Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-08-27
railing
The News
OF The Day

living. The pressing need OF price
reducing at once encounters for
midable obstacle-extravagance on
a scale the like of which the world
never dreamed, yet the whole
world cries for the suffering caus-
ed by the H. C. L.
Possibly some suffering might be
found if you had glass powerful
enough, for the poor you will al
ways have with you. You can hear
it on Pullmans from people fam
ishing" on $4,000 year and more.
The money per capita that we so
much desired in 1896 now that it is
a reality, seems to be making us
wretched. You hear it from peO-
pie who do not believe their own
eyes when they add up the credit
side of the ledger. AT the resorts,
money flows like an artesian well.
More $1,000 bills at the races at
Saratoga than is remembered by
the oldest inhabitants.
Ginghams and rhinestones have
been replaced by silks and dia-
monds. At Asheville, Henderson
vile and resorts of Western North
Carolina, where only a few years
ago a dozen carriages constituted
the privately owned vehicles, now
1000 automobiles worth $1,000
each, and upwards, are luxuries of
their owners. Board and shelter
at these places are exorbitantly
high, yet there is not enough board
and shelter to go around for the
poor people who are tottering to
their fall under the agonies of H.
C. L.
The foregoing is from the pen
or typewriter-of shrewd OBJ
server, w. E. Carter, an Albany
merchant, who has just returned
from trip to the Eastern market
He tells very interestingly - and
informingly = of his observations
and experiences, in a lengthy let
ter to the Albany Herald In these
days of frantic conversation on
the subjects he touches upon,
some things he has to say may be
found worth reading-and think
ing about. Here are some extracts
from Mr.: Carter's letter:
What really hinders price reduc-
ing, at least very prominent con-
tributing cause, lies in the fact that
a hopeless minority really need
living reduced under their present
circumstances.
The investigation now going on,
we imagine, will be typical of it's
hundreds of predecessors-JU
investigate.
Is it profteering? In many in
stances it may be. But if such
thing is possible, profteering is
justified, like fighting fire with
fire; profteering is about the best
weapon, too, and you don't get
anywhere. Labor is saying to
prices, when yill you come
DOWN." Prices are saying to labor,
when will you come DOWN." IL
Eliminating, is it not? Another
case of the dog merrily chasing
his tail.
What is responsible for upward
price tendencies?
Export demand. Any merch-
ant or business man in New York
that the Southern merchants come
IN contact with will tell you that
they are honest in the statement
when they say that all piece goods
could be sold at a profit far in ex-
cess of the profit they get by man
ufacturing.
Of course, it is obvious that this
cannot be done, for trade at home
must be protected. However, it is
only reasonable to expect him to be
game on prices when such an ex.
port condition prevails, Exports
IN April took sudden upturn and
each month since has found totals
amazingly high. Why not =? The
war reduced production, and this
decreased production must con-
tinue for time. War killed one
out of every ffty-six in England,
one of every % in France. while
only one out of every 5000 in the
United States. Thus you can see
the increase can only reasonably
be expected from the United States.
This condition, too, in face of the
fact that we still are at war with
Germany and her allies So when
these countries begin to be custom
ers, the condition will be intensi-
fed. Germany is already arrang-
ing for credit in the United States.
Will she get credit? Yes, in spite
of enormous debts she must pay,
she must and will get credit to buy
necessities, and these necessities
will go to her from us.