Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-05
WHAT THE REAL 'TRoUBIE IS

(Written Specially For The Bulletin.)
 According to one pols-syirabic ex- pert, present high prices are due to four things, to wit, namely, that is to say: "Intensification of demand for goods, disruption of distributing processes shortage of labor, and a de-. crease in production of various pro- ducts' *'t
 Hmm. This is fillin' if not so very enlightening. Let's consider it a bit, piece by piece.
 "IntensiHcation of denapd for eoods:" This means in plain Eng fish, suppose, that the destruction caused by the world war. has. created a great demand for stuff to repair damages with, as well as to keqp the defenses of civilization intact. S That's simple enough.
 It would have been simpler to say just ''1'he war"
 Disruption of distributing process es:" This means doubtless that, when the extra demand came for the sup pEes and repairs referred to above, our railroads and canals, and shipping fell down. As managed by those cap tains of industry whom we have been taught to look up to as geniuses and giants of commerce, our, transporta- ton systems were geared up to nor nal, everyday traffic. The system wasn't able to adapt itself to unusual demands and these long headed, big headed-thick-h headed railroad and syndicate managers weren't brafny enough to make it. This is also fair ly simple, and that our slowly open ing eyes are beginning to see witk many "big business" chiefs was in- Hated - , ,tef
 Again, # would have been simpler to say "the war;" and stop there:
 .lA
 Shortage of labor" and "ieereasa in production" are the other two req sons. Well. when a million and half hitherto producing workmen are with drawn to the army, and probably twice that number more are substracted from the ranks of farm and factory to be added to the cohorts of destructive muuition-making = why shouldn't there be shortage of labor?
 And when there is a shortage of la bor.- Of course there is decrease of production. Substract:on always de- creases the minuend. That is the ob- ject and intention.
 So that. again. the same one word the war" sums up tersely but fully these alleged causes.
 To She observant American. proud of his country and keenly sensitive to its honor and repute, there has been much in the last year affording grati- fication. The smoothness and celerfty with which the first selection for the army was made and the universal loyalty with which the conscripts an- swered their country's call for one thing. The generosity with which the people who couldn't fight bought bonds, for another thing. The hear ty way in which the minority party in congress sank politics, for the time being, and joined in supporting with all asked for legislation an admin s. tratiou it had opposed and for which it cannot be supposed to have any great admiration, for another thing.
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 While our observant ard patriotic American may well find new causes for pride in these things there are some oth- CTS which cant but make him hang his head in shame. We have been a year at war. and we haven't yet enough men or munitions or ships or air planes to amount to anything practic- al in the actual fighting. -Amateur;sh- ness in big business as shown in it's inability to cope with an emergency which real foresight would have dis covered coming long before it arrived and would have prepared for. has been paraHelled by amateurishness in gov ernment management which has been very long in promises and prospects but sorrowfully short" in actual &C., complishments. .
 Oh, for more men at the head oi things who can keep their mouths shut and saw woodi=
 1 l know from frequent reports to =. by my city friends that life in tic cities is not now "one soft, sweet song" It is a struggle and strain what Mir. Mantilini would call "a demnition grind,'' The pot must be kept boiling, though the wherewithal to boil it and the whatsoever to boil in it are as hard to get as diamonds on q dump-heap. <s But the city folks have opportunity to blow off their steam if necessary Their neighbors are close by and the sidewalk travel is at their doors. Al the worst there is the Letters frou the People, column in the local paper We farmers, on the other hand, have small opportunity for relieving the pressure in any of these ways. There: no comfort in bawling out your woes to a neighbor sixty rods away. Ant if you're like most those I know Of you're too busy trying to do two men. work to have the time to go acros. lots and confab with him. To be sure there are the cows and the hens. But when you tell the COW that she car have only half her usual feed of graii because the stuff costs more than he whole milk and butter output will sel for, she doesn't seem to appreciate ii She looks at you hungrily and, after vain trip around the still brown pas Lure. comes back to the yard plaintive ly mooing for something more, orr a least. better to eat.
 And I never saw a hen yet tha seemed to care single caclzle whethe you paid $4.25 a hundred for her cor or got it for 80 cents!
 Yet we farmers, also, have our va troubles. The powers that be are call ing on us to work harder and do nor land they are proposing all sorts Q Iamateurish schemes with the avowe object of helping us to do that same.
 We are to be supplied with wums helpers, and Boy Scout helpers, ar, vacation helpers from city clerks ct; Dear, dear! s% "s'
 I've always tried to get boys to rel in my wo~9'-.~ --"-'S and isyron1en f help in such things as picking pea! etc. -e.,-,- ,-,-s ,v-s.a-.zs ~. .,- Riit vn1l can,t- raiSa ,rinrS %n 2 l