ,if more women studied how to buy1 we would have less complaints about overcharges and high prices4 ,but ,i am afraid ,i can't give you much time this morning4 ,our busy hour is at hand4 ,if you had come in between eight and nine1 ,i could have taken you over the store and shown you how the wheels go round4 ,in ten minutes our rush will set in1 and last until one o'clock4 ,practically all of our customers crowd their marketing into those hours40 8,how odd60 said ,claire4 8,i don't think it's odd10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,i suppose every woman does just what we did this morning--stops to tie loose ends in the home1 before starting to market40 8,more telephone1 ,i imagine10 said ,claire4 ,mr4 ,benton nodded his head briskly4 8,right there you have struck one fundamental cause of the high cost of living--service6 ,we employ five men to take orders in your home2 one man to answer telephone calls1 and a dozen delivery men4 ,i am not criticizing the efforts of this firm to give its customers the best and promptest service4 ,i am merely stating the cold facts when ,i say that order1 telephone and delivery service is added to the cost of everything you buy4 8,if the women of ,america would band together for the purpose of ordering efficiently1 and thereby reduce the cost of delivery1 they would enable grocers to sell at lower prices4 ,let me make this clear with an illustration3 ,illustration3 8,if the women of ,america would band together0 8,mrs4 ,a4 is busy getting the children off to school when the order boy calls at her door4 ,so she tells him to send her a pound of butter1 a package of crackers and a dozen of oranges--whatever she happens to remember in the haste of the moment4 ,she starts to get lunch and finds that there is no vinegar for the salad dressing1 no rice for the soup4 ,so she telephones to have these articles delivered #8special4' ,her first order is already on the way by our first regular delivery4 ,the #8special' wagon or boy is rushed around with her second order4 ,during the afternoon she makes an apple pie for her husband's dinner1 and discovers that the cheese box is empty4 ,so she telephones again1 and a second messenger or special wagon is dispatched to her home4 ,now1 no matter how closely we may price butter or rice or cheese1 this woman undoes our efforts to give her low prices by her inefficient system of ordering4 ,she has spent ten cents in telephones1 and she has made it necessary for us to keep extra help for her special orders4 8,each one of these belated orders is a small item in itself1 but when ,i tell you that some of our customers order groceries from four to six times a day1 you will understand what extra service amounts to4 ,and when ,i add that on busy days1 like ,saturday or the day before ,christmas1 we send out anywhere from a thousand to fifteen hundred orders1 you will have a better idea of what delivery service costs the housewives of ,america4 8,housewives could cut down this particular expense1 which adds so greatly to the high cost of living1 by marketing in a more systematic way4 ,it is the poorest economy to buy in small quantities and at frequent intervals4 ,to reduce your grocery bill1 keep tabs on your pantry shelves2 keep up your stock of staple groceries1 just as a merchant must keep in stock the things you will want to buy4 ,make it a rule never to order more than once a day1 and to avoid extra orders by telephone4 8,don't you think it's rather inconsistent for a woman to complain of the price we charge for eggs1 when she deliberately adds five cents to the cost of a dozen by telephoning for them8 ,of course1 in towns where the telephone service is unlimited1 this is not such a big item4 ,but unlimited telephone service is becoming less common each year4 8,another important factor in reducing the cost of groceries is explicit ordering4 ,do not tell the boy to bring you a box of sweet crackers1 a package of raisins and a dozen good oranges4 ,be more definite4 ,name the brand and the size of the box in ordering crackers4 ,the smaller the box the more you pay for crackers4 ,make it clear whether you want cooking raisins or table raisins4 ,stipulate the price per dozen for oranges4 ,the order clerk who reads the slip1 #8a package of wafers1 a box of raisins and a dozen good oranges1' does not know your income1 and doesn't care what it is4 ,he will send you goods that will bring the firm the highest profit4 ,and in this he is entirely justified4 ,there is no reason why he should practise thrift for you4 8,if possible1 buy your groceries at the store in person4 ,and come as early as you can4 ,there are several good reasons for this advice4 ,in the morning the clerks are fresh and interested in their work4 ,they can help you in the selection of goods4 ,during or after the day's rush they are too driven or tired to give the best service4 ,then1 if you buy in person1 you can see the size of the containers1 and you will find there is a big saving in buying larger packages4 ,take the item of olives1 for instance3 ,you order by telephone a small bottle of olives4 ,the clerk sends you a bottle selling for thirty cents4 ,in a few days you order another thirty-cent bottle--sixty cents for two bottles of olives4 ,for fifty-five cents you can get one large bottle1 containing as much as the two smaller ones4 ,moreover1 if you do not specify that you want queen olives1 but leave the order to the discretion of the clerk1 he will send you mammouth queen olives at thirty-eight cents1 when you could buy the smaller queen olives for thirty cents4 ,there is no difference in flavor1 only in size1 and as the larger olives can not be packed so closely1 you really get less for your money4 8,moreover1 if you come to the store1 you see articles offered at #8special' prices1 legitimate sales1 due to the fact that the modern grocer of a chain of stores like the ,dorlon stores has opportunities to buy at cut prices for cash4 ,no delivery clerk has time to tell you about the #8specials' offered in the store each morning1 and such information is not given over the telephone4 ,but it is announced on placards all over the store1 so that you will not miss it if you come in40 ,mr4 ,benton glanced over ,mrs4 ,larry's smartly tailored hat to the front of the store1 which was rapidly filling up4 8,i'm afraid ,i've talked too long4 ,perhaps ,i have bored you80 8,not a bit10 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,i feel as if we had only glimpsed the real possibilities of reducing the cost of living by grocery knowledge4 ,i wish our club could hear you talk40 8,what sort of a club is it80 inquired ,mr4 ,benton4 8,oh1 it's not an organization and it has no name4 ,it's just a few neighbors who are investigating the high cost of living--husbands and wives--we women investigate and our husbands help us to draw conclusions4 ,i am sure the husbands would like to hear you talk4 ,but ,i suppose you're always busy evenings80 8,never too busy to be of service to my firm or to my customers40 8,then you will meet with us some evening80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry eagerly4 8,if you will tell me what you want me to talk about--yes40 8,oh1 there is so much we want to know10 said2 ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,the comparative cost of package and bulk goods1 for instance40 8,and adulteration10 suggested ,claire4 8,substitution is quite as important10 added ,mr4 ,benton4 8,oh1 will you80 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,yes1 any night except ,thursday4 ,and1 if you like1 ,i'll bring a small exhibit with me40 8,that will be splendid60 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,let's make it next ,wednesday night4 ,and now1 ,i intend to put some of your policies into practise4 ,i'm going to look up your #8specials4' ,my goodness gracious60 she added1 conscience-stricken1 8every word you say is true4 ,i have not been in this store for more than a month40 ,mr4 ,benton smiled and crooked his finger at a passing clerk4 8,show ,mrs4 ,hall our specials for to-day4 ,i think she'll be interested40 ,claire and ,mrs4 ,larry followed the clerk from counter to stand4 8,this morning we are selling best eggs at thirty-seven cents a dozen4 ,yesterday you paid forty-one cents a dozen for the same eggs4 ,to-morrow you may pay it again4 ,to-day's drop in price is due to a glutted market4 ,those eggs are perfectly fresh1 and will keep in your refrigerator for a week4 ,here are hams at nineteen cents a pound1 ordinarily sold at twenty-two4 ,this cut is due to the fact that our firm bought a carload direct from the packer4 ,to-day you can buy a basket of sweet potatoes for nineteen cents4 ,to-morrow they may be twenty or twenty-two40 ,just at this moment an order boy called out3 8,mrs4 ,blank1 one quart of sweets40 8,what do they cost a quart80 asked ,claire4 8,ten cents10 answered the clerk4 8,and how much does the basket hold80 8,five quarts40 ,mrs4 ,larry looked startled4 8,then a customer pays ten cents for one quart1 and nineteen cents for five quarts8 ,think of paying ten cents a quart when ,i could get them for four cents6 ,i have been buying them by the quart because they don't keep well40 8,keep your sweet potatoes in a cool place and pick them over every day4 ,when they show spots1 boil them in their jackets1 set them away in the refrigerator1 and they will keep indefinitely after they are boiled10 advised the clerk4 8,we are having a special on certain brands of canned goods