The Benson signal., 1917-02-24
Europe Faces Huge Shake-Up in
Finance and Politics When !
War Ends.
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR AMERICA
This Country Will Have to Pay Debts
and Conduct Business More Eff
centIy-Purpose Of Pay-Up
Week Explained.

All of the nations in Europe are
bound to reorganize their whole busi-
ness world, their social world, and
probably their political world. The
immense debts that have been piled up
will compel each of the nations to do
business in the most efficient of all
possible ways, going, perhaps, to an
extreme of state control of all COM
merce and industry. And this organi-
zation of business intercourse will con-
tinue for many years. The weight of
business competition, manufacturing,
transportation, selling and buying will
be directed chiefly against America
because of our immense national
wealth and largely because of our
proverbial wastefulness and ,slipshod
business organization.
From manufacturer to wholesaler,
from wholesaler to jobber, from job
ber to retailer, and between retailer
a closer and more compact relation.
Open book accounts will give place to
trade acceptances, credits which can
be discounted for their full value, and
keep active in open channels the
money heretofore tied up in open book
accounts. This change is already be-
ing earnestly advocated by national
business associations as one of the
first and most necessary steps in the
mobilization of American business.
Rough for Retailers.
This change will fall hardest, per-
haps, upon retail merchants. These
persons are the only ones in the whole
chain of business relations who trans
act business with acquaintances and
neighbors and friends, and who are
approached in business from the per-
sonal side. Credits will have to be
extended to consumers for longer or
shorter periods of time, but a new ele-
ment must be recognized as having
come in and new relations between
merchants and bankers and consumers
will have to be worked out.
Viewed from the social side retail
trade has a new and vital Importance,
a place in the scheme of community Or
ganization which cannot safely be sacri-
feed Much blatant nonsense has been
published about abstract middlemen.
Concrete business men and business
women in most communities pay more
taxes in proportion to ability and
wealth, pay more generously to pro-
mote all public improvements, and
give more time and energy to welfare
projects for the benefit of the whole
community than do any other class of
citizens. <.-A@'
Need Better Service.
Much better facilities have need to
be provided at trade centers for the
sale of farm and local products, and
much better service to the whole trade
territory must be worked out to sup
ply to all consumers all their needs
at prices as low as can be had else
where. This is all a matter of local
correlation between producer-cOnsum-
ers and consumers and the distributors
of goods and service. 1t will not
be worked out in a day nor month
HOT d Single year, puI III Coou1C tlOAl
abroad will compel quite radical
changes in domestic relations and hab-
it's.
Clearing up all outstanding and un-
secured accounts is one of the very
first indispensable steps" to putting
American business on a secure and
stable foundation. A pay-up week
embodies fine idea, putting general
sentiment behind good work and pop
ularizing a clearer notion of business
duties resting upon all citizens.
The Americans must bear the brunt
Of world competition for half cen
tury or more after the most revolution
ary war in history. From the hum
blest consumer to the chief capital
lists of the nation compact business or
ganjzation ought to be maintained with
cheerful inSistence.