Abilene weekly reflector., 1920-08-05
ABOuT THE PRICES.

ABOUT THE PRICES.
w. Y. Moraan: We are accust0m-
ed to say In me discussion OF prices
that they are the result Of the work
ing OF the law-of supply and demand.
Any interfereHce with that law by
government regulation or by artificial
combination is only temporary and
usually results unfortunately, be-
cause 1t upsets the natural pro-
cesses.
1t Is true that this law Of supply
and demand will eventually get there,
but some times Its delays are exas-
perating and the barriers which hold
II back are to be deplOred. In addi-
tion to this complication. there Is
another element. ! mean the gen
eral desire Of everybody to get all
they can out OF their own product
or their own labor. This human ele-
ment often controls against the law
Of supply and demand for a consid-
erable time.
will illustrate what ! mean by a
personal experience: When the war
began the white paper on which the
News was printed cost about $40 per
ton. This year its price is 500 per
ton. (The Reflector which uses
less paper pays higher price, run
ming to over $3.50 a ton. Papers
that can use great quantities get |
lower rates. Ed In the last year
or two the production Of paper In the
United States and Canada has ap-
increased. BY ve:y violent
efforts the consumption OF paper in
the same territory has been held to
q slight decrease. Very naturally /
was hoping with other publishers
hat the increased production and the
decreased consumption would result
n lower price for next year. But
llOng with other newspaper men
AVE been officially advised to ex-
'ect an increase to $3.50 a ton for I
ext year-an increase, by the way,
which means $25,OOO.OO to The I
Jews. The paper manufacturers say. {
nd ] think they tell the truth. that I
hey can sell their product at a high
r price than this. They say that ]
here Is great shortage Of paper c
! Europe and that publishers in b
ngland and France are willing to a
ny any old price. '
SO the manufacturers say, I
should we refuse to sell paper to a
urope at 5000 ton and sell it to II
~ at 800 a TONI" And one smart
anufacturer put up to me the hard II
lestion. would you sell your pa G
r. in america for 800 when you n
uld sell It abroad and get $2oO?" a
Of conrse ] would not. and neith- q
would anyone else, unless there r
az some special and patriotic rea-
n for the willingness to take a G.
wer price. f
As a matter Of fact the law Of sup
' and demand is working. but 1t is "
,rking ON a world scale and not on - =,
spot the size Of North America. u :.
e may think that in the United "
ates we are consuming less and et
more, and therefore the "a
ice should dome down; but we "a
lst take into consideration the fact
at the world IA now very close to- ~
ther and that high price offered m'
Europe may mean a high price in IN
nerica. '--.-- s~-- s--,-,-
Coal is another article which I u. M
We been looking up. On account Of a.
! decreased production Of coal in 70
rope and the increase in cOnsump- " "
n, the manufacturers Of Europe NY
, expecting to have large imports m
coal from the United States. The %, ~
icial estimate in France of coal to "'
me from the United States this -.
ar was two hundred fifty million ' -.
IS. That amount Of coal was TAX 81"
from our production, and Just at a..
same time American consumers N
We been steaming up to their full ~ ~
capacity. The coal which goes to -A1
rope is mined in the eastern states, an
the effect Of the higher price ~ n.
ich these coal operators are able a I.
get from European buyers works -, G
to Kansas. t5 Wy
was even told by unquestioned -
fhority that while western coal =,
Ids were unable to get cars, the -,
II mines Of West Virginia had no wv
ficulty In securing the very large
,ply Of cars necessary to carry =.
,ir coal to Newport News. Az,
The two items ! have mentioned,
per and coal, are only samples Of Mo
at might be named. The mine ed
orator will naturally take his SIS bi,,
fen offered by French customer, to
Z. when an American customer, col
'cd is only willing to pay $40 ha,
ids In, his order. the operator re- "
'Rds that It cannot be filed be-
ise of lack Of cars. IA
Believers In the law Of supply and an,
mand will not change their minds, he
this is merely an extension of the ma
ID governed by that law. They sto
right In this. but to most Of usI be
will seem that the much adver-
ed law is SLOW In its operation.
course the fact Ia, as have sug- Ger
sted. the world is now hooked up tim
closely together that the PRODUCER eeH
a ton OF paper, or Of coal, or OIL the
zar. or of any other similar pro- -.
ct. has q world market In which
is able and has the right to look