to-day--peas1 tomatoes1 apricots and sliced pineapple4 ,probably some canner found himself overloaded with certain vegetables and fruits1 and our firm took advantage of the fact4 ,if you can use a dozen cans1 you will save thirty cents on the dozen1 nearly three cents on each can4 ,and you can mix your order in any way you like--three of this1 four of that1 two of another1 etc40 8,and you have #8specials' like this every day80 asked ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,yes1 sometimes the specials run a week4 ,others are only for one day40 8,i am through with telephoning4 ,hereafter ,i shall order my groceries in person10 announced ,mrs4 ,larry4 99 99 99 99 99 ,wednesday evening found the ,nortons1 the ,moores and ,claire ,pierce waiting in ,mrs4 ,larry's living-room for ,mr4 ,benton1 manager of the ,dorlon store4 ,on the reading table1 ,lena1 fairly bristling with importance1 was arranging the exhibit which had arrived from the store4 ,this included two brands of canned peaches1 cartons of rice1 tea1 sugar1 crackers and flavoring extracts and various packages of irregular shape4 8,looks like a private pure food exhibit10 commented ,mr4 ,norton4 ,mr4 ,benton proved an interesting and interested talker4 8,personal investigation and experimentation on the part of the housewife are desired by all conscientious tradespeople4 ,in the case of the ,dorlon ,company1 which operates a chain of thirty stores in ,greater ,new ,york1 the buyers desire to give customers the benefit of every possible price-saving4 ,the managers of the stores are equally desirous of keeping customers posted on price changes and market values1 but we can not force customers to take a lively interest in saving money1 when they prefer to follow the line of least trouble and least resistance4 ,therefore1 ,i am very glad to give you a few pointers on the subject of buying groceries4 8,the principal topics in which housewives are interested are these3 package versus bulk goods2 cold storage versus fresh goods2 adulteration versus substitution2 honest and dishonest labels2 premiums4 8,to those of us who are in the business1 the argument against package goods as increasing the cost of living is absurd4 ,goods must be prepared for delivery1 either in the factory or in the store4 ,the factory1 with its labor-saving machinery1 can do up dry groceries more rapidly and less expensively than our fastest clerks in the store4 ,perhaps there was a time when the housekeeper paid extra for containers4 ,to-day she can buy certain package goods as reasonably1 and sometimes more cheaply1 than bulk goods4 8,for instance1 to-day we are selling three and a half pounds of the best granulated sugar in packages at twenty-four cents a package4 ,loose1 you would pay eight cents a pound1 or twenty-eight cents for three and one-half pounds4 ,exactly the same grade of coffee that we sell ground or pulverized in an air-proof package at thirty-three cents a pound would cost you thirty-five cents in bulk from the bin4 8,of course1 there are some exceptions to this rule4 ,for instance1 ,i have here a package of rice at twelve cents--and exactly the same rice in the bulk for ten cents a pound4 ,you can save two cents on the pound1 if when the bulk rice is delivered in your kitchen you pour it into a container which prevents waste4 ,rice or any other cereal in a paper sack usually represents waste in the pantry because the sack is torn1 and the cereal spills over the shelf4 8,here is a two-pound package of oatmeal at twelve cents4 ,i can sell you the same oatmeal in bulk at five cents a pound4 ,here is a package of split peas1 two pounds for twenty-four cents4 ,the same peas loose sell at ten cents a pound4 8,in such cases the superiority of the package goods depends entirely upon the way your servant handles the package4 ,if she opens it carelessly1 destroys the pasteboard top1 or1 in case of bottle goods like pickles1 relishes1 etc41 she throws away the cork1 then they lose the flavor or the goods become dusty1 precisely as if you bought them in bulk4 8,train your servants to understand that containers are designed to keep out dust and to protect the flavor of the goods4 8,now for the crackers4 ,here are two cartons of soda crackers1 moisture proof1 sold at five cents each4 ,and here is ten cents' worth of the same soda crackers in bulk4 ,we will now count the actual crackers in the carton and in the sack40 ,mr4 ,benton's interested circle drew closer4 ,the moisture-proof cartons yielded up forty-eight whole fresh1 crisp crackers4 ,when the bulk crackers were turned carefully into a large plate1 it was found practically impossible to count them4 ,more than a third had been broken in carriage1 and there was a heavy sprinkling of cracker dust4 ,nor were the bulk crackers crisp or fresh in flavor4 ,in graham crackers the difference was more pronounced4 ,a ten-cent1 moisture-proof package contained thirty unbroken crackers4 ,a pound of bulk graham crackers1 at nine cents1 yielded twenty-three whole crackers and two broken ones4 ,the difference in the flavor was marked4 8,understand10 said ,mr4 ,benton1 8that the cartons or package crackers will not retain their flavor unless the housekeeper insists upon their being opened properly and kept tightly covered4 ,for this reason the small tins of crackers are in the end most economical4 8,now for cold storage versus fresh goods4 ,meats1 butter1 eggs1 fruits1 etc41 which were in ,a-#a condition when placed in cold storage are wholesome4 ,but they should be used promptly after being taken out of storage4 ,housekeepers waste money when they pay the price of fresh goods for cold storage products4 ,last week absolutely fresh certified eggs were selling at seventy-two cents a dozen4 ,cold storage eggs should have sold at retail for thirty-four cents4 ,i stepped into a rival grocery store on my way to business and found that a clerk had picked over the cold storage eggs and arranged all the large white ones attractively in a basket4 ,these were marked1 #8,special fresh eggs1 #ej cents a dozen1' ,at the other end of the counter was a crate of brown eggs1 with the placard1 #8,cold storage eggs1 #cc cents a dozen4' ,there was absolutely no difference between these two lots of eggs1 except the coloring4 ,no grocer could sell fresh eggs at fifty cents a dozen4 ,this man did not have a certified egg in his store1 and the customer who paid fifty cents a dozen for the white eggs wasted seventeen cents4 8,don't pay the price of fresh goods for cold storage products4 ,every grocer who sells cold storage products must hang in his store a placard to that effect1 and if he misrepresents cold storage products as fresh1 he can be prosecuted4 ,train him to tell you the truth4 8,adulteration is1 to-day1 less of a menace to the housewife than substitution4 ,i will consider adulteration later1 in connection with honest and dishonest labels4 8,these two cans of peaches represent the dangers of substitution4 ,you see1 they are the same size1 with equally attractive labels4 ,this can1 #8,california ,fruits1' sells for twenty-three cents4 ,the other can1 #8,table ,fruits1' sells at seventeen cents4 ,the difference lies in the flavor and richness of the sirup4 ,the twenty-three-cent can has a heavy sirup and the fruit tastes a little like the preserves your mother used to make4 ,the seventeen-cent can has a lighter sirup1 and the fruit tastes more like fresh fruit stewed instead of preserved4 ,the fruit was in equally good condition when canned4 ,the difference is in the size of the peaches and the amount of sugar used only4 ,the housekeeper gets exactly the same nutritive value for seventeen cents that she does for twenty-three cents--the difference is in the flavor4 8,the cheaper peaches belong in the class of canned goods commonly known to housekeepers as #8seconds1' ,they are sold by unscrupulous grocers as ,a-#a goods1 #8specially reduced1' ,and when a can of fruit which ought to sell for seventeen cents is #8specially priced' at twenty1 the housekeeper wastes three cents4 ,the same is true of canned vegetables1 pickles1 preserves1 meats1 soups1 puddings1 etc4 8,when you ask for a standard brand of goods1 and the dealer tells you he is out of that brand1 but can give you something just as good--make sure that it is just as good4 ,test its weight1 if it is package goods1 or its flavor4 ,if you have several similar experiences with the same man1 regard him with suspicion4 ,he is not carrying standard goods4 8,now for the vexed question of labels4 ,under the ,pure ,food and ,drug ,act1 a manufacturer must set forth certain facts on his label1 the percentage of preservatives and coloring matter employed1 etc4 ,a certain percentage of preservative is not harmful1 and certain coloring materials are not injurious4 ,authorities differ as to the exact amounts1 but ,i would advise no housewife to purchase highly colored preserves1 condiments1 relishes1 pickles1 etc41 without studying the label carefully4 8,a high-grade ketchup1 for instance1 carries this label3 #8,tomato ketchup1 preserved with one-tenth of one per cent4 of benzoate of soda4' 8,the housewife who buys this gets her money's worth4 8,here is a tricky label3 99 99 99 99 99 8#8,made from portions of ,tomato and ,apple4 ,contains one-tenth of one per cent4 benzoate of soda1 one-hundredth per cent4 color1 and one-hundredth per cent4 saccharine4' 99 99 99 99 99 8,note that it is called #8,ketchup1' not #8,tomato ,ketchup1' ,the portions of tomato and apples used are