The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-01-23
This Time, However, Our
Secretary of the Navy
Is On Too Solid Ground

~
Is On Too Solid Ground
II YOU had on your overcoat. nat ana
rubbers and your hand on the door KNOB
in YOUR home, at the point of leaving Tor
! the days activities, and your wife should
say:
John. we are out of potatoes and
wish YOU would order them down town
AS see by the paper they are ~ cents
cheaper by the peck than they are out
this way
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
Would you turn upon your wife and
accuse her of incompetence in the man
agement Of the household affairs?
Would you accuse her Of an attempt to
put the neighborhood grocer out of busi-
ness. in favor Of the grocer down town
We don't believe that you would be
guilty Of either of these things.
We believe that you would say 70
yourself: John, you married a good
manager; a woman who is looking Out
for your interests"
You would say that or something Ike
that if you were as appreciative as YOU
ought to be.
But suppose you happened home from
work, at the end Of day and said
Clara. those last potatoes you bought
were a very poor quality; how much did
you pay for them?'
"Sixty-fve cents a peck. john
why" you would say, Il saw beauti.
full potatoes down town for fifty-fve. Let
me buy the next peck"
But, John" protests Clara. Grocer
Blacks wife is member Of my card
club, and it wouldn't do at all.
You wouldn't think much Of your
wifes business ability. would you?
Patronizing the neighborhood grocery
is all right.
These outlying stores are an accom-
mediation in the localities they serve,
deserve encouragement and should get
the business of those localities, PRICE
AND QUALITY BEING EQUAL, but
paying a premium of 10 cents peck on
inferior potatoes would be likely to take
the sentiment out of the average mans
pocketbook.
The United States government being IN
need of armor-piercing projectiles Secre-
tary Of the Navy Daniels advertised for
bids.
That, most certainly. was businesslike.
The contract was let TO Hatfields, Lin
tied, British munitions company, be-
cause Hatfields bid about $500 under the
lowest American bid on every projectiie.
viii anybody say that the acceptance
of the Hatfelds bid was unbusinesslike
in the secretary of the navy?
Will anybody say that the secretary Of
the navy, in accepting that bid, was not
acting in the interests of the national
pocketbook?
Hardly.
But great hue and cry has gore up
mostly from the steel trust and capital
istjc newspapers, because this contract
was given to foreign concern-and not
TO local monopoly.
II was conspiracy, the trust claims,
like this:
The British government urged Hat
fields to seek this contract for the pur
pose of creating a panic in the American
steel market and resultant reduction IN
the export price of American steel
That doesn't happen 20 be the case
happens TO be stupid absurdity, by the
way - but if it were true, our thanks
would most certainly be due the British
government.
Secretary Daniels has an explanation
for the placing of the contract abroad
which sounds great deal more plausible
The Bethlehem Steel company has al.
mitted that IT failed TO make satisi5c-
tory shells on contract il was awarded
two years ago.
Home industries deserve the patron
age of the government, by all means
but. in the name of sound business and
in the name of faithful discharge Of the