The Mena weekly star., 1919-07-24
HIGH pRICES-WHAT THEY
 MEAN.

as the case may pe--iOi 1iie '"SN prices of practically all things that are part of modern life today.
 With this conceded, the important thing at the moment may we'll be said to be the unsettled condition--the great unrest among all classes that results from these high prices.
 Beyond any doubt therq is in many instances downright injustice stances of profiteering, of wrong deal ing. Generally we look afar-to the big manufacturers, the corporations that control to more or less degree the food and like necessities for such ex- amples-but there are doubtless pro- iiteers of lesser caliber but equal in degree of guilt closer at home. They can be found in every class from the merchant to the farmer, the seller of .firewood to the laborer. The mer- chant, so minded, asks undue margins of profits from his goods; the farm Ger profiteer wants top prices for prod ucts that are inferior; the wood haul CT profteer demands standard price for his load and gives short measure; the laborer profteer, receiving good pay, fails to give in return an honest days work, soldiers" on his job, or sights his task.
 But all these varieties of profiteer- ing are only magnifed by the high range of prices. They exist as well when prices are at the bottom.
 The only real unrest that should accompany the reduction of the buy ing power of the dollar is in the re- adjustment necessary to give each branch of business and of industry each individual in the final analysis his proportionate part of dollars his share of the power to buy.
 With this done it is the very saliva ton of the people of our country those who actually produce or who are of service to the producers-TO KEEP PRICES HIGH. This may be overlooked by some, but a little thought will be convincing.
 In fact, circumstances today are such as to make such cause the most elemental of justice.
 The world war has thrown our na- tion deeply in debt. This debt was created and is based on high prices. The money spent in food, in muni- tions and in all that went to carry on the war was spent on high plane the dollars doubtless bought less, probably by half than had been the rule in prior times. In financing the war remarkable effort was made to distribute the debt--the bonds and war stamps--amo all the people those of all classes. This was and is right--the ideal. If it could be main tained, these same people would pay the debt to hemselves-would draw to themselves the interest that they pay and in the end the principal
 But this. like many another plan based on an ideal. holds good but ir part, and for but a limited period.
 Within Q few years at most a vast part of all these war bonds and wan stamps will have gravitated into but few hands; they aready are being bought up in every town and hamlet some by small spectators, but mostly by agents for larger spectators, and these larger buyers will probably ir the end transfer them to yet greater capitalists. And the money that is buying these securities today is worth but about half-dollar for dollar what is was few years ago.
 In few years to come, as things usually go, the price levels will sink to a lower level-the market price for n bushel of wheat, steer, hog, a sheep a pound of cotton, a load of wood, days labor, will bring less in dollars and cents than now, and then each man who holds bond that draws per cent will be receiving in inter- est-or in buying power-an equiva- lent exactly equal in amount to the lowered price of the things he buys. If prices are cut in half, his interest, formerly worth but 4 per cent in the worlds market, will be worth double, or 8 per cent. His bond bought at $l00 will be still worth $100, but that $I00 is worth twice what it was when bought because it will buy twice as much labor or labor's products.
 It can be plainly seen, then, that it is to the interest of all people save lenders of money, or those who, di- rectly or indirectly live on wages or salaries that will not be affected by the lowering of prices, that the pres ent high plane of prices be main tained To distribute them equally is justice to all, and should be the end sought.
 To lower them would be unjust tc the many and unfair returns to the