the very refuse of the canning factory2 skins1 cores1 rotten portions and trimmings1 unfit for human consumption4 ,add to this sin1 the manufacturer does not supply a single balancing pure and nutritious substance in his product4 ,for sugar he substitutes saccharine4 ,he colors the unwholesome mixture with a coal-tar preparation1 and winds up by preserving it with benzoate of soda4 ,this label tells the whole truth1 and it should condemn his product in the eyes of every housewife--who takes time to read the label4 8,study your labels on potted meats1 flavoring extracts1 canned vegetables and cheese boxes4 ,don't pay the same price for cheese when the label reads #8,camembert ,type' as you would pay for genuine imported ,camembert4 ,if you buy sausage in the package1 look out for the phrase1 #8prepared with cereal' or #8,cereal1 five per cent4' ,the maker who introduces a starchy or cereal factor increases the water-holding capacity of the meat4 ,the housekeeper who buys sausage of this sort at the price of pure meat sausage loses money in water and cereal4 8,the difference between high-grade and low-grade flavoring extracts is not in the size of the bottle1 but in the quality or flavor4 ,in order to flavor her custard or icing1 a housewife must use twice as much adulterated extract as pure4 8,i would advise every housekeeper who buys goods in bulk to possess a pair of reliable scales4 ,weigh your bulk goods4 ,if you use three and a half pounds of sugar a week1 and a careless clerk gives you only three and a quarter or less1 in fifty-two weeks you have been cheated out of thirteen pounds of sugar4 ,buy your apples1 potatoes1 etc41 by weight4 ,we weigh every basket of potatoes that leaves our store4 ,they must run sixty pounds to the basket in medium-sized potatoes1 like ,i have here4 ,a basket is supposed to hold four pecks4 ,the grocer on the block where ,i live fills his baskets with large potatoes and gives in actual quantity only three pecks to the basket4 8,finally1 the question of premiums4 ,in modern business methods we merchants never give something for nothing4 ,if you receive premiums for buying a certain quantity of groceries1 you must pay in the weight or the quality of the groceries4 ,in a certain chain of stores in this city they sell what they call #8,our ,own ,blend' coffee1 which they advertise as pure ,mocha and ,java4 ,it is sold at thirty-four cents a pound1 with a cup and saucer for a premium4 ,have this coffee analyzed1 and you will find that instead of pure ,mocha and ,java1 the blend consists of ,mocha1 ,java and ,rio coffee1 with chicory1 which can be sold at a profit for twenty-five cents4 ,instead of getting the cup and saucer for nothing1 the housekeeper is paying nine cents for them4 ,now understand1 some housekeepers prefer ,rio coffee at eighteen or twenty cents a pound1 to ,mocha and ,java at thirty-four4 ,the question at issue is not the flavor of the coffee1 but the fact that every housekeeper must pay in some way for the premium #8presented' to her4 8,i would advise all housekeepers to read the market reports of foodstuffs4 ,through these reports they can learn when the market is glutted with certain articles1 like tomatoes1 melons1 apples1 or oranges1 when the price of potatoes is up and the price of eggs is down4 ,as soon as a grocer discovers that a customer reads the market reports he will know better than to attempt any sharp practise in his dealings with her40 ,as ,mr4 ,benton sat down1 the other men glanced at one another significantly4 8,this10 said ,mr4 ,moore1 8is what ,i call an evening spent to good advantage40 ,and the three housekeepers1 to say nothing of ,miss ,housekeeper-to-be1 agreed enthusiastically1 and beamed on ,mr4 ,benton4 ,,chapter ,,viii 8,living on less is only a question of individual methods40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #h4 8,mrs4 ,martin's magenta dress stood out like a beauty-patch on a sallow complexion10 commented ,mrs4 ,larry1 threading a fresh needle with embroidery silk4 8,a woman of her coloring and eyes should wear gray-greens and dull blues10 replied ,claire1 as she picked up the wee sacque which ,mrs4 ,larry was embroidering for ,lisbeth4 8,a-hem60 interrupted ,mr4 ,larry1 lowering his evening paper to study with amused eyes the two pretty women seated on the other side of the living-room table4 8,in real estate notes1 there is a paragraph to the effect that rents in ,kansas ,city have advanced ten per cent40 ,claire tossed the bit of ,french flannel back into ,mrs4 ,larry's lap4 8,wh-what's that8 ,ten per cent48 ,goodness gracious----0 8,if they try it in ,new ,york1 we'll simply have to move--we're paying every cent for rent that we can spare--this minute40 8,who said anything about apartment-house rents80 demanded ,mr4 ,larry4 8,this is an article on lofts and warehouses40 8,brute60 cried ,mrs4 ,larry1 glancing at ,claire1 who flushed furiously4 8,i hope that gave you great satisfaction1 ,larry ,hall10 she said severely1 even as she flung him a dazzling smile4 8,well1 it accomplished its purpose--it checked an impending avalanche of colors1 materials and hats4 ,when two women begin to talk clothes1 a man must use drastic measures1 or silently steal away4 ,now1 of course1 if you like1 ,i'll----0 ,he half rose from his easy chair and fairly challenged ,mrs4 ,larry with his glance4 8,indeed1 you shan't go6 ,we'll talk about anything that suits the tired business man1 or start the ,victrola1 or go to see moving pictures----0 ,they laughed together1 these three who had come to have so many pleasant hours together4 ,claire ,pierce had fallen into the habit of spending with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,larry most of the evenings when she was free from social engagements4 ,she felt the need of their unspoken sympathy and understanding attitude4 ,the interests closest to her heart these days found little response in her own home4 ,mrs4 ,pierce belonged to a number of advanced organizations1 contributed liberally to the cause of suffrage and prated much of individual rights4 ,but in matters matrimonial she still believed that a daughter should bow to the maternal will and be practical4 ,she considered marriage between ,claire and ,jimmy ,graves a direct defiance of her wishes1 and altogether impractical4 ,she had been more relieved than sympathetic when ,claire and ,jimmy had quarreled4 ,and when the small inconspicuous solitaire had reappeared on ,claire's finger and letters from ,kansas ,city arrived with their old-time regularity1 she was tolerant1 but not congratulatory4 ,mrs4 ,pierce's idea of the proverbial cottage in which love should thrive among roses1 was a ,colonial mansion on a ,long ,island estate1 reached by a high-powered motor-car4 ,in the house of ,larry1 ,claire found not only the sympathy she needed in her lover's absence1 but help in her absorbing task of studies in household economics4 ,somehow1 too1 the contentment in her friends' simply appointed home made her own way seem easier4 ,one could be happy on a small income1 if she made the most of little joys4 ,so it happened that when the evening mail brought a postcard depicting vegetables printed in brilliant hues1 ,claire was quite as interested as her two friends4 8,looks like an advertisement for southern ,california real estate10 suggested ,mr4 ,larry4 ,mrs4 ,larry held up the card for all to see1 as she read the message3 8,home hampers delivered at your door1 like this1 for one dollar and fifty cents40 8,direct communication between producer and consumer10 commented ,mr4 ,larry1 as he took a closer look at the card4 8,what do you mean by that80 inquired ,claire4 8,simply what so many economists are discussing to-day--the elimination of middlemen with their commissions1 and direct dealing between the farmer and the housewife4 ,this probably comes from a group or organization of farmers on ,long ,island40 8,i wonder why ,teresa ,moore never told us about it10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,perhaps because she does not know about it10 suggested ,claire dryly4 ,the two women exchanged significant glances which were lost on ,mr4 ,larry4 ,his wife rose briskly4 8,i think ,i'll ask her over the phone4 ,we have no particular adventure in thrift planned just now4 ,and it does sound so nice and fresh and inviting--#8,home ,hampers4'0 ,she returned from the telephone1 wearing the expression commonly attributed to the cat that has just consumed a canary4 8,think--for the first time since we started these adventures in thrift1 ,i have been able to give ,teresa ,moore a tip4 ,i do feel that puffed up40 ,she seated herself on the arm of her husband's chair and laid the picture postal on the table4 8,and ,i heard you ask in the most casual way3 #8,teresa1 do you think it would pay us to investigate the ,long ,island ,home ,hamper8' just as if you had known about it for five months instead of five minutes10 commented ,mr4 ,larry1 pinching his wife's cheek4 8,you really can't blame her10 said ,claire4 8,teresa is so horribly wise2 and she has made us feel so inferior60 8,not that she meant to10 added kindly ,mrs4 ,larry1 8but ,i have had to follow her lead so long--and ,i--well1 ,i did enjoy handing her a bit of information40 8,no doubt10 laughed ,mr4 ,larry1 drawing her close4 8,and now that you have unearthed the ,long ,island ,hamper1 what do you propose to do with it80 8,find out what it is worth40 8,my dear1 you certainly are gaining in directness40 8,oh1 ,larry1 what an inviting