Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-01
NEW ORDER OF BUSINESS
As RICHM0NDER SEES IT
GROCERY Men Having Something OF
hough Sailing, but All Other
Richmond Shops Flourishiny.
PATERNALIsM is A GOOD THING
n Close Observer Who Finds Much
That Is Good in Most business
Lines = Government Propaganda
Has Been Wonderful Help.

Richmond man who has known
inc business OF this city for many
io"s years having made good for
tune and practically retired. but who.
from force OF habit. keeps his eye on
business all the time. has been maxi
ing study OF the new order OF things
so Tar they pertain to business. This
close observer and student OF condi-
TONS unbosomed himself to a Times
Dispatch man.
The political talk, SO prevalent a
snort while ago. in denunciation OF
what the politicians were pleased to
term governmental paternaliBm. Is now
seldom heard in the land; that is. not
In hearing OF the Richmonder referred
TO. He thinks this Is because the pa
'ernalism" that the government was
forced Into by the cxigencIes OF war
Is proving TO be. and has already
proven to be. good thing. The con-
servation doctrine so vigorously
preached by the government. and its
propaganda generally have done
world Of good. and most people have
peen benefited. This propaganda IS
changing US from u nation OF spend
t"ritts 10 4 nation OF savers The
JOCKS or the savings banks and all the
olher banks abundantly prove this
And yet most lines OF business are
more prosperous than ever before
which is explained b. the fac, tina, the
people who never saved money before
and are saving il now are made up
largely from the ranks OF those who
simply wasted their earnings i'm mass
ing pleasures--tneatcr tickets i,,v-
rides, railway excursions, plcnics. fish.
ing frolics and heaven knows what
not Ihese things have been largely
cut out and the result Is that those
who are getting the benefit OF better
wages and are making money by other
means, made more profitable by the
changed conditions. not only have more
cash 20 put away in the banks. in ac-
cordance with the new saving habit.
but more TO spend for actual necessi-
ties and real comforts
Inc government in carrying out It's
new order OF puternelisin and trying n
educate it's children UP to the better
habits. makes IL point to look TO the
protection OF the poor man; therefore.
"hen IL comes TO the regulation OF
prices II looks principally after food
prices. True, 1t tries also TO protect
the producer OF tho foods and endcay-
urs TO make the prices such as to give
the farmer-producer u fair profit, but
50 Tar as this close observer has been
able 10 see. Uncle Sam lets the middle
man. who comes into immediate con-
tact with the consumer that is 10 say
the grocer and the butcher, look out
Tor himself. and do i, under pretty
close restrictions. For this reason the
observer thinks the grocer and the
market man OF Richmond are between
me devil and the deep blue sea, ana
they are -ertain!y not pillng up any
o's fortunes IN the usual way. and. In
the nature or the case. no big gov
eminent contracts come their way
On the other hand. so says the OBJ
server. the dry goods man, the shoe
dealer. the clothing merchant, the
druggist. the tobacco dealer, the hard
ware man. all are doing we'll. For rea-
sons set forth---thc saving habit and the
wage increases, etc.-the people In the
main are spending more money for
goods In these lines than eve. before.
ana Uncle sam Is not regulating prices
on what they buy In such lines. There
are no protitecrs In Richmond, as the
term "protitecr" Is now made TO mean:
that Is. very few. but nobody I'm the
trade is neGlectins TO mark good
reasonable profit on the goods offered
for sale. and the people in the lines
mentioned are having no trouble in
selling all they can get the slow rail-
roads 10 deliver in anything like de-
cent time.
The close observer is Of tho opinion
that the dry goods men are doing
spiendidly under the new order OF
things. the shoe dealers are making
good money. the clothing houses are
laying up store for the rainy day, and.
ns for the druggists. they are just
coming money.
Looking over Richmond as n whole,
and allowing for the exceptions noted.
the close observer figures it out that
Richmond is doing an immense war
time business. and. but for the fact
that men are being slaughtered by the
thousands in this cruel war, the popu-
lation would he reasonably haDpy