Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-02

ject. but because we think that 1t is
! timo that all should understand certain
| conditions which existed In this city
during wartime.
It is charged that ''prohteering
! prices' were asked for houses. We do
not doubt it. But prices which were
regarded as "proHteering" were charged
/ in every other American city during
wartime We hold me- brief for tho
! realty mon. But We do believe in look
ing facts in the face Last year, even,
there were only 10000 homes built in
/ an America. vct 100000 couples
married This Same proportion held
good during the last years OF the
world war when such situation
exists. and when thousands of war
workers come into town. the law of
supply and demand certainly makes
prices rise. We do not say that there
was no prohteering by some persons
/ in Wilmington We imagine that there
| was-to the shame of all concerned
/ But we do not believe that Wilmington
was an exception The Law of supply
and demand did give certain property
I holders their chance to rrrfiteer.
1t Is said that outrageous taxes" were
paid. We viii grant tho truth IF that
1 assertion But We were all in tho same
boat SO 10 speak. Persons who have
lived il Wilmington for the last nfty
/ years raid tho Same rate as the latest
arrived war worker The tax -sathcrer
vas no Discrimination " persons We
can't AFFORD to overlook tho opportunity
to repeat here vha, We have said be
fore. the only way to abolish tout
raecous taxes is to turn out of Office
the Republican politicians who have
buneled matters. and who saddied
those taxes upon us
Nothing need bo said about war
rents" as the Same statements regard
ing the hirh cost Of homcs arply here
The Law of supply and demarA acted
upon rented rooms Just as il did on
mansions-even more SO, