The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-22
WILL PRICES REMAIN
At PRESENT LEVEL ?
Many Indications Point to a Reduc'
ton In Prices OF Certain Products'
Outcome OF Legislation Big
Factor.

Perhaps the topic which nowadays
commands most attention from the
business interests OF the country ID
that OF the maintenance or prices
These are admittedly very hien' IA
many Instances beyond what mas peeh
the case for half century Oh iHoie
Quite a number OF these prices lux
thermore do not seem TO be warrant
I'd by the increase In production costs
nor are they based on such a scarcity
II would seem to call for the rise.
Being in one way or another specula-
tive or at least so regarded. the opln-
ion Ii growing among business men
that lower levels are ineVitable III al
eases where basic conditions 40 NOT
call for the higher ones reward 'he
read justment two matters "nich cams
to public notice during the last week
NAV have an important bearing The
tfrst Of these was the government
estimate Of the growing crops. lHis
showed the promise Of large yields OF
the cereals and vegetables. II nolh-
ting unforeseen occurs during the next
few weeks there will he an abundance
Of foodstuffs for domestic use ana
pretty good com plernent for shipment
abroad Already the effect OF thls
condition has been made apparent In
the reductions OF price in many aru-
cles OF food Then, too, II Is an axiom
that good crops make good business
The money yield OF this years crop,
which will be extremely large even
though prices rule comparatively low
will 80 far toward providing big vol
ume OF trade for many months 20
come Those directly Interested IN
farm products form large army. Nv
the census of 1910 there were shown
To he sssi5oc farms in the country
The number now Is much Increased
The handling. distribution and sale ot
farm products give occupation 10 an
other army. Prosperity 10 the two
ren-S fa-re- increase ~ TIRE fTtf'
chasing mower of the country
Appealing 10 tho Producers.
The second OF the influences was
called TO notice in the appeal by the
rteetfeut as - the principles which
i should govern I'm price fixing while the
war lasts. ana which Was so speeoliy
followed nv the acqu3esceuce OF ths
stee, men in agreeing upon n"thoo
for determining what should De
CHARGED for their particular products
i-nder normal conditions the rule OF
r,,ny,lv and demand regulates prices
PVT this rule does not apply whore
there liz ANYTHING in the nature or A
y,,oropolv. Now. such uenopoN
may he IT tho kind "~~1ted hN pattern
- ~ some other form 81 control or
,ha sunp'v % an article, In such
event. aud particularly II the article is
urgently needed. the increase In price
| In onlv regulated nv tho amount which
! a purchaser is "A HE tn pay, canteen
re- u-~.er is ordinarily worth very lit
.,e hut q man diving Of thirst In a
! desert wotiA se art 20 give all his
FFsrthiv possessions for il. Hut no very
fayorsh oninton would he bad Of a
y, Hrf.f4t
eyart such price simply because he
was In a position 70 do SO. II has been
annsrant that thnaa who haze had the
| ownership or control Of basic mater
iata. food~tu~s or other. have been
! driving rather hard bargain ard have
shown disposition 10 get The last
cent ~ profit possible To such as
these the presidents statement Is In
the nature Of an appeal to their pa
tr,ottsm to desfst. with the alternative
That the government viii itself 40 the
price fixing on what NAV be regard
ed as Just and EQUITABLE basis
! A Matter Of sltruiSm.
II is worthy 81 notice that. In this
as In certain other matters. there Is
a decided difference OF method from
that resorted to in certain foreign
countries to secure compliance with
measures believed to he for the public
welfare. In them the first thing usu-
! ally done has been the issuance 81
orders directing the doing or the not
Itdo.nr OF certain things, under penal
ties for NONCOMPLIANCE. A striking
| illustration was the set OF diet regula
ticns, such as those OF Germany
Everything was put on an of'cia
basis, with portions OF meat ana bread
and potatoes carefully prescribed The
result has been that many OF those ar
fected have restored TO all manner oi
trickery to evade rules which. II hon.
estly carried out. would have been for
the general good. Here. in advance o.
anv suggestion OF compulSion. an APP
neal has heen made for conserving
food supplies and preventing waste
Al once. and voluntarily. people al
over the country set In to do theil
best, either individually or by organ