Milford chronicle., 1919-09-05
OF TEMPORARY BENEFIT ONLY

Harm rather than good will from priced sales
OF army food stores if impressions thus given
concerning advantages OF government handling of
chandse. Harm will come American government. Am
ercan industry and the American people if sales
of army supplies less than the market price should
lead to the conviction that government supply
at prices lower than charged by private concerns.
The food sold recently to the public bought in i'm
mense quantities at relatively low prices which prices
there not added the overhead Of asking for
ceivng considering deciding upon bids receipt and
storage Of goods transportation in trucks with ali
the overhead expenses incident thereto wages soldiers
wear and tear army equipment
1t will necessarily take time to compute costs to the
government and the people in connection with of
army foods Local government officials have contributed
their services; local committees have contributed their
time community buildings such school houses, public
markets ETC. have been used without allowance for
citizens have bought in larger quantities than they usually
do newspapers have advertised the sales buyers have
transported most of their purchases instead of having
them delivered by the seller Few if any of these facts
are taken into consideration when people compare prices
they have been paying for army food with prices charged
by local dealers.
The American people will gain nothing by foong them
selves Undoubtedly there has been and still is much
considerable profteering. Undoubtedly living
excessively high because of the profteering Undoub
edy that cost be reduced by proper and policy
of regulation prosecution and punishment But neither
now at any time in the future will it be possible for
government agency engage retailing merchandise
and do it cheaper than is done by the average retail
merchant
The average retail merchant is honest Moreover the
average retail merchant is efficient The average govern
official is honest than the average merchant
and he is nearly efficient If there has been
unusual amount of profteering among merchants during
the measure of exenuaton may well be placed
because of examples in high places in government
When private citizenstaxpayers- govern
ment officials spend money like when they
nepotism carried into the delegation, when
they favorsm practced for the benefit of limited
class of wage-earners when they wanton waste dis
played without shame, when they nexperence and in
competency kept in is there wonder that
lose their heads and join the mad riot under the policy
of Robin Hood "let him get who has the power let him
keep who can?
The problem of the high of living is serious. 1t is
easy of solution What the final will be is in
ioubt but this much certain-tha lower of living
will not come through adoption of the socalistic COM
nunistc bolshevstic, bureaucratic paernasc, and
ocratc policies of the Wilson Administration American
business has been a growth, development survival
If the ttest It is of the best social organization
he globe. No doubt it can be improved, but it will not
improved if get the notion that government
upercede private initiative and enterprise