St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1919-03-22

is going to fall. In my opinion, it is
not going to fall much, if at all We
are on a permanently higher price
| level and the sooner the business
men of the country take this view
and adjust themselves to it, the
sooner will they save themselves and
the nation from the misfortune which
will come, if we persist in our pres
ent false hope"
This international authority on
prices shows there have been times
in history when new price levels Wepe
stablished. He says:
''The general level of prices de-
ponds upon the volume and rapidity
Of turnover of the circulating medi
UNI in relation to the business to tbe
transacted thereby. II the number
of dollars circulated by cash and by
check doubles, while the number Of
goods and service exchanged thereby
remain constant, prices Will double
The great price change is history
have come about in just this man
ner. The Price Revolution of the
sixteenth century came upon Europe
as a result of the great influx of gold
and silver from the mines of the New
World. Europe was flooded with
new money. More counters were
used than before in circulating ex-
changes, and prices became high
People talked of temporary 'infia
ton, just as they talk of it now.
But it was not temporary; it was a
new price level. A similar increase
in prices all owe rthe world occurred
the discovery of the rich gold fields
OF South Africa, Cripple Creek and
Alaska, the invention of the cyanide
process in mining, and the vast ex-
tension of the use of bank credit. y
At the same time Prof Fishers
conclusions were made known there
came from the Division of Public
Works and Construction Develop
ment Of the U. S. Department of
Labor a resume Of the work of ten
or twelve experts on price and mark
ct conditions. Here again it was
made plain there is no evidence justi-
flying the expectation of a general,
material reduction in the price level
This report makes the statement:
1.-THE fact is that cost of construc-
ton is not high today. > 1t is low
compared with food, clothing and
commodities in general Although
some readjustments in the wages of
individual trades and in the prices
of individual classes of building ma
terials may take place, the cost of
construction will not come down to
such an extent as to endanger a jul
dicious investment made today in
the erection of new building"
The Washington conference was
called to discuss ways and means of
stimulating business and providing
buffer employment for labor during
the period necessary for industrial
reimbursement. lt.Was submitted that
building and construction work serv-
ed these two purposes. more COM
Dletely and directly than any other
industry. 1t was brought out that !
the country is short between 500, 900 |
and a million homes Therefore,
while public officials are going in for |
public, improvements, many COM
munities are organizing Gown Your
eral important and desirable ends |
Home owning means home building, |
home building means labor and |
stimulated business in every locality |
where a dwelling is built, the home |
owner is better citizen because his |
very ownership makes him RESPONSE |
BILE and Immediately interested in |
the social and political welfare of his |
community. Further, the home own
er does not take up quickly with |
radical movements such as now are
threatening the security of the gov
ernments of Europe.
The Department of Labor, through |
the Division of Public Works and |
Construction Development, is coop
Grating with many communities in
Own Your Home movement.