The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-04
BUSINESS SHOULD IMPROVE DURING
 T|ME0F WARFARE
philadelphia, Pa., April IS, 1s1

Philadelphia, Pa., April IS, 1s17 Editor of Newspaperdom, New York, N. Y.
 Dear Sir:
 You ask me to state my. opinion as to how advertisers will view the war situation.
 I do not believe we have and adver- tiser worthy the name who will per- init a situation in Europe that has existed for nearly three years to warp his judgment just because we are little closer to the edge of it.
 have carefully looked over the if nancial .retrospects of all great wars anf ind that business has invariably been increased during and for some years after the wars.
 The expenditure of vast sums of money, even though a large part is for war purposes must stimulate busi- ness in. all lines.
 This money is not burned up nor sdivered into closed channels. It would be impossible to proven it from per colating through every avenue of ap- 'proach to the public, and stimulating in turn it's re-investment or re-spend- ing.
 In times of stress the public leans more and more upon standardized goods, especially those that give com- fort and convenience. Tobaccos, au- tomobiles, food products and similar lines should be stimulated rather than retarded in their sales by the war situation.
 Now as to taxes, if large sums are imposed upon special industries, no doubt these will be in turn passed to the consumers in the form of the small additional charges necessary to cover the increased cost to the manu- facturer. No one believes it is the intention of the government to tax initiative out of existence or to bur- den American business with unneces- sary handicaps. The people who use the taxed goods are the ones who are to be reached and the division of the taxes among millions means very lit- tie to the public, but a great deal were 1t to be confined to the manu- lecturers Furthermore, if the government is to impose . large tax upon so-ca1led excess profits, the advertiser will have the better of the argument in contarts to the non-advertiser. Advertising is a legitimate part of manufacturing and selling expense. Goods that are sold through adver- Using are provedly lower in maintain
  This is benefit to the public, and a continuance of advertising with it's co-relaed enlargement of output is a public safeguard against increased prices.
 Both the advertiser and the public benefit. But there is. still another side to it If the government is to tax profits above a certain percentage, large net profits in name only, and the devel- opment of good will through adver- Using expenditure will be of more value than surpluses that will meet double and treble ,<xation. 1 In other words, advertisers who cut out their normal expenditures will not be benefiting either themselves | or their stockholders, but will only falsely add to the incomes, at the | same time handicapping the growth l of their business. l Should we consider patriotism in connection with business? It has been said that the patriotism of America exists in it's pocket-book do not believe this is true. Wall street some times runs at any sign of alarm, but the business of America as a whole will not strike it's co1ors to German aggression or German underhanded- l ness.
 I believe American business will go forward as it has been going for some years past.
 I believe it will prove to it's own satisfaction and that of the commun- l ity at large that business follows the flag l Yours very truly, | RICHARD A FOT INV