The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-20
The Folly of Hoarding.
(By Charles j. Rosebault of the Wig.
ilantes.)

The government is worried over
boarding of food supplies by individ-
uals. So run the dispatches from
Washington. Can it be that we are
going to witness the same disgraceful
exhibition Of selfish folly that marked
the opening days of the war in Eng
the bitter experiences of our Allies :?
| hate to believe that our country
men are so dull or so heartless; but
selfishness like patriotism knows no
country, and it may be necessary to
shame the self-centered into decent
behavior here, as was done in England
in August, 1914. Just to wake up
those who act in mere thoughtlessness
it may be pertinent to mention the ex-
perience of an American couple in
the first days after England entered
the war.
They were living in a tiny village
twenty-four miles north of London,
ami their main food supplies rame up
daily by motor truck from HarrOds,
one of LOndon's large department
stores. Rumors that there might be
scarcity had penetrated even to their
back-water retreat, but they declined
to be ruffled thereby. The Harrods
shop supplied many thousands in Lon
don and the suburbs daily with poul-
try, meat, game. fish, eggs, fresh and
canned vegetables. They even ship
ped by express and parcel post to
Ireland. Scotland and the English
pl ovinces. 1t was absurd to suppose
that they would fail a regular GUS
toner in an emergency.
So the order for the morrow went
to Harrods as usual, only somewhat
larger than ordinary, as it was for the
weekend and guests were expected.
1t included fish and meat and a va
riety of fruit and vegetables, as we'll
as some canned goods. The following
day the big truck rolled up to the
door at the usual hour and discharged
"a package of washing soda and
some clothes pins!
The motorman was apologize, but
HarrOds had to admit itself beaten.
The day before a horde Of panic
stricken Londoners had arrived in
motor cars and had simply swept
clean the counters, shelves and re-
serve bins Of that huge shop. The
other shops had met with the same
experience.
All the greedy ones had acted rs
with one impulse. 1t was as though
London was already besieged and the
enemy had it in his grip. First come
first fed appeared to be the slogan OF
those with money to buy and no re-
gard for their fellows.
They behaved like maniacs. One
woman carried away triumphantly in
her limousine hundred pounds of
tea. Another, who habitually purch-
ased her bread and pastry from
baker, filled her car with bags of flour.
The senseless fright was short-liv-
ed. The newspapers held up to scorn
both the hoarders and the merchants
who had catered to them. The gov
crnment tol. a hand and threatened
penalties.
Within a week the woman with the
tea wanted to return her surplus; as
did the lady of the -four, finding her
cook ready to quit if called upon to
use it. The shOpkeepers, however,
stung by the almost universal con-
demnation visited upon them, took
their revenge by refusing to take back
anything. Many perishable fOodstuffs
spoiled on the hands of the purchas-
ers. The flavor departed from others
long before they could be used. There
was some poetic justice, after ALL
But there was also a darker side to
the lnC1uent. VI lOOu utu
jumped overnight and those of slend-
er purse were the sufferers. Anxious
house wives found themselves with
empty larders and lacking means to
replenish them. There was much
hardship and nobOdy-not even the
guilty Ones--a gamer.
If there is one proposition which
Canont be gainSaid, it is that boarding
always has only one result-to in
crease prices and make scarce the ar
tcles boarded. If everybody will be
sensible and purcsase only what is re-
ouired for immediate use there will
be neither scarcity nor inflated prices.
------.--.