South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-31

that are sold IN the village shop and al the
trade in the country towns can easily be con-
centrated 20 these stores. Then. instead Of. say.
three or four wretched little millinery shops, al
competing with one another and on the verge
Of bankruptcy because there are four families
trying to do the same work and earn a living.
We would have one shop and all the profits from
that shop would go TO the customers
Now suppose form committees IN our
country towns in order TO get nd OF all this
waste OF profit and competition. and We replace
all these little shops by cooperative stores,
should Immediately effect tremendous economy.
We would release a number Of men and We
should have one handsome shop who're we now
have several small shops. We would have the
public getting their goods cheaper. and the
dividends would go into the pockets Of the Gus
toners themselves. Instead OF that we leave
il all TO private enterprise, and consider
private enterprise too sacred 70 be touched.
Then again. If we go to an agricultural dis
trict we shall notice that each farmer has his
own agricultural implements. which he uses
only for a short period. Now II the farmers
were TO combine together and get the best ma
chinery and share the use OF il comparatively.
it is astonishing what can be done The other
day ! was motoring for pleasure-my pleasure
is usually for the community. / was driving
from Hitchin to Cambridge. and went across
those great uplands. / suddenly stopped my car
because / saw a big steam engine by the side OF
the road. ] saw this engine working close to
the road at the one end. and another big steam
engine far away working at the other end OF
the field, and looked and I saw an extraordin-
airy spectacle. ! saw a plough With a man sit-
ting on it. and that plough had eight plough
shares and IL was strung on a rope from one
engine to the other and was plough1ng eight
burrows all the time. When l came back In the
evening the steam engines were going home
and an enormous expanse Of ground had been
plOughed by this means.
Now that enormous economy In aRrtcuI.
ture was not effected by the farmer spending
less money. On the contrary, II was effected
by two or three farmers spending a great
deal more money than is usual In our country
on these engines and employing much more
highly educated and trained men than are
used for the ordinary work OF an ordinarY
agricultural laborer.
Then there are certain industries which
ought to be nationalized in every way. There
is the coal industry. Mr. Sidney Webb has
shown US that can have a uniform prsce Of
coal IN every country just as We have a uni
form price for stamps, and at a very much
lower average price than rs being paid az
present All that is necessary is simply that
the country. instead OF leaving its coal mines
In the hands OF coal owners should take
them out of their hands
The shipping industry is, OF course the most
Vltal INDUSTRY OF this country. and yet We
leave 1t in the hands Of private owners
For example, let us take the British En-
pire Steam Navigation Company They ara
not the British Empire, but they make a GOOD
tnlng out or It. Their profits, declared 10
April, 1915, amounted to $161 S35 while i'm April
1916 their profits were S951,S3O. That is TO
say, their profits, which were handsome TO
begin with, IN the course OF the year have
rlsed 20 per cent, and all that 20 per cent
has come out OF our pockets. has gone to
extra prices have to pay for food and a
goes into the pockets of their shareholders
That is supposed to be economy. The sen.
sloie thing would be for the nation to put A
STOP 70 the making Of 20 per cent profit a
year at a time when there is such an -
nous price to pay for provisions. II womb
De sensible thing for Tire nation 70 relieve
US and enable US to get our shipping done AZ
cost price as the shipping is vital to our veTy
49, ~1iseeH 1S' as we are continually reminded
when the Germans attack us with subroa-Ie1