The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-03-12
PROFITEERING.


The y1otiteer is a fellow for whom
ihe ordinary man does not profess
so have any affection. He is to be
found in all lines of business and it
IS natural for us to recognize his
. activities most readily when related
to what we buy. That the same truth
applies to what we sell has been very
forcefully put by a Primitive Baptist
minister of Hattiesburg, Miss.
For the last six years, says this
"shardshell' Baptist minister, the
world, as never before, has been
making history-history, awful his
cory. History of human woe, sorrow,
death and ruin, almost universal, and
20 a degree unknown hitherto. Not
quite so much war at present, but
there is more suffering from hunger,
disease and starvation than at any
previous date in the history of man.
kind. Not near so bad here as In
many portions Of the world, but there
is much in our own country at pre-
sent, and the future is dark and fore
boding.
The word at the head of this paper
IS used to represent the cause Of
what we suffer here, in the way of
the high cost of living, etc. The word
is a new one. 1t is not in any diction-
.ary that I have examined. / have
tried Webster and some Of the new
ones, but they are silent. Not find-
Ing definition have tried to make
rone fit. / have figured it out to
mean, take all you can get fer any
thing and everything you have for
: sale, II cannot mean more, and it
, certainly does, not mean less. Some
; time ago the government appointed
"a commission to find those who were
guilty of this very grave offense.>
Won't the government now appoint
a commission to find out who is not?
The meat packers and those who
handle other food products are
charged with holding and selling what
they have at the highest prices to be
had. / believe that they are doing
that very thing. They always have,
=and they always will. And now will
someone please tell me who is not
doing it?
Brother A used to sell corn at SO
cents bushel. He now wants So
a bushel and would ask So if he
5shongnt he could get it. Brother A,
IS down on the "soulless" corpora
tions For asking three prices for
what he buys, but Brother A, is get j
ting four prices for what he sells. I Z!
don't think that Brother A, is doing |!
wrong when he takes the prices he !!
gets, hut he is very inconsistent when |
ne abuses somebody else for doing the !
same thing. i
--Neighbor Jones is very bitter !;
against the cold storage people for
storing thousands of dollars worth !
u food people so much need, in or ,
del that they may get more money /
for It. but neighbor Jones held his
cotton. for 35 cents d pound and :
when !. reached that price he still |!
heI, il for 40 cents, and this While
s1xy,ilions of poor people are going half /.
clad from the lack of it. He used to
sell it for thirty dollars bale Now
:, bale, with. the seed. will bring HIM
5000. and he holds it for more. Six
times the former price does not sat
wsv him. Neighbor Jones has just
mad to pay 25 cents pound 1or
some sugar. He is hot over this out
rage. He forgets that there was
xiue when cotton and sugar were
each7 and 8 cents pound. He wants
z.she Government to limit the price, OF
snpar. but must keep its hands OFT
cotton. I don't blame neighbor Jones
for taking all he can get for MS cot
ton. but he had best not talk too much
ahont the .'rascals" who are proflteer-
;ne The fact is, it is a better time
for him to sell cotton than it IS to
talk Maybe he will be able to get
back part of what the SPECTATORS
have swindled him out of in the years
that are past.
Sister s. went to town last Satuf-