“SACK THE LOT.”

Dunstan Times, Issue 3113, 17 April 1922, Page 7

“SACK THE LOT.”

(R.v A.A.A. in the London Daily Chronicle).

“The Mobilised Women” of Rcrkley, California, disliked the idea of disbanding after the war. There wore about a hundred of thorn, mostly connected with the University, round which the life of the little town, over the bay Loin San Francisco, centres.

There is a large foreign element in Berkeley : Italian, French, Spanish and Mexican workmen, mostly. Some of them arc often out of work, some arenob too well paid, and a good many do not understand the art of making one greenback into two. _ So these women, having realised the joy of service, determined to make life easier for the foreigners. They rented a building in the heart of the 1 foreign working quarter, cleaned it themselves, put in shelves and drawers, cupboards and counters, and when their “store 7 was ready, protected by the respectability of their name and association, 1 hey sent out canvas bags to the best houses in the town, asking that they might he filled with “dust everything you don't want

The '/espouse was great, and then began some truly self-sacrificing work. The Mobilised Women went through every sack, washed everything, mended one garment with another, cut up and cut down, till they had enough clean, decent, wearable stnll to till the counters ot their shop.

The raggedest rags they sold to mo tor shops for cleaning cars. At once there was a queue of eager foreign men and women, the men anxiotm to buy a fairly good (suit—-odols to 7dola was charged—or a set of underthings, from 00 cents up, the women keen to cot a warm coat, or a crib, or a decent..rocking-chair and cushions, for soon the sacks had to be re;nforced by an occasional motor-lorry trip. _ Ity getting goods and giving time they sell cheaply, but there is a profit. Their first savings went in cleaning materials, a clothes press, and a suit cleaner, and now they have bought their first si ore outright. They have rented another small store, and they are negotiating for a third budding. When they get it in working order, (Ivy will settle down to their real hit of work, though of course the stores will go on and expand. The new building is to he a restaurant and lodging house for these foreigners, and food will he sold at cost plus one cent, per person per meal. Naturally they always paid the men who went with the sacks, finding them among the unemployed and the old. hut now they have eight full-time paid workers. They arc experienced, tactful women, who can speak with tongues, who have been in the far-off countries thoir patrons come from, and who realise how different America is. The GO.nno Berkeley inhabitants are intelligently interested in the venture. They discard all they can, and their slogan is: “Sack the lot.” There arc many British economy associations. and perhaps members may like to know what is being done within sight of the Bolden Gates.