El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-28
WHY THINGS COST MORE


I TPON what man pays for what he
u needs7to exist hangs the structure
Of civilization. The question is
constantly ask why do things cost
so much todayg" A great many people
seek to find human culprit-a sort
OF individual devil-upon whom to lay
the blame. To economists II is clear
that the layman does not understand
the fundamental fact that nc one man
or group OF men are to blsme, that
present costs are but the result OF g
known economic law beyond any
mans control.
Advertising directors who handle
more than a billion dollars a year,
meeting recently at Indianapolis in
convention from all over the world.
agreed that II was time the man in
the street understood his relation TO
the structural fabric OF society and
began to sense his obligation to the
common good Of all men.
For ten years advertisers have con-
Quoted elaborate propaganda designed
to teach the American people to
when the American people must learn
that It is an Individual duty to 90
things.
Things viii continue to cost more
until the mass. realizing this duty, be-
gins to do things in the matter Of in
telliEent buying and In intensive pro
duction-
started destroying ships. men (men
who produce wealthy cannon. motor
trucks fabrics and food and supplies
anything and everything We could
lay our hands on. When a 100000
ship went down We lost just $4,000
600 in real physical wealth
Then we did something else We
-
LEGATIONS to pay. We issued more than
$50. Oo0. 100000 in bonds. We destroyed
property aand added to our currency
with lightning rapidity- Another
factor entered to complicate the situa-
ton. What goods we could not de-
stroy we sent to England and France
and italy to destroy for US. They. n
turn. shipped gold by the shin load.
While commodities were being de-
storyed money was being piled Up
Each unit Of property is worth more
in currency or more tokens because
there are many more toxins and fewer
units OF commodities in sight.
II you are sitting IN a motionless
train. looking at a telegraph pole. the
pole appears motionless- If the train
IS travelling at 70 miles an hour the
pole appears TO be passing backward
at just this speed, while you appear 70
be standing still. The destruction Of
property and the multiplication OF
currency was so rapid in the past -four
year period which represents cost.
that the telegraph pole appeared to be
flying past us.
This brings US to the relation OF the
Individual to the Job Of readjustment
Just as the people OF the world turned
to destruction OF property. so now
must the people OF the world turn TO
the creation OF property. The United
States viii fare best OF all nations be-
cause. in the cruel process Of value
shrfnl1age. we viii produce faster
than other nations and thus absorb
excess money faster.
The man clamoring for shorter
hours at this time IS a traitor to
civilization-he IS adding to the
wrold's load. What he should clamor
for is more God-given physical endur-
ance TO do more and more and still
more human labor.
Facts are hard things. We must COW
work or perish In Russia We see the
world destroying Itself because the
individual has ceased to produce and
Is continuing the destruction OF prop
erty, The example Is classic
In Belgium we see the reverse pro-