Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-08-22
Economic Result. A.. VAT.

Economic Results Are Vast.
Let us consider first what one billion
dollars worth Of clothes means. Sup
pose they were half-wool and half-cot-
ton and that the value of the raw ma
terial constituted only so per cent of
the price paid by the ultimate consum-
er, that would, at the present price Of
60 cents per pound for wool and 80
cents per pound for cotton respectively,
represent 208.3S4 tons of wool and 49,
687 tons of cotton. Can you imagine
how much freight space would be re-
quired on water and ON land, in NOV
ing this mass Of raw material? Do
you realize that IL these bales were
put into freight cars, assuming q load
ing capacity Of 16 tons per car for
wool and Is tons per car for cotton,
this would represent 1902 box cars
loaded with wool and 32,O58 box cars
loaded with cottonl Assuming Is cars
per train, there would be about 600
trains; the total length Of these trains
would be approximately 314 miles, and
these trains. hauled by 600 engines,
when standing in line would approx
mately cover the distance from Balti-
more to Pittsburgh? Can you imagine
the amount Of coal consumed In first
transporting and then weaving this
raw material into cloth? Can you i'm
agine the number Of hands employed in
these processes? And then consider
that more coal, more labor and more
transportation are required In distrib-
uting the cloth and again more labor
and more material In converting It into
clothes, and again more labor and
transportation In retailing the finished
product to the final consumer.
Let us be mindful that all the time
these processes are being carried on,
Uncle Sam Is short of the men neces-
sary to dispatch his war work, and
Furthermore that shortage of coal and
the clOgging Of the wheels Of transpor.
tation have stopped his progress at
most critical moments and in the pres.
ent emergency continue to remain q
constant menace to the country.
May Cost Your Sons Life.
My new suit Of clothes means, there.
fore, delay for our military operations /;
delay in transporting and equipping
men, and in sending to them, and to
our allies, the supplies they need /:
means increased losses and longer
duration Of the war. My new suit Of
clothes may cost, therefore, the life
Of my son.
The supply Of goods of labor and Of
transportation is limited. It is q mat
ter of common agreement that this lin.
tied supply is not sufficient freely to
satisfy all wants and that unrestricted
attempts on the part of each individual
to satisfy his own requirements may
lead to wild scramble and destruc-
tive competition with the government,
resulting in fatal delay and endless in
crease in prices.
The loaf Of bread available for our.
selves and for our allies is not large
enough to Ego around" IL we all want
to eat more than is absolutely neces-
sary for our maintenance. It 10 every.
body. duty, therefore. at this time to
tighten his belt" and to make a genu-
Inc effart to live on % thin a slice of
the loaf as he can. Unless that be
done we must buy additional food in
neutral countries, thereby using tom
mage that should be kept available for
our military operations and increasing
our difficulties In adjusting our trade
balances with neutral countries.
Hurts Uncle Sam In Many Ways.
To return to our story of the suit
Of clothes: During last year the United
States had to import 421 900, 600 pounds
of wool. representing value Of about
$172.000.O00. About half of this came
from Argentina. Our suits of clothes
called for substantial portion of this
wool and therefore to that extent rob
bed Uncle Sam Of the use of his ships.
Moreover, our factories being busy in
producing the things required for the
prosecution Of the war and our home
consumption still proceeding at almost
top speed, the quantity of goods avail
able for shipment to Argentina in pay
ment for the wool Cor for that matter
to Chile for nitrates, to Peru for cop
per, and SO on), is insufficient. AZ q
consequence the United States had t.
pay for more goods in South America
than South America has had to pay
for goods bought in the United States,
thereby causing 4 decline of dollar ex-
change In these neutral countries. This
shrinkage in the price Of the dollar
means that It has lost q corresponding
part Of Its purchasing power in neutral
countries. The scarcity Of goods avail
able for our export trade has thus be.
come serious obstacle In our way Ii
trying TO secure at reasonable prices
or In adequate quantities some Of the
things that we absolutely require from
foreign countries.
Ny suit Of clothes has. hurt Uncle
-. thersfors, IN several wsys: