A HOUSEWIVES' UNION.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 83, 2 January 1920, Page 2

A HOUSEWIVES' UNION.

ITS WOHK IN OTHER. COUNTRIES, j In discussing how profiteering might he 3 chocked, the CbKstchurch "Press" ex- 1 presses the opinion that a (Treat deal l could l>e done in this direction by a j really active. Housewives' Uniom lu j Christclmrch apparently such ail or- | ganieation docs not exist; in Wellington it does (or did some time ago), but 60 far as one can hear it does not appear to have considered the matter of ia-king j action to bring down the prices of house- i hold necessities. In Australia aud in j the United States the Housewives' Unions ! adopted the device of the boycott in or- ; der to reduce prices to what they regard ; as a reasonable level. In Molbourue, for instance (states the "Press") there was , a marked tendency on tho part of re- ' j tailers to practiso profiteering in regard to potatoes. Tho word went round among tho members of the Housewives' Association that potatoes should be taken off the domestic bill of fare until prices came down. Two days later tho price had dropped from tho sd. per lb. that had been asked to 2d. per lb. for old and 3d. for new potatoes, with a furtherreduction to purchasers of a shilling's worth. This is the plan adopted by tho Housewives' League in the United States, which numbers many thousands of members all over the country. Whenever tho cost of any article of food is held to have becomo too high, a notice is sent round to-all the members to refrain from buying. The boycott is said to effect a cure very shortly. Within the last few weeks a strong Housewives' Association,' with a most aggressivo policy, has been formed in Sydney to fight tho profiteer. A month ago it had more than 7000 members, and the membership was expected to reach 20,000 by tho end of the year. The. 7000 had already begun their campaign by refusing to wear gloves until theso articles iiad been brought down to a more reasonable price. Boots arid shoes were to be tho next objects of attack, and the question of hosiery was also understood to be receiving attention. Every member will •-.wear the distinctive badges of tho Housewives' Association when she goes shopping (states a Sydney correspondent), "and each week she will bo provided with a leaflet' from headquarters, showing what the fair and reasonable prices of all fond commodities and articles of clothing elimild be. The prices on this list will make allowance'for an honest percentage of profit, and no more, in each centre through the State. If one of our members," added a member of. the executive, "is asked to pay more than the scheduled fair price she will ask why, and collect all tho information available as to why morn is being asked. This information will be forwarded, tti the central committee, which- will thereupon i take action or not deal with the profiteer nccordini: t'o his explanation," under the Act lately passed to elieck profiteering. Another weapon l.lmt .the Housewives' t Association intends to uso is a weekly . list of the shops in each district in which |" only Uie fair prices accepted by tli» j a-seeiation are charged, members being j expected io deal only at the shops therein mentioned. The "Pre*s" gees on to su--»- j gest that should n league be formed in S Christciiureh il should, when it bad dono j everything in its power to reduce traders' j prices, tackle the question of the cost j of living from another mule. and take ! into consideration the establishment 0 { j communal kiMiens and kumdrir. hv:> de- | velcp'nents of social life to which the ] pressure of circumstance?, notably tho 1 scarcity a I'd cost of domestic assistants, is inexorably driving us. j Maior ond Mrs. Hfll were staying in Auckland prior to the former leaving for j Samoa, in charge of the Mounted f'nn- j stabulary. Mrs. Hill will jo'm him ] later on. \