The Winslow mail., 1920-05-07

peace is asserted in a. letter Bernard
M Baruch. former chairman of the
War Industries Board, has sent to
Senator McNary, chairman of the
special Senate subcommittee investi-
eating conditions in the sugar and
shoe industry.
MIR. Baruch. business man of, wide
experience, an economist and student
of conditions of this country and
abroad. says in the light of his ex
perinece as chairman of the War In
dustries Board that peacetime super
vision and regulation of the shoe and
other industrise by the government
may be necessary. He discusses at
length prevailing high prices. and
shows that they are partly due to
fear of shortage. reduced production
and the extravaganza of the people.
Mr.. Baruch shows how high prices
are inevitably linked with the prevail
ing conditions in the world. Since
war with Germany because of the re-
fusal of the Senate to ratify the peace
treaty, the observations of the former
chairman of the War Industries Board
are pertinent to conditions at home
and ABROAD.
In his letter to Senator McNary,
Mr.. Baruch says in part: Il do not
see how normality in production or
distribution can come until the world
is at peace And it must be firmly
established peace. Hundreds Of thou
sands of men are still in Europe. fac
ing one and another across bound
aries that should have been deter
mined long ago. They dare not drop
their arms and return to purduction
for fear they will be over run by their
neighbors. There will be no peace
until this is ended, no return to nor
mality and production. Think Of how
much beet sugar could have been pro-
.duced in Germany, Poland and Rus
sia. and many shoes they could have
made, how much coal they could have
dug, how much clothing they could
have made. how much hope and op-
timism they could be giving to the
world instead of the pessimism and
fears which come from destruction.
''The problem you have in hand is.
what can be done to reduce the high
cost of shoes and clothing? The only
thing legal I know that can be help
full is to remove all illegal barriers
which make for a restricted distribu-
tion Of foods and clothing. and the
prevention of propaganda and adver-
tisements which falsely state the
scarcity Of or impossibility of obtain
ing these things. The people have
become so alarmed. by what 1 think
are unreliable statements that they
have been willing to pay any price.
believe now that the continuity of
the thought of scarcity has been
broken. Another helpful thing would
be to get our people to conserve and
wear for a longer time their shoes
and clothing. The overall movement
would be valuable. 1t will teach peo-
pie not to be afraid of wearing clo-
thes and shoes that are somewhat
worn. frayed or patched Old. patch
ed clothes are evidences of courage
and self-esteem. If people would use
their shoes and clothing for ten or
twenty per cent more time. it would
practically increase the production by
ten or twenty per cent. Unfortunate
ly. there are people who cannot ex-
tend the usage of wearing apparel
because their limited means have al
ready forced them to the limit. 1t is
the people of better means who should
make the effort and set an example
for economy and self control. 1t is
unfortunate that the spirit of sacri-i
flee and self denial so prominent dur
ing the war, is not more in evidence
now. During the war, when we fixed
the prices of materials. we also limit
ed the uses to which they could be
put. 1 do not know whether the peo-I
pie of the country would be ready to-
support program of that kind.
I'm my opinion. the situation now
correcting itself 1t is unfortunate
that we had to go through the cruel
rise in prices. much of which it
seems to me, has been unnecessary.
After all, the law of supply and de-,
mand works all these problems out
But the difficulty with that law, like;
the law of the survival of the fittest
is that it works terrific hardships up
tho rraak tharo lo oar,