The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-05-11
TUESDAY, MAY IL, 1920
THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE
PUBLIC

There is perhaps nothing more curl
Gus in the whole economic battle OF
TO-DAY than the fact that those who
claim TO be suffering from the ell
fects of present conditions, have the
victory in their own hands at any
moment they choose to achieve IT,
Two things alone stand in their way.
First, want Of organization; second,
their own selfishness. Now the first
Of these obstacles is not serious
one. In only the last few weeks its
immaterialty has been proved by the
rapidity with which what are known
MS the overall Clubs, in the United
States, have organized themselves
without, IL the paradox may be per-
mitted. any organization at all. There
is, indeed, no question that If those
who clamor against existing economic
conditions were serious enough, the
want of organization would present
no obstacle at all to their success.
The real obstacle is a quite differ
ent one. 1t is the selfishness of those
concerned expressed very largely In
their disinclination, even for little
while, to do without certain luxuries
which are not necessary 10 them. and
certain so-called necessaries which
could easily be dispensed with for a
season The Overall Clubs have sup
Piled the whole world with an object
lesson, which II may take to heart
with advantage TO itself, for there Is
OF the slightest reason, except It's
,wn vanity, why, by q deliberate alb
tention from new clothes and eX-
pcnsive clothes, i. should not settle
the question of clothing in, as it were,
a night.
The truth about the clothing diff
Guilty may be easily summed up.
in the world. today, to go round.
There is wool in abundance, wool TO
spare, wool almost bursting out OF
the warehouses, and covered down
in tarpuin on the wharves. But this
wool cannot be made into fine cloth
for want Of machinery, and, owing
machinery cannot be had immedi-
ately, indeed it is calculated that 1t
canEOt be had for perhaps two years.
There is machinery for supplying
some of the demand for this, but
the demand is a comparatively meg
liyible one, because OF the insistence
fellows is extremely simple. When
q limited amount Of cloth comes into
The market, the popular demand be
ing entirely in excess Of the supply
The price is forced up by the public
itself in its insistence on obtaining
something over the heads of its neigh
OF the public comes in, and. in com
ing in, plays into the hands of those
who, FOR their own ends, are only to'
willing to force up the price of cloth
Even in countries, such as England
whore the government takes what il
termed the surplus profit on wool
there is no check on this competi
ton; and this for the very simpl
reason that the government has il
self become n profiteer, with the re
suit that the higher the spinner sells
the larger becomes its own profit il
The transaction. Consequently, so fl
from having an interest in reducing
the price of cloth it has the spir
ners' and the retailers interests, o
even greater interest than thes'
in increasing it, with the extraord
nary result that the overwhelmin
prosperity of Bradford is to be seer
whilst the public everywhere tind
the price of clothing soaring out {
its reach.
Now 1t would be quite possible fc
the governments to put a limit upo
the price Of clothing, but then Tn
governments, as in the case Of th
United Kingdom, might themselvt