Evening star., 1921-05-01
Consuming Public Has Power
To Correct Price UnfairneSS

In some cases this barrier is
erected at the retailers end Of
the line. In others it is at the
producers end. In still other
cases the barrier will be found
at some point between the pro-
ducer and the retailer. But
wherever erected, it is in viola
tion Of the law of supply and de-
mand and trespass upon the
economic rights Of the whole
people.
No doubt the erectors of these
barriers, in great many cases.
are able to find abundant personal
justification. But they cannot be
justified economically on any
national scale.
In such cases where there is
not greedy and shameless profit
eering the erectors of barriers
may find personal justification in
the very human reluctance to ac-
cept business losses. The mer-
chant whose shelves are stocked
with goods bought at the higher
levels, the manufacturer with huge
stocks of raw materials contract
ed for before the slump. cannot
see that he is doing any one a
wrong il he seeks to get out of
his predicament with whole skin.
But the farmers and others whose
prices have been defiated-def1at-
until they hurt like sin-cannot
take this view of it. They are
unable to see that the skin of the
above merchant or manufacturer
Is any more entitled to special
consideration than was their own
financial epidermis.
So, painful as it may be, those
who are holding back and trying
to maintain wartime prices for
the things they have to sell while
getting the benefit of largely
Debated prices for about one-half
of the things they have to buy,
must undergo the skinning proc
ess. 1t will hurt, just as it hurt
those who already have been
skinned. but until the operation is
performed business. as whole
cannot be restored to normal
health.
suming public. which must do the
skinning. The way to do it which
Is advised is to study the relation
ship of prices to values. and not
to buy where the price is too
high.
But how. the buyer may ask. am
I to know the just relationship
between price and value?
There isn't any definite and
conclusive way to know, but there
Is one pretty safe rule to go by. II
the price you are asked to pay for
an article is more than SO per cent
above what you were required to
pay for the same article in 1914.
that particular price needs look
ing into. There may be some just
reason why maintenance of tffe
higher price is necessary, but the
chances are that somewhere along
the line will be found one Of those
barriers spoken of above.
X X X X
The advice given consumers. IL
too high in relation to prewar prices
for the same article and present
prices for other commodities. Is to
shop about and see II some other
dealer is not selling at price
more commensurate with the gem
eral level. If it is found that the
unreasonably high price is gen.
erai on that particular article.
don't buy II you can get along
without 1t. If you must have it.
then buy sparingly and for imme-
diate needs only.
This program. the economists ad-
NIT. may work some injustice in
cases where there is valid reason
for the maintenance of high prices,
but in general. they insist, it will
operate for the public good, and
in the end the isolated cases of in
justice will correct themselves. In
no possible working out of the
program, 1t is declared, can there
be such serious injustice as is in
volved in continuance of present
inequitable price conditions.
tCon, ri.I., 1911, by The Washing, III StarJ