collection of fresh green things6 ,do you suppose it could taste half as good as it looks8 ,see--those are really1 truly new potatoes that show pink through their skins40 8,looks as if the hose had been turned on them40 8,and corn1 lima beans1 summer squash----0 8,what is the thing that looks like cabbage gone to seed80 8,kohl-rabi1 silly6 ,and cucumbers1 onions1 cabbage and beets4 ,i couldn't buy them at ,dahlgren's for less than three dollars4 ,yet this postcard says we can have such a hamper delivered at our door every week for one dollar and fifty cents4 ,i think ,i will order one4 ,address ,medford ,demonstration ,farm1 ,medford1 ,long ,island40 ,she reached for her pen1 but her husband stretched out a detaining hand4 8,why not run down to the farm and learn all about it--in the interest of economy80 8,because it would not be economical4 ,it costs money to ride one hundred miles on the ,long ,island railroad40 8,i wasn't thinking of a railway trip4 ,we might go by motor4 ,burrows1 our company lawyer1 left for ,san ,francisco ,tuesday1 and he told me that if ,i would like to use his car some ,sunday or week-end1 to telephone his chauffeur1 who'd probably be joy-riding1 if ,i didn't40 8,oh1 ,larry1 a real motor6 ,just as if it was our own80 ,claire felt a little pang of regret as she studied ,mrs4 ,larry's radiant face4 ,how much this friend had done for her1 yet she could not place the family car at her disposal4 ,it was rarely used for such unselfish purposes1 but must be always at the command of her mother and sisters for calls1 shopping and the briefest errands4 ,she suddenly realized that ,mrs4 ,larry was addressing her personally4 8,think of it1 ,claire--a whole perfect day in the country1 with everything coming out of the soft brown earth to find the sunlight4 ,it may not mean so much to you1 for all your friends have machines4 ,but you'll go with us--because the trip may prove profitable4 ,and ,i'll take the babies1 and1 yes1 ,lena--she has been so faithful1 and--is it a seven-passenger car1 ,larry80 8,it is1 but it won't hold the entire block40 8,no-o--only ,teresa ,moore40 8,teresa goes4 ,this is your party60 ,so it happened that the next ,sunday morning ,mrs4 ,larry1 with eyes shining1 carried her 8thrift party0 off on the most delightful excursion so far undertaken4 ,even the ,burrows' chauffeur relaxed at sight of her happiness and enthusiasm1 and forgave the early start1 for at eight-thirty they were spinning over ,queensboro ,bridge4 ,behind them lay the city1 for the most part asleep1 as ,new ,york generally is after its ,saturday night gaieties4 8,we early birds will have the famous ,merrick ,road practically to ourselves10 said ,mr4 ,larry1 as they swept through ,astoria4 ,on they went1 now through little towns1 now past stately homes1 now between rolling truck farms1 green with corn1 gray-blue with cabbage1 spattered with the scarlet of tomatoes4 ,it seemed as if all ,long ,island was yielding a bountiful store of fresh things1 enough to feed three cities like ,new ,york4 8,and yet10 sighed ,teresa ,moore1 8we pay absurdly high prices for vegetables1 which1 though raised within an hour's motor run of our doors1 reach us withered and pithy40 8,well1 we'll know why very soon10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 ,then she turned to her husband4 8,who did you say owns this farm80 8,the ,long ,island ,railroad4 ,the president of the road1 ,mr4 ,ralph ,peters1 found on investigation that his road ran through territory which was without value1 as the average ,american sees it--without lumber1 without coal or minerals1 without any great water power1 without any opportunities for developing industrial plants of any sort4 ,half of this territory1 lying within fifty or sixty miles of ,new ,york ,city1 was a howling wilderness1 selling at three or possibly six dollars an acre1 and no one buying it4 8,in #aije he decided that the one hope of this part of ,long ,island lay in agricultural development4 ,in the offices of his railroad was a man named ,h4 ,b4 ,fullerton1 who was in charge of the general advertising1 taking photographs1 issuing booklets of scenery1 and so on4 ,such work had taken ,mr4 ,fullerton practically all over the railroad's territory4 ,also1 ,mr4 ,fullerton had traveled all over ,america1 and he said that the ,long ,island land showed the same undergrowth as he had seen in ,cuba1 ,new ,mexico and sections of ,south ,america1 where vegetables grow luxuriantly4 ,he believed that ,long ,island could grow beans1 asparagus1 peas1 potatoes1 cauliflower and other vegetables1 instead of loblolly pines4 ,the upshot of this discussion was that the ,long ,island ,railroad ,company bought ten acres of scrub oak waste1 practically considered the worst land in middle ,long ,island1 with the avowed intention of providing the fresh food for which ,new ,york ,city had been starving1 from the countryman's point of view4 8,in ,september1 #aije1 ,fullerton and his hands dynamited out the first scrub oak stump4 ,the next year they raised three hundred and eighty-one varieties of food on the poorest land of ,long ,island40 8,and that is the man we are to meet80 asked ,claire4 8,yes1 together with his wife and daughters40 ,just beyond the ,medford railway station the motor road cut its clean way through the arbor leading from the railroad to the farmhouse of the ,demonstration ,farm4 ,three concrete steps afforded the only 8station0 for railway passengers4 ,the framework of the arbor was hidden by grape-vines and banked on either side by masses of garden flowers4 ,beyond the farmhouse1 a two-story1 wide-porched bungalow1 lay the barns and outbuildings and the cottages of the farm hands4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,fullerton1 who had been advised of ,mrs4 ,larry's adventures in thrift1 were more than hospitable1 and after a tour of the grounds1 they explained to their interested visitors many phases of merchandising in foodstuffs which are a mystery to the average city dweller4 8,our experience as farmers started about fifteen years ago4 ,i had been a sailor and was a rolling stone10 explained ,mr4 ,fullerton4 8,my wife was born and raised in the heart of ,brooklyn4 ,we moved to the country because we thought the country was the best place to raise our children4 ,we started a garden because we had so much trouble buying fresh food4 ,what little was raised on the farms around us was shipped to ,new ,york1 then brought back to our little town of ,hollis1 and sold to us at city prices by our village merchants4 8,we bought a two-acre place at ,huntington1 thirty-five miles from ,brooklyn1 and we raised all of our own vegetables1 because we preferred fresh vegetables to stale ones4 ,the potatoes we raised cost us seventeen cents a bushel1 when our neighbors were paying the village grocer from one dollar and fifty cents to two dollars a bushel4 ,corn that cost us from eight to ten cents a dozen ears in our garden cost our neighbors thirty cents in the stores4 ,our two acres1 worked almost entirely by my wife and an occasional helper1 with what assistance ,i could give outside my office hours1 cut down our cost of living more than half4 ,any family in a small town can do the same1 but the city housekeeper is up against a different proposition1 and we found that out when we took hold of this demonstration farm4 8,we were here for a definite purpose--to prove that ,long ,island men could raise garden stuff to market in ,greater ,new ,york1 and that men who bought ,long ,island land could run truck farms at a good profit4 ,the first part of the proposition was easy enough4 ,the first year we raised more than three hundred varieties of vegetables1 herbs and fruits4 8,the second half of the proposition was not so easily solved4 ,when we shipped out produce to the ,new ,york commission merchants1 we soon found that the returns were less than the cost of the boxes in which it was shipped4 8,as an example1 we received six or eight cents a bushel for tomatoes1 the very best ripe tomatoes4 ,the box in which we shipped them cost us fourteen cents2 then came express and freight4 ,of course1 the ,long ,island ,railroad1 which was employing us1 would have franked all our produce1 but that was not what ,mr4 ,peters wanted4 ,he wanted us to find out exactly how a farmer would handle his produce1 so we paid the charges and had a record of what everything cost4 8,we faced this situation3 ,with the best of tomatoes to sell1 we could show no profit on them2 instead1 our books would show a loss4 ,what were we to do8 ,we did the natural thing1 we went to ,new ,york to see why4 ,at the end of three days we knew the truth4 8,that three-day investigation proved to us that the commission men of ,new ,york had the ,standard ,oil ,company and the ,meat ,trust beaten a thousand miles4 ,we were all paying tribute to them1 big farmers and little1 grocers and housewives--for you housekeepers ought to know that your greengrocer makes but a small profit on what you buy4 8,among those to whom we shipped1 we found seven speculators1 men who never handled or saw the goods4 ,one man sold immediately to another firm1 which proved to be his wife2 another man secured three commissions by selling produce to the greengrocers through two other #8firms'--one was his wife1 the other his nine-year-old son4 ,you see1 in case of any trouble he could actually show two sales4 8,we found men who had no offices1 who had no bank account for their business1 who had no clerks1 who had absolutely