Show Women Purchasers Can Aid U. U S. S Farmers I Fitting Family's Diet With Farm 1 Production Helps U. U S. S War Effort Americas America's farmers formers today arent aren't feeding a mere citizens of the United States They are also responsible ble for filling huge buge gaps in the food supplies of most of the thC free world world the the uniformed and civilian This is u a large order They will need all the help they 4 can get from the consumer at home if they are to continue to fill steadily growing lend-lease lend orders from the United Nations The consumer is a woman If youre you're a man you'll probably say Hey I What about me Well Mister youre you're practically nobody when it comes to deciding what you'll eat and what you'll wear Women buy 80 per cent of the food sold and 75 per cent of the clothing Further than that they influence almost all customer pur pur- chasing This is where the housewife can otIer one of the greatest contributions to winning the war She can see to it that the diet of her family fits tits In with farm production and the shortages shortages short short- ages ares created by the war She should be informed on the problems problems problems lems Involved in producing the goods she wants and getting them into her hands bands As the buyers for some 34 million households from coast to coast women have a tremendous responsibility responsibility responsibility to the families they feed and clothe During 19 2 the farmer has marked the highest production level CONSUMERS CONSUMER'S CREED I will wID buy what is plentiful I will wID buy what is fresh I will wID buy what is produced lo lo- lo- lo cally I will win buy what the government auks asks me to buy through the Victory Food Program I will win not hoard or waste food in history At the same time annual annual annual an an- nual income payments nationally have increased some 20 billions of dollars But crop goals met and passed and an income increase of over 17 per cent dont don't mean that the housewife housewife housewife house house- wife can go out and buy whatever she wants and as much as she wants Since Pearl Harbor the consumer picture has undergone radical changes Scarcity ceiling price and rationing have become common common common com com- mon words Food is no longer readily available if the housewife has the price to pay Some of berold her ber herold herold old time staples are on the scarce list items such as tea bananas coffee and sugar the farm consumers the urban group comprise over 75 per cent of the population of the United States Foodstuffs and clothing combined account for about 40 per cent of every every every ev ev- ery dollar spent by the average urban urban urban ur ur- ur- ur ban family It is therefore obvious that at no previous time has women's good management in buying been more important Give Consumer Protection Urging consumers consumers and and remember remember remember ber that means women women women-to to take heed of the farmers farmer's problems brings out the little-known little fact that the U. U S. S department of agriculture in return does not forget consumer protection in its farming for freedom freedom freedom free free- dom program When the housewife buys fresh vegetables from day to day she isn't likely to think much about the fact that the vegetables arrived on season schedule that they were insufficient in insufficient insufficient sufficient quantity and that the price was right Its It's only when those conditions didn't exist that she might begin to wonder how her table table table ta ta- ble is served Then she would learn that by taking taking taking tak tak- ing the long view for both farmer and consumer safety the over-all over agricultural program results in uniform uniform uniform uni uni- form distribution of farm commodities ties an even flow of goods into p y 4 end u ui i Fresh vegetables head the market list of this housewife Her lIer family is well-nourished well because Americas America's farmers are doing their part for wartime health and efficiency homes prevention of market scarcities scarcities scarcities ties and glutted markets and provision provision provision pro pro- vision of benefits in price and ity The Victory Specials announced announced announced an an- from week to week are area a part of this plan They use up products which are plentiful often preventing waste and loss to the farmer and allowing the buyer to take advantage of diet variations at a better price Whether or not the consumers consumer's needs are met really depends upon the accuracy with which production production ti tion n has been scheduled to obtain an adequate and steady supply of food at prices fair alike to producers and consumers This is the consumers consumer's best insurance against the problems of scarcity Something known as acreage allotment allotment allotment al al- al- al is now being used to increase increase increase in in- crease production of certain crops needed for the war a part of the over change-over from normal time peace-time farming to out all-out war production The farmer is converting his fields to war production just as surely as the turns manufacturer his machines from automobiles to airplanes Production without adjustment would be inexcusable waste at any time In wartime it is criminal What Crop Reserves Do Probably Mrs Average Housewife wouldn't be able to tell you what an Normal Ever-Normal granary is but is-but but she's enjoying the advantages of living under a farming farmin system that provides provides provides pro pro- vides for crop reserves In recent years lots of wheat corn and other products have been stored against a time when crops might be smaller or demands greater When drouth once pushed corn production as much as 40 per cent below normal meat prices skyrocketed and consumers consumers consumers con con- sumers suffered hardships But now with the Normal Ever-Normal granary's stored reserves