The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-22
THE PROFITEERS.

Editor Ardmoreite:
Your editorial on local prohteer-
ing created much favorable COM
ment and if YOU will permit me the
space, wish to draw attention, very
frankly, to just what the prohteers
are dong TO Ardnore and incident
ally theinselves-if they have any
interes. outside of squeezing every
penny out of its citizens.
After talking TO the baggage men,
transfer and drayage men and ticket
cgent | have come TO the conclu-
sion that not less than 400 wage
earners. a large number of whom
rave families. nave left Ardmore III
the las seveaty days, in addition to
the men drafted into the military
service: and this, too, at time
when there S ample employment in
4Ardmore for every one.
What is the answer?
Tired of being gouged and trim
med b. Ardmore profteers' would
be the reason given IN nine-tenths
Of the cases, although the answer
mostly given is Il can't make a liv-
ing here; "Wrlk is slack; "Ive
got a better joD.'
20, these are cnly common work
men | hear someone say. True,
but if you'll examine the falling off
N the bank deposits since March
YOU must decide that the common
iaborer' carried his bank roll with
him.
A man reaches this town-a wage
earner-ard will want to bring his
family here. The real estate agent
will urtanly tell him he has sim
pie lttc affair OF four-room house
he can have for 81 Ga month, and of
course il he doesn't mind the walk
ne can have for $40 month, and of
from the postoffice, containing five
rooms ard a closet that he might
have for $3.50, but he would ad-
wise against taking it because it isn't
"modern''-it has no bath tub G
don't know why the average real
estate agent or letter of apart
ments" considers a house modern
becaust it contains bath tub.)
If the newcomer decides that he
does not wish to aid the proiiteer in
citing 500 per cent on his invest
nent, lie vii, look for furnished
apartments which turn out to be
very commonplace furnished
rooms.' Shown a modest pair of
meage-ly furnished rooms, the lady
will look the prospective tenant in
the eye and intcrm him he can have
them fer $35 per month, strictly in
advance; but he happens to have
three ii his family and he will be
compelled to have three rooms.
After much "hemming and haw-
ing" the lady finally consents to
rent for $40 two looms and that lit
tie no. cubby hole next to the
Kitchen. After lie gets his goods
and clattels from the depot. his
groceries and his gas, he finds he
has parted will shout SIS before he
has elraed a cert, and next morn
ing as he shows on the job the vii
iage constable serves him with a
Office to work the streets or pay So.
This is the ordinary mans in
PRODUCTION to the proiitcers in Ard
more ard from then on he runs
agains: them at every turn, from the
moving picture show to the ice man.
He is stnng on every corner and
when he leaves, which he does more
frequently thar not. as any con-
tractor il the city will tell you, he
leaves walking advertisement:
Not tC Como TO Ardmore,"
Thus The proii,eers are killing a
very good towr for
Only the fool will contend that
the same sort of house for which
S45 is demanded here-cannot be
rented in Dallas Oklahoma City or
Musk )Gee for SIS to $50. The same
class OF rooms or apartments can
be secured at from Sl2 to $50.
Only the sucker believes that it
costs any more to manufacture ice
here than it docs in Oklahoma City
or Dallas, an, it is a blooming op-
timist Who car see why the essen
tials OF life SEculd cost any more
here than in the larger cities.
In short. Nj Editor, it is high
time tie Rotary Club. the Lions
Club. the Chamber of Commerce
and every other organization take
rp III. question of profteering and
abolish i in seli-defense. 1t is kill
ing Afjmore The reputation it is
row acquiring will take years to live
down. Oklahoma City had siege
of this sort CT thing in 1911. 1t
Ieaped a bitter reward for FIVE
years. Ii knows better now.
A few less gallons OF gasoline
used for pleasure on the part of the
lsndlooi few less dresses and silk
stockings on the part of the land
lady, and few more points of fair
ness on the part OF the mechant
would not injure them and this
much taken o'f the living expenses
of the wage e. ssI'er. who. after all, is
the mailstay % the CITY, would
make a bigger snd better city OF
Ardmore instead of s.lriveling it up
into ar empty village with bats and
mosquitoes occupying the $40 apart
ments. ard I'm sure it would allow
the wage Gamer TO buy more Lib
erty berds and thrift stamps. a
thing which must be done If we