no expenses1 but who were making big money off the producer and the consumer4 ,one man had an elegant home in ,brooklyn and a beautiful summer place in ,maine4 ,he owned a steam yacht and three automobiles1 but he did not contribute one single cent to the upkeep of ,new ,york ,city1 in which he did his business1 nor to ,new ,york ,state4 ,he was not even paying a license as an ordinary peddler would have to do4 ,he did not have to file any statement of his financial returns with the state treasurer1 as other business concerns do--yet he was getting enormously rich on his commissions4 ,he was one of the men who had promised us to sell at the best prices which grocers were paying1 minus the commission4 ,and our returns were six or eight cents a bushel for tomatoes6 8,to see produce come in from various outlying states and to watch it handled on the docks1 we had to stay up nights1 but we got what we wanted--reliable figures and data4 ,we knew then that there was no money for the ,long ,island farmer whose produce was handled by the ,new ,york commission merchant4 ,he could sell it better in any other city4 8,the next proposition was to do away with the commission man and reach the consumer direct4 ,mrs4 ,fullerton and ,i happened to run across a package or carrier which held six four-quart boxes4 ,we decided that we would fill one box with potatoes1 one with tomatoes1 one with sweet corn1 one with lima beans1 one with beets4 ,the remaining box should hold a combination--parsley1 radishes1 asparagus1 and later in the season1 cantaloupe1 raspberries1 strawberries or other fruits4 ,then we christened the #8,home ,hamper4' 8,we picked out seven ,new ,york men1 each of whom we knew to have families4 ,to each of these went a hamper1 with a letter something like this3 99 99 99 99 99 8#8,we are sending you a ,home ,hamper to-day by express4 ,it is full of fresh stuff1 and we hope you will get it in time for dinner4 ,we should like to have your opinion of it1 and1 incidentally1 if you think it is worth #a4ej1 we would be glad to have the #a4ej4 ,if you do not1 please accept it with our compliments--and no harm done6' 99 99 99 99 99 8,then we waited for returns4 ,every one of the seven sent us the dollar fifty and several customers besides4 ,for each hamper we sent out first1 we received three and a half customers in return--and the cash came with each order4 ,apparently we were filling a long-felt want4 8,here was a business started in one day4 ,within three years we were able to sell all that was raised on two of the company's farms4 ,after eight years other ,long ,island farmers took it up1 and truck raisers around such cities as ,chicago1 ,philadelphia and ,st4 ,louis40 8,how did you figure your profits80 inquired ,mr4 ,larry4 8,that was easy10 answered ,mr4 ,fullerton4 8,the express company got twenty-five cents out of the dollar and fifty cents4 ,boxes1 nails1 tags and green paraffin paper1 to keep out dust during shipment1 amounted to twenty-seven cents more4 ,the vegetables1 therefore1 brought ninety-eight cents4 ,in order to learn exactly what we gained by using the ,home ,hamper over the regular commission channel1 we received for an equal amount of vegetables shipped in bulk1 and of the same quality1 from four cents to eight cents--an average of six cents through the commission man1 as against ninety-eight cents from the consumer4 8,and do you mean to say that all of your customers are satisfied80 asked ,teresa ,moore4 ,mr4 ,fullerton's eyes twinkled4 8,well--hardly4 ,if a woman didn't want cauliflower or kohl-rabi she would write as if we had committed an unpardonable crime in sending her any4 ,again1 some city folks were so used to hard dry vegetables1 like peas and beans1 that they thought there wasn't much to our tender juicy vegetables4 ,but most of them appreciated the freshness of the green stuff1 packed in the morning and received by them before night4 ,the lettuce still had the morning dew on it2 tomatoes and melons were ripened on the vine1 peaches on the tree1 instead of being picked green and ripened in a car during a three- or five-day railroad trip4 8,as to the saving for the consumer--by checking up on our correspondence1 we find that it ranged from sixty-five cents to three dollars a hamper1 according to the markets formerly patronized by our customers1 and also according to their ability as marketers4 8,during the summer1 of course1 the consumer receives the vegetables fresh from the garden2 during the winter1 the hardier vegetables1 which are stored in the farmer's cellar4 8,the passage of years has proved this to be a practical plan for both producer and consumer4 ,the producer makes a fair profit1 and the consumer a considerable saving4 ,it is a proposition practical in all cities with outlying truck farms4 ,farmers are corresponding with me all over the country4 ,any group of women can communicate with the nearest grange or agricultural society and arrange for the shipment of these hampers the year around4 ,i admit this will work a hardship on the small merchant1 but until that merchant evolves a plan of dealing directly with the producer1 instead of through a commission man1 the housewife is justified in protecting herself4 8,a housewife who knows how to utilize all sorts of vegetables1 and who will buy directly from the producer in this way1 can cut the cost of her table fifty per cent4 ,take the single item of eggs4 ,when the better stores of ,new ,york were selling eggs anywhere from fifty to seventy-five cents a dozen1 the commission men were paying the farmers around here seventeen cents4 ,you can see who got the profits--the middleman4 ,we sell eggs direct to the consumer at thirty-five cents a dozen1 thereby receiving eighteen cents more than do our neighbors1 who sell to the commission men1 while the consumer saves anywhere from fifteen to forty cents40 8,i notice that you speak of making your shipments by express4 ,do you never use parcel post80 8,for fresh vegetables1 eggs and so forth1 ,i prefer express1 because it is quicker1 because there is no fee for the return of carrier1 and because our hamper is too bulky for parcel post40 8,oh1 yes60 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,i remember ,uncle ,george 7you know he is assistant postmaster at --7 says almost the same thing1 that parcel post would not spell bigger profits for the producer and worth-while saving for the consumer until what he called #8empties' would be returned by the ,united ,states ,post-office ,department1 free of charge40 8,nevertheless10 said ,mr4 ,fullerton1 8a great many ,long ,island farmers1 especially those who ship in small lots1 are making good use of the parcel post4 ,i would advise you to interview ,mr4 ,kelley1 ,brooklyn's postmaster1 on the subject4 ,his was one of the last group of city post-offices selected by the authorities at ,washington in their test of practical value of parcel-post shipment to producer and consumer40 8,dear me10 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,larry1 as she sank back with luxurious enjoyment in the ,burrows car1 8it really doesn't seem possible that we have been engaged on so prosaic a mission as investigating the #8,high ,cost of ,living4' ,it was just a beautiful hour among growing things and charming1 intelligent people40 ,mr4 ,larry smiled over his shoulder4 8,there is no reason why a woman should not take the same satisfaction in a businesslike management of her home as her husband takes in the management of his store or office4 ,the mistake we men make is depreciating or taking for granted good household management on the part of our wives4 ,perhaps if we were a little more sympathetic or appreciative1 women would find thrift a joy and not a burden4 ,and just to show you that ,i've had my little lesson as your partner in reducing the high cost of living1 ,i'll make the trip to ,brooklyn for you within the next day or so1 and present the result of my interview with ,postmaster ,kelley at a sort of ,thrift ,celebration1 to which ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,moore1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,norton and ,claire will be duly invited40 8,what a lovely idea60 exclaimed ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,i've been keeping a diary2 so with our coffee and cheese1 some one shall read a little summary of our #8,adventures in ,thrift4' ,of course10 she continued1 with a suggestion of contrition1 8,i started these investigations1 and ,i'm willing to look into parcel-post economy--but--well--,my wardrobe's getting in a shocking state1 so if you go to ,brooklyn1 ,i'll go shopping40 8,and ,i'll go with you10 said ,teresa4 ,mr4 ,larry chuckled4 8,perhaps you might even find the way to thrift in department-store buying40 8,no10 said ,mrs4 ,moore decidedly4 8,i don't believe in bargain counters or sales40 8,if not1 why not8 ,i propose that you add to this quest the problem3 #8,when is a bargain not a bargain8' ,is there such a thing as standardization in fabrics and wearing apparel80 8,larry1 ,larry60 cried his wife4 8,haven't we had trouble enough with the food proposition8 ,and now you're asking us to shatter the last illusion of shopping--the bargain40 8,nothing of the sort10 retorted her husband1 8,i was just thinking--if you know half as much about drygoods as you do about foodstuffs1 we'll soon own a car like this--just see if we don't60 ,,chapter ,,ix 8,chasing the penny to its lair is the housewife's favorite indoor sport40--,h4 ,c4 ,,of ,l4 ,,proverb ,,no4 #i4 ,a refreshing breeze floated into the dining-room window of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,larry's apartment4 ,it passed ,teresa ,moore's competent square shoulders and touched ,mrs4 ,norton's sleek hair and ,claire's pale clear skin4 ,it played on ,mrs4 ,larry's sparkling face4 ,it made the men1 including ,jimmy ,graves1 who had come all the way from ,kansas ,city for the great occasion1 sit up a little straighter4 ,it quickened ,lena's steps1 as1 with crisp little cap and apron gleaming white in the dim room1 she brought in the coffee service4 8,for winding up adventures in thrift1 ,i should like to remark that it was some dinner10 said ,mr4 ,moore1 smiling at his hostess4 8,i was thinking the same thing10 commented ,mr4 ,norton1 8and wondering whether ,mrs4 ,larry has spent at one fell swoop all she has been saving in the last few months40 8,well10 said ,mrs4 ,larry1 8,i'm going to tell you what it cost4 ,four months ago this dinner would have made a shocking dent in my housekeeping allowance4 ,now1 let me tell you the difference in prices3 8,first course1 iced melons1 three for a quarter1 if ,i had bought them at ,dahlgren's ,store4 ,in the #8,home ,hamper1' three for ten4 ,saving1 fifteen cents4 8,cold consomm2 a ten-cent can of soup and enough gelatine to make it quiver4 ,in the old days ,i would have bought a soup bone at fifteen cents1 soup greens1 five cents1 and used gas for the slow process of simmering4 ,of course1 this process would yield more stock1 but in hot weather it might not keep4 ,so we'll say at least ten cents saved and just as delicious1 too4 ,i'm learning how to utilize standard1 factory-made food4 8,chicken1 four and a half pounds1 at twenty-two cents1 including parcel post4 ,i used to pay ,dahlgren twenty-seven cents1 so saved on four and one-half pounds1 twenty-two cents4 ,we three women have made arrangements with a certain farmer in ,connecticut to supply us the year around with eggs1 chickens and ducks4 ,we have agreed to take a definite quantity each4 ,he receives a little more than he would from the commission men1 and we pay a little less than we would at the market4 8,these fine new potatoes were bought by the bushel1 enough to last the three of us for the year4 ,the farmer keeps them for us in his cellar and ships them1 a barrel at a time4 ,we paid him cash for our year's supply of potatoes1 at a dollar a bushel4 ,we've been buying them here in ,new ,york at the rate of two dollars a bushel4 ,so ,i saved fifty per cent4 on the potatoes you ate4 8,corn1 at ,dahlgren's1 sells at three ears for ten cents4 ,figuring up the contents of this week's hamper1 the corn ,i served to-night cost only a cent and a half an ear4 8,the tomatoes1 lettuce1 parsley and peaches all came out of the ,home ,hamper at half the price asked at a city market4 ,even those stuffed dates represent thrift4 ,i used to pay eighty cents a pound for them at ,dorlin's4 ,lena stuffed these1 and they are just as good4 ,a pound of dates at ten cents1 the same value of nuts1 and a little powdered sugar4 8,summing up the menu1 it cost at least one-third less than it would have cost before ,i made my investigations4 ,we must take into consideration1 also1 the better food value given for the money expended4 ,there is absolutely no waste to the vegetables1 which come directly from the truck garden to our table4 ,every leaf of lettuce counts2 every bean1 every pod of peas4 ,in addition to the waste in fruit and vegetables1 which lie from twenty-four to seventy-two hours on the docks or in commission houses1 dry withered vegetables are not so valuable to the human system as the fresh vegetables4 ,i am receiving two hampers a week now1 and serving less meat1 because ,doctor ,davis says that we do not need so much meat in warm weather1 and we ought to make the most of the fresh vegetables and fruits while they are in season4 8,twice a week ,mrs4 ,norton1 ,teresa and ,i go to the city fish market very early and buy enough fish--that has been caught during the night and brought up the bay--to serve for two meals2 first1 boiled1 fried or broiled1 and then for luncheon or breakfast the next day1 creamed or baked au gratin4 ,when ,i buy meat ,i now know the economical cuts1 how to get the most proteids for my money1 so to speak4 ,just by knowing how meat is cut up1 ,i have reduced my meat bill one-third4 8,these are actual figures4 ,for nearly a month ,i have been transferring money from the envelope marked #8,food' to the envelope marked #8,recreation and ,improvement1' ,i have charged up all the car fare1 postage1 etc41 incidental to our adventures in thrift1 and still have a good balance in favor of the investigation40 8,then what do you consider the secret of thrift in food buying80 asked ,mr4 ,moore4 ,mrs4 ,larry shook her head4 8,i can't tell you that until ,larry has reported his interview with the postmaster of ,brooklyn1 on the parcel-post system40 8,all right1 ,lena1 bring on the last course10 said ,mr4 ,larry4 ,and ,lena brought from the living-room a great sheaf of pamphlets1 newspaper clippings and illustrated circulars1 which she placed before the master of the house4 8,exhibits ,a1 ,b and ,c10 explained their host1 as their guests looked with interest at the collection4 8,all that about parcel post80 inquired ,mr4 ,norton respectfully4 8,i felt the same way when ,i left ,postmaster ,kelley's office10 said ,mr4 ,larry1 as he sorted the collection4 8,i don't suppose one-tenth of the practical housekeepers in ,america realize what ,uncle ,sam is trying to do to reduce the high cost of living4 ,and it should be most important to the wives of men like ourselves1 in moderately prosperous circumstances1 who know the importance of good food to family health and who1 therefore1 deprive themselves of many advantages and pleasures that their families shall have wholesome meals4 ,these are the women who resent most deeply the rise in food prices2 they pass resolutions in their clubs2 they demand that we men legislate--when they ought to appoint practical committees to investigate and work out direct connection between producer and consumer40 8,hear1 hear60 cried ,teresa ,moore4 8,you'll be talking before the ,federated ,clubs next60 8,well1 if ,i do10 said ,mr4 ,larry1 8,i will first tell them what a clever wife ,i have4 8,the parcel-post system is democratic4 ,it was designed largely to meet the needs of the farmer or producer4 ,to ship by freight or express1 he must go to the nearest town4 ,for parcel-post shipment1 ,uncle ,sam1 in the form of rural free delivery1 passes his door each day1 sometimes twice a day4 8,but the government soon discovered that it must educate both the producer and consumer if the value of parcel post was to be raised to the nth power4 8,so1 in ,march1 #aiad1 the ,post-,office ,department at ,washington started a campaign of farm-to-table investigation and education4 ,it selected certain cities for its experiment--,washington1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,boston1 ,baltimore1 ,atlanta1 ,birmingham1 ,san ,francisco1 ,rock ,island 7,illinois71 ,lynn 7,massachusetts71 ,la ,crosse 7,wisconsin74 ,the reports of postmasters in these cities have just been received and present some interesting facts4 8,in spite of the fact that much perishable material was carried1 damage to shipments in transit is reported as less than one-tenth of one per cent41 due almost entirely to improper packing4 ,the shipment of butter1 dressed poultry and other perishable things fell off during hot weather because of lack of refrigerating facilities4 ,this is now being met partly by cheap containers devised on the line of thermos bottles1 while in the larger post-offices ice boxes are being installed to hold perishable shipments that must be kept overnight4 8,postmaster ,bolling ,h4 ,jones1 of ,atlanta1 co-operated with the ,office of ,markets of ,agriculture1 which sent out ,guy ,b4 ,fitzpatrick to our contributory territory with rural mail carriers4 ,he met the farmers personally1 and gave them and their wives practical demonstrations in proper methods of packing the articles most in demand among city buyers4 8,in the neighborhood of ,washington1 four hundred and forty-five farmers sent their names to be placed upon the list of producers which the postmaster circulated among ,washington consumers4 ,of this number1 three hundred and thirty-four farmers offered eggs2 one hundred and seventy-six1 butter2 one hundred and eighty-nine1 poultry2 two hundred and two1 vegetables and fruit4 8,e4 ,c4 ,marshall1 the retiring postmaster of ,boston1 offers a comment worth reading40 ,mr4 ,larry picked up a clipping3 8#8,one of the striking features which has come to my attention in making this campaign to bring the producers and consumers together is the fact that some farmers have been charging top prices for their products4 ,it was assumed when the plan was first broached that the consumer would get the benefit of low prices as a means of reducing the cost of living1 and that the producer1 by sending direct by parcel post1 could afford to sell at rock-bottom prices4 ,this1 however1 has not proved generally to be so1 and if the plan for bringing the producers directly in touch with consumers is found to be unsuccessful1 it will be due largely to this fact4' 8,in the smaller cities1 like ,la ,crosse1 ,rock ,island1 etc41 the parcel post shipment from farm-to-table were proportionately smaller1 because the truck gardeners quite generally drive to such cities and sell their produce either at a public market or by peddling from door to door to regular customers4 8,the post-office authorities then selected other representative cities in different sections of the country in which to continue their investigations4 ,brooklyn was included in this second list1 and the most interesting corner of the big post-office ,i visited the other day was that in which parcel-post shipments are handled4 8,on ,november first of last year1 the postmaster of ,brooklyn issued two pamphlets4 ,one1 a ,parcel ,post ,information circular1 was sent to every farmer on ,long ,island whose name could be secured4 ,the other1 a list of ,long ,island farmers1 was mailed to fifty thousand residents of ,brooklyn4 ,the farmers were urged to notify the post-office in ,brooklyn as to the products they wished to market by parcel post4 ,the residents of ,brooklyn were urged to communicate directly with the farmer4 8,within twenty days after the service was established many farmers had written to ,postmaster ,kelley that they had made from forty to fifty or sixty dollars on eggs1 poultry and ,brussels sprouts sold directly to consumers4 8,next1 ,postmaster ,kelley opened an exhibit of containers1 which are a vital factor in the success of the plan4 ,i found this exhibit most interesting4 ,it ranged from a hammock egg carrier for a dozen eggs to steel-crated boxes1 with ice box attachment1 for shipping butter1 poultry1 fruit and vegetables4 ,postmaster ,kelley invited all the farmers whose names were on his list to visit this exhibit1 and the postmasters in all ,long ,island towns were asked to notify the farmers in their section4 ,the result of this educational campaign is a daily increase in the volume of business done by parcel post1 and ,postmaster ,kelley considers it a feasible method for reducing the cost of living4 8,the point on which ,i could not satisfy myself1 however1 was this3 ,does the farmer demand the top notch prices asked by the high-grade city grocer and poultry dealer1 thereby forcing the consumer to pay the full rate of commission charged by the commission merchant1 or is he willing to split this commission with the consumer8 ,if the latter is done1 then parcel post will reduce the cost of living for the consumer1 and still pay the producer a better profit1 by eliminating the middleman4 ,but1 unquestionably1 the individual consumer must have some understanding with the farmer she patronizes4 ,moreover1 the government will have to follow the express companies in the custom of returning containers free4 8,there is no doubt in my mind that when the government has followed up these investigations with practical improvements in the service1 and with parcel-post education for producer and consumer1 we will find parcel post a big factor in thrift for the housewife4 ,at present1 in almost any of the large cities1 the housekeeper can secure a list of farmers in her territory who will supply her with produce by parcel post1 if she will apply to the local post-office4 ,she must then drive her own bargain with the farmer1 and study producers as carefully as she studies her city markets4 8,aside from the saving in price1 you must consider1 as ,mrs4 ,larry said a few moments ago1 the superior freshness and nutritive value of the food bought in this way40 8,to sum up the situation10 said ,mr4 ,norton1 8you do not consider that parcel post to date is a big aid to economy in marketing80 8,that's about it10 assented ,mr4 ,larry1 8and it will not be until the farmer and the housewife establish an amicable understanding as to prices40 8,and now1 ,teresa1 for our department-store experiences10 said ,mrs4 ,larry4 8,our first lesson in department-store sleuthing was the fact that the bargain counter is the natural enemy to thrift2 the second1 that the woman who buys1 not for to-day alone1 but for next week1 next month1 next year1 must demand standardized goods4 8,first1 as to bargain sales3 ,if a merchant announces silk gloves at seventy-nine cents1 formerly sold for one dollar1 one of two conditions exists-either he overcharged his customers when he sold the gloves for one dollar1 or he is losing money on the gloves at seventy-nine cents4 ,men are not in business to lose money4 ,we1 therefore1 conclude that the gloves at one dollar were overpriced1 so we are getting no bargain at seventy-nine cents4 ,none of the prices in such a store are1 therefore1 reliable4 8,next we trailed a ribbon sale4 ,here we found one lot of ribbons offered at twenty-one cents1 usual price twenty-five cents2 and another lot at eleven cents1 usual price fifteen and seventeen cents4 ,we secured samples of both lots and then sleuthed4 ,we found that the same quality and design employed in the twenty-one-cent lot was actually to be bought at the regular counter at twenty-five cents a yard1 but with this difference--the bargain-counter ribbon was three inches wide1 the ribbon at the regular counter about four inches wide4 ,in other words1 the bargain-counter ribbon was priced at just what it was worth--twenty-one cents4 ,it was not worth twenty-five cents1 because at the regular counter the twenty-five-cent ribbon was nearly an inch wider4 8,the ribbon at eleven cents was such in name only4 ,it was the flimsiest sort of cotton1 almost transparent1 wiry and highly mercerized4 ,we duplicated it at a near-by five and ten-cent store for ten cents a yard1 one cent cheaper than it was offered at the big department store4 8,the lure of such bargains lies in the cleverly worded signs1 fancy articles beautifully made up from the ribbon by women expert in securing effects1 and in the wonderful mass of blended colors which blind women to quality4 8,at another store we saw a crowd of women buying upholstery goods1 specially priced and heavily advertised4 ,the sale included couch covers1 fabrics by the yard1 and squares for cushion tops4 ,the couch covers1 marked as having been sold at eleven dollars1 now reduced to five-ninety-eight1 were worth just that1 five-ninety-eight4 ,the really good values had evidently been used for window display and were faded in streaks by the sun4 ,the fresher covers were in fabrics and designs now out of style4 ,the firm was either unloading for itself or for some jobbing house a lot of couch covers that were out of date4 8,among the cushion tops we picked up three real bargains1 evidently odd pieces that had sold in the piece at a much higher rate4 ,but mixed in with these desirable squares were hundreds of others1 plainly cut off the bolts we saw later in the regular department1 and priced higher than they could be bought at the counter1 by the yard40 8,isn't that universally true10 asked ,mr4 ,norton1 8that merchants cut off unsalable stuff and offer it as #8remnants' when it does not sell from the bolt80 8,not always10 replied ,teresa ,moore4 8,many sales are bona fide4 ,a jobber or manufacturer overloads with certain fabrics or products1 and is forced to raise cash4 ,he prefers to get rid of his entire overproduction at cost1 than to lose in the long run4 ,the merchant who secures these big lots for cash can give his customers the benefit of a bona fide sale1 and he does this in a legitimate way entirely satisfactory to the customer40 8,which means that a woman must know what she is buying10 added ,mrs4 ,norton4 8,i saw two women fairly quarreling over some shirts which each wanted to buy for her husband4 ,the woman who finally won on the score that she had picked them up first1 was opening her purse1 when she gave a little cry3 #8,oh1 ,i can't take them4 ,i don't know his number1' ,the other woman did know her husband's shirt size and carried them off in triumph40 ,when the laughter had subsided1 ,mrs4 ,moore continued her story4 8,at another bargain counter we looked at silver-plated breakfast knives1 as ,i needed to renew my set4 ,half a dozen knives put up in a fancy box1 lined with cheap1 cotton-back satin1 were offered to us at one dollar and ninety-eight cents4 ,i looked at the mark1 #8,superfine1 triple-plate1' ,that was all4 ,in the regular silver department1 we asked for and were shown1 at three dollars and ninety-eight cents per half dozen1 breakfast knives made by a responsible firm which spends hundreds of thousands of dollars every year advertising its wares4 ,there was no fancy box1 no showy silk1 but a trademark4 ,the salesgirl explained that1 while no actual guarantee went with the knives1 they were supposed to last fifteen to twenty years1 with reasonable treatment4 ,if within a few years after the date of purchase the customer returned a knife in bad condition1 and could prove that she had not used scouring soap or strong cleansers in polishing it1 the damaged knife would be made good by the manufacturers4 ,the difference in price of two dollars no doubt represents the better wearing value of the standard metal1 and at least it protects the purchaser4 8,in our shopping investigations1 which covered four mornings1 we found that almost invariably the goods pushed by the salespeople or shown most prominently were not standardized wares2 they were imitations of standard goods1 often so flimsy as to betray the adulteration4 ,by asking for standardized goods1 we could secure them4 ,now there must be a reason for the prominence given the unstandardized goods1 and we have decided that the stores make a bigger profit on them1 even though the price is less1 than on the standardized goods4 ,therefore1 we are not getting so much for our money40 8,just what do you mean by standardized goods80 asked ,mr4 ,norton4 8,in fabrics1 those which have the name of the maker woven in the border1 or printed plainly on the board or carton in which the materials are offered2 in china1 cut glass1 silverware and writing paper1 a trade mark blown1 stamped or woven in the article2 in hosiery1 underwear1 corsets1 shields1 ready-to-wear garments of all sorts1 the stamp of the maker4 ,to sum up1 generally speaking1 wares that are made by a well known concern willing to put its name on them and thus to stand back of them40 8,but how can you be sure1 even with a trade mark1 that these goods will wear satisfactorily80 asked ,mr4 ,larry4 8,we don't know anything10 said ,mrs4 ,larry1 8but it stands to reason that a man who spends thousands to make his goods known to us women will not give us a chance to say to our neighbors that what he guarantees is unreliable4 ,in every case where the goods were made by a reputable firm and bore their trade mark1 the salespeople told us we could bring them back if they were not satisfactory4 ,this1 because the merchant knows that he can hold the manufacturer for any faulty output of the factory4 8,take1 for instance1 dress shields2 if they bear no firm name and go to pieces in the first washing1 they must be thrown away1 but a washable dress shield1 bearing the name of the manufacturer1 can be taken to the store and exchanged for a perfect pair1 without any question as to where it was bought or what price was paid for it4 8,adulterated1 unstandardized drygoods represent the same waste in the household budget as unstandardized1 unlabeled canned goods40 8,this is all very well for you women who live in the city and can pick and choose among stores1 but how about the small city or town woman80 said ,mr4 ,norton4 8,she is quite as independent as we are10 replied ,teresa ,moore4 8,consider1 as an example1 the small town or suburban woman and her corset4 ,she has been to the large city store and found a corset made by a standard firm1 which suits her figure4 ,she need never wear any other kind2 she can order it by mail1 or she can insist that the local shopkeeper handle that make of corset or lose her trade4 ,this is true of any other standard article that she wants4 8,you sometimes hear people say that when articles are so much advertised the consumer must pay the price of the advertising4 ,this is ridiculous4 ,my cousin1 ,wilbur ,stanley1 who is an expert in such matters1 says that it has been proved over and over again that advertised goods cost less than the unadvertised goods1 because the selling expense of unadvertised goods per unit is higher than the selling expense of advertised goods2 because advertising increases the sales so much more than they can be increased by any other method of selling that the cost of advertising in reality pays for itself by the economies it effects4 8,as for gloves1 hosiery1 underwear1 sheeting1 pillow casing1 etc41 we can buy them labeled or unlabeled1 just as we choose to give time and thought to our shopping4 8,substitutes are seldom if ever as good as the trade-marked1 advertised brands4 ,when you buy reliable branded goods1 you are guaranteed satisfaction4 ,many substitutes that are offered the purchaser as #8just as good' do not carry any manufacturer's label1 so if you do not like the goods1 there is no known person from whom you can demand satisfaction4 ,if you do like the goods you have no way of knowing how to reorder and be sure of getting the same quality4 ,goods that do not carry the name of a reputable manufacturer are often #8seconds' gathered from various sources by jobbers4 ,they have no steady dependable quality1 since no one person or firm is responsible for them40 8,an interesting report10 said ,mr4 ,norton1 8and it reminds me of a little experience which bears out your theory4 ,i lost my fountain pen last week1 picked up an unknown make at a shop in our arcade1 and promptly soaked one of my pockets with ink4 ,when ,i stopped in with my complaint1 there was nothing doing4 ,the pen carried no guarantee4 ,two dollars wasted60 8,and now10 said ,mrs4 ,larry1 8for the summing up of our experiences4 ,thrift for the home-maker to-day means1 first1 knowing how to buy1 and then how to utilize to best advantage what she has bought4 ,in our grandmother's day the housewife was not a purchaser4 ,her husband raised and supplied what was needed for the family2 her economy consisted of using the supplies to best advantage4 ,to-day she spends the family income and kitchen economy is without value unless she knows her market4 8,i would1 therefore1 say that the housewife must know food and fabric values--what goes farthest in the home4 ,second1 knowing these values1 she must seek the markets where they are offered at the lowest figure4 ,she will make her biggest saving in cooperative buying4 ,i believe that in time every community will have its association like the ,housewives' ,league of ,new ,york1 and the ,national ,housewives' ,cooperative ,league in ,cincinnati1 or its cooperative store1 such as we saw in ,montclair1 ,new ,jersey4 ,this will save on groceries alone at least ten per cent4 8,next in importance to cooperative buying is the establishment of direct communication between the producer and the consumer through the parcel post4 ,we know that if the housewife gives the farmer to understand very clearly that she expects to split the middleman's commission with him1 she will save ten per cent4 on her poultry1 eggs1 vegetables and fruit1 and have better food on her table in the bargain4 8,third1 she must consider the wearing qualities of drygoods first1 and their attractiveness second4 ,as to telephone ordering1 that's largely a question of the intelligence of the housewife and the honesty of the butcher and grocer4 ,many a woman can get what she wants at the right prices1 simply by using her mind a bit before she gives her order4 ,also she must check up her bills afterward4 ,if sugar or coffee or smoked meats are cheap1 as the result of certain wholesale conditions1 she will know this by reading reports of the papers or by inquiry at her store or market4 ,if she finds that her tradespeople are dishonest or careless1 she can change4 ,the woman who is firm and intelligent can1 without haggling1 get full value for her money1 whether she orders in person or by phone4 8,before ,i undertook adventures in thrift ,i expended all my energy trying to stretch as far as possible the groceries and fresh provisions which ,i bought extravagantly through the order clerk or telephone4 ,now ,i concentrate on buying intelligently1 and ,i have reduced our table expenses thirty-three and a third per cent4 by cooperative buying1 farm-to-table marketing1 and the personal purchase of daily supplies4 ,i do not think ,i am less intelligent than the average wife of a salaried man1 and ,i hope1 by becoming more and more familiar with market conditions1 to reduce the cost of setting this table and buying our clothing even further4 ,my goal is fifty per cent4 ,but ,i realize that ,i can not accomplish this without unremitting effort and concentration on my duties as the head of the purchasing department of the ,house of ,larry40 ,teresa ,moore spoke quickly4 8,i know you all feel like crying--#8,three cheers for the ,house of ,larry and more power to it1' but do not be misled by ,mrs4 ,larry's practical way of summing up the situation4 ,she has not mentioned what these investigations have represented to her personally4 ,she has been their real inspiration1 our unfailing1 unflagging and ever sympathetic leader4 ,if the rest of us have less anxieties and more luxuries through the year to come1 we will owe it to the little woman who never would admit discouragement or exhaustion40 ,gay applause swept round the candle-lighted circle4 ,mrs4 ,larry sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap1 her lips quivering and something very like moisture blurring her vision4 ,why--she had never dreamed-- ,and what in the world was ,jimmy ,graves trying to say8 ,he was looking at her--too6 8,the rest of you men may feel a debt to ,mrs4 ,larry for leading your wives to the well of thrift1 but my debt is one that can not be voiced in mere words4 ,mrs4 ,larry has made it possible for me to claim the greatest happiness within the reach of man4 ,claire and ,i were married this afternoon in the ,little ,church ,around the ,corner4 ,mrs4 ,larry1 all unknowingly1 has supplied our wedding feast40 ,on the amazed silence which followed this unexpected announcement1 ,mrs4 ,larry sprang to her feet1 flashed round the table and clasped ,claire in her arms4 8,oh1 my dear--my dear--0 was all she could say4 8,and ,i expected to be matron of honor60 8,and so you should have been1 if you hadn't been so busy with this dinner10 whispered ,claire4 8,i hadn't the heart to interrupt--and it was all so sudden4 ,why should we ask mother1 who did not entirely approve1 to have a gorgeous wedding that we did not want8 ,and why should ,i ask my lonely man to wait when in all things essential ,i was prepared80 8,well10 exclaimed ,mr4 ,larry1 his hand gripping that of ,jimmy ,graves1 8who would expect adventures in thrift to lead to the altar--where they usually start80 8,i think10 said ,teresa ,moore very gently1 8that ,claire has chosen the better way--she has learned first4 ,she takes no chance with love40 ,,the ,,end ,transcriber's ,note3 ,obvious printer errors corrected silently4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original4