of more than 25 per percent percent percent cent of a normal years year's crop there is plenty of feed to convert into meat eggs and dairy products Crop insurance has a formidable formidable formidable dable so sound nd but it is a simple procedure that pays big dividends dividends dividends divi divi- to the consumer as well as asto asto asto to the producer who meets the premiums Such Insurance keeps farmers in business producing needed goods by guaranteeing them for example some wheat or cotton income every year even if a crop fails falls This protection protection protection pro pro- gives farmers the assurance assurance assurance as as- they need to go in for production of critical war crops That's consumer protection for everybody everybody everybody ev ev- ev- ev even if it doesn't occur to the woman who buys a loaf of bread Housewives are currently faced with the necessity of cutting down on sugar once so much a part of their regular purchases that they wr mr soy R k 4 A r. r Marketing his produce is the final step in the farmers farmer's program of I supplying the American table just took it for granted Curtailment Curtailment Curtail Curtail- ment of shipping due to the war cut cutoff cutoff cutoff off important sources of raw materials materials materials ma ma- of which sugar is one At Atthe Atthe Atthe the same time industrial uses of oi B sugar gar have increased Today's price ceiling on sugar however is lower than might have been expected For this the buyer can thank a sugar program which I provides pr V des payments to growers that are helping them step up tion Conservation on the farm may seem a far cry from top quality lettuce let tuce or potatoes or green beans It may seem even farther from tender meats or milk rich in butter fat And farther still tilt from lower prices But farmers know v and consumers ers should be aware that soil build ing and soil-conserving soil practices mean larger yields and better quail quail- ty Well-nourished Well la land laid d produces better crops than depleted soil Wholesomeness Guaranteed Regulatory laws administered by bythe bythe bythe the United States department of agriculture agriculture ag ag- ag directly affect homes and consumer income and buying power Consumers are protected against mis branding substitutions and swindling swindling swin swin- by the Pure Food and Drug act It provides a safeguard for wholesome foodstuffs thereby protecting protecting pro pro- both health and pocketbook Research activities of the department depart ment are equally related to consumer er interests Sixty-five Sixty research labor laboratories tories have experiments constantly in process They dont don't just develop cloth from milk and plastics from soybeans They also determine methods of increasing in creasing production and strengthening strengthen strengthen- ing the quality of farm products Foods are carefully analyzed by experts so that their vitamin and mineral content can be accurately given Nutrition studies set up minimum min food requirements show how they may be met at the least cost and what available foods may be substituted substituted substituted sub sub- for those on the scarce list listor listor listor or h headed that way Steering Food Purchases These nutrition studies are of particular par par- particular interest to the housewife She Shi is faced with the problem of providing providing provid ing her family with enough to eat eal eatto eatto to maintain health and efficiency K 1 vt 4 tt wr e eJ J f a This young homemaker is choosing choosing choos ing her dinner vegetables froth the wide variety sent to market every everyday everyday everyday day by the nations nation's farmers Her lIer family will get plenty of vitamins She must steer her food buying so that supplies may be used to the best advantage and at the same time provide the highest consumer satisfaction The individual buyer these days must think always of her purchases as they relate to those of the 34 million other American housewives what the result would be if that buying were multiplied by 34 mil lion Would it create new scarcity or make a scarce food non-existent non Or would it have the effect of utilizing utilizing utilizing uti uti- uti- uti the foods that are available in abundance Alarm over possible increased food costs has been evidenced by some homemakers The retail cost of a basket of foods representing annual family purchases amounted to in September 1942 an increase increase increase in in- crease of 73 over the price of the same foods in the period from 1935 39 but the cost was still 10 lower than in 1929 Workingmen's families today can buy a basket of specified food products products products prod prod- for the smallest share of family income on record since 1913 In September September Sep Sep- 1942 it required only 22 per percent percent percent cent of the family income During the preceding five years the same food basket accounted for 27 per percent percent percent cent of the income Average family income has been rising more rapidly rapid rapid- ly than food prices during the last three years and through the first 10 months of 1942 Reasons include higher wage rates more hours of work per week with time over-time payments payments payments pay pay- ments and more persons employed The family averaging five persons this fall reached a wage level 57 per percent percent percent cent higher than the war pre-war average average average aver aver- age for 1935 This seems to indicate that the housewife's food problems will not be those of capacity to buy but rather rath rath- er of the markets market's ability to supply her needs Reaching her goal just goal just as the farmer meets his production goal goal- will mean that scarcity of some particular particular particular par par- type of food will be a matter matter matter mat mat- ter of unconcern to any American so long as he is able to eat what he needs need |