Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-07
Editorial Comment
The Goat


The retail grocer is the goat of this
war Other people have their troubles
III fact everyone is having trouble and
expects il to a certain eXtent-but the
are nothing compared with the troubles
of the man who is in the retail groc-
cry business.
Ii there is a grocer who has so far
preserved his temper and maintained
good disposition-who has as many
friends as he had before his troubles
began-whose customers all love him
and like to talk with him, and he likes
to see and talk with them-that par
ticu'ar man is qualified, without any
further examination or Investigation
into his past life to be awarded a GOLD
On harp and admitted to all tho splen-
Gid things which are reserved for the
saints in the world hereafter. Unfol
tunately we do not believe there are
many retail grocers who will ever EN-
JOY these good things. They are hu
man and falllble. They don't like being
cussed out in seven different language;
by every man and woman they meet
any better than the average man does,
and quite naturally there are few Of
them who have wcathered the storm
thus far and arc still able to maintain
their customary good nature and gem
ialty.
The war hit the retail grocer as it
has hit everyone else. by taking away
from him some of his young assist
ants, who through patriotism decided II
was their duty to tote q gun instead OF
driving a delivery wagon, and he mas
had to meet the war taxes: to work
nights to figure out how to keep pace
with the advancing prices and to deal
with all the complex questions when
have been thrust upon him-the same
as every other man engaged in bust
ness. But these troubles are as moth
ing compared to others which have
come to him and more which are on
the way.
Take the sugar question for exam
ule, If there is retail grocer VINO
hasn't long ago convinced himself that
he is we'll qualified for admission to the
Ananias Club and is willing TO admit
1.-THE must be doing business III d deaf
mute community. The sugar shortage
has made liars out of more honest men
Than ANYTHING else the world has ever
known. When the ordinary retail groc-
and St. Peter asks him any question
pertaining TO sugar, he is as certain 20
lie about i, as he is certain to be glad
when the war is over. lhls ISL tiie
retail groccrs fault-not by a long shot.
The lies he has been made 10 tel nave
haen necess;tated by the need of pro-
tecting his customers ana nave mo-
helped him pecuniarlly a single penny
II has been either case OF telilhS soine
lies or getting in to a INST nshl-anu
lies are much to be preferred TO puslils-
tic encounters.
And now comes the food ADMINISTRATOR
vaccinations as to the sale of wheat flour
The order comes from Washlngtoh' II
masses through the State Administrators
through the wholesale jobher and hnally
is nut up to the retail grocer He Is th2
man who finally gets the buck-and ne
can't pass il 10 anyone else, II IS ms
task to stand up and face the consuming
public and suffer the consequences ne
isn't going to be paid for the time ne must
waste in explaining the need OF this or
der about -four to those who come to buy
!, He isn't going to be loved when he
tolls The average customer tina he can
h,,v a 94-pound bag of wheat -four only
nrovid,ng he buys "A pounds oC some OF
,ba wheat substitutes The average Gus
TONER will think the grocer is trying &c
put something over on him and wili run
OYER his cussing vocabulary with the gro
Ger as the only audience, and will prob
ably end by saying things to hurt tie
rrocers feelings and pride. The men IN
washington who have established these