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Show HOUSEWIVES CAN CONTROL PRICE OF FOODS Government Authority Urges Community Action Editor's Note How does the war affect food price In thla country? What part can American Ameri-can housewives play In keeping them normal? Mrs. Gaynor Maddox, noted food expert. Interviewed In-terviewed Important government department heads on this timely subject As a result of thes talks, she has written six Informative In-formative articles for The Salt Lake Telegram, of which this Is the first. By MM. OAYNOB MADDOX WASHINGTON Housewives who buy the daily food supplies for their families have sweeping power pow-er over the cost of those commodities. commod-ities. They proved it recently. When a mass of consumers decides de-cides suddenly to move In the same direction at the same time, I they can exert gigantic force. Right after the declaration of the war In Europe, hysteria based on fear rather than on any knowledge knowl-edge of market conditions swept over American housewives. They rushed out to stock up on sugar, flour and other foods which they feared would suddenly become be-come scarce. As a result, prices soared even though the supply of food In the United States is at an all-time high and the specter of scarcity Is purely Imaginary. The Incident proved the power of mass action, but these women, being without facts, exerted that force against themselves. These same women can exert a restraining restrain-ing Influence if they will act together to-gether on market conditions. Truly, the hands that do the cooking cook-ing rule the price of food. Donald E. Montgomery, consumers' consum-ers' counsel of the department of agriculture, believes that the steadily stead-ily growing Interest in consumers' problems received significant Impetus Im-petus by the war panic "Most consumers had a feeling of helplessness about prices and price changes right after the beginning be-ginning ol war in Europe. The only thing they were sure of was that they didn't know what was going to happen. That Ignorance made them easy prey to mass hysteria. hys-teria. I think there Is a real job ahead for all of us In getting facts to American housewives about the foods and other commodities they use In their homes." . As a result of the recent near-panic, near-panic, the consumers' counsel In Washington received more Inquiries In-quiries about various market conditions con-ditions than ever before. But the department feels that both consumer con-sumer groups and the department should work together from now on to keep a knowledge of local and national conditions constantly before he buying housewife. Women's clubs, church groups and similar organizations working in their local territories should send on Information about local conditions to the consumers' counsel coun-sel division of the department of agriculture, so that this local Information In-formation can be used in appraising apprais-ing the national set-up. The Idea of local groups all over the nation working together with the government In an effort to keep the women of the country Intelligently Informed on what Is happening In the food markets Is something new In our national life. "Perhaps this Is the first real opportunity for. the consumer movement, as we call it, to play a really nation-wide and significant role In public affairs,'' Mr. Montgomery Mont-gomery says. "The job for all of us right now Is to avoid panic and keep ourselves realistic To make the average woman feel secure and responsible as a part of her community, com-munity, she needs to feel sure that she has ready access to Information Informa-tion relating directly to her own domestic situation and problems. That's the job to do to let people know what's happening In their consumer market and to help them understand If .V: V A. "Housewives have sweeping power over the cost of food com modifies," says Mrs. Gaynor Maddox, noted food expert. Above, en on of her rounds of retail stores, she gets a first-hand check on food prices in grocery. peignoir. She felt pleased at how much Ann liked the shirt She had not quite closed the door, and from beyond It ahe could hear voices. Ann said: "You know, mammy, I'm really awfully tired. Let me see little Denis before I go to sleep, will you?" "Sho', Miss Ann, sho. I'll go get him soon aa I brush off de hearth. But -'to' I do nothin', lemme get dat thing often yo' bed." In the sitting room, Corrie May started and her work slid off her knees to the floor. She listened. Ann was protesting. "The shirt? But what do you want with It? If s so pretty." "Yassum. But you give It Tight straight to me. He got plenty shirts made right' here in de house." "But he can wear this one, too," Ann exclaimed. "See how even the scallops are." Corrie May heard mammy give a deep sigh. "Miss Ann, you ain't got no mo' sense dan If you was , just now born like de 11 1 massa. Miss Ann. she made dis at her house, and you ain't never seen de places where dem people live. Dem folkses stay In nothin' but holes. Dey got bugs crawlin' ail over. You ain't gon' put nothin' from dat rattletrap place on yo' HI lamb." Corrie May stood up. Darn that woman. Darn her. Living like a lady In the soft, clean luxury of her white folks, what did she know of the sweat and dirt of the poor? Corrie May remembered her mother moth-er on her knees, scrubbing corners. She could hear Ann's voice, suddenly sud-denly high. |