Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-21
IMPROVEMENTS AND COSTS

sorts Of improvements. The attention Of the public was
fixed on other matters, and funds were needed for other
purposes. The natural tendency of the people to sus-
pend operations was reinforced by the provisions Of law,
under which the business activities Of the country were
restricted substantially to those things Immediately re-
lated to the war, and to the reasonable maintenance OF
the people. Had the war lasted longer these restrictions
would have become more and more rigid. and in time we
should have found ourselves confined to the bare neces-
saries Of life.
In all but its technical aspects the war is over. All
Official restrictions have been removed from industry,
and the citizen is no longer confronted withthe prospect
Of having to provide for the mounting expenses of a wal
Of indefinite duration. The channels of all the ordinary
activities Of life are open. to be followed by all who choose
to use them.
Under the circumstances. what is the safe policy for
the individual, and the beneficial policy for the COM
munity. Manifestly, those of us who. whether as indisid-
uals or as social units. who have been measurably cured
of habits Of extravaganza ought not to resume those hab-
its. Both the individual and the community suffer from
waste. But what shall be done about constructive work?
Shall we build, and improve now, or shall we wait a while?
The policy Of waiting has Its advocates. These hold
that it is unsafe and Improbable now to engage in work
beyond the needs Of the moment because Of the high prices,
one Of the wars inheritances. from which there will soon
be a reaction. From this standpoint it is argued that 1t
is the proper policy to postpone as much work as possible.
so that due advantage may be taken of the prospective
lowering Of costs.
The indications are decidedly against the correctness
of this view. That there will be no sudden drop in prices
II certain. and that, there will be very material reductions
in the near future is improbable. All the indications are
in the other direction. Within the past few days impor-
tant wage advances have been made to the railroad men
Of the country, and these advances are not made at this
time to be abandoned within a few months- Since the
armistice began Judge Gary, head Of the great Steel cor
poration, speaking at a gathering Of men in his own line
Of work, both warned and urged them against any expec-
tation OF or effort toward material wage reductions. hold
ing that such reduction in selling prices as might be pos
sible should be made possible by economies in other direc-
tions and the scaling down OF prices. The attitude is
substantially that taken by the heads Of important indus
tries all over the country. The initiation in wage and other
costs which characterized the feverish activities in certain
of the war industries is. Of course, a thing Of the past, but
the fact remains that the whole country has gone onto a
higher scale of wages for an indefinite period. And, in
the last analysis, it is the wage scale. more than anything
else. that governs costs. ,
In most cases, the wise plan for the individual, from
the standpoint of his own personal interest, is to go ahead
with constructive work now. The loss entailed in wait
ing will more than offset any slight gains from possible
reductions in-costs in the meantime. And it is en-
phatca1ty to the interest OF everyone that this policy be
followed throughout the country. II that is not done We
need to have the wheels Of industry moving and the cur.
rents Of trade flowing freely. We can have this condition
II each citizen takes the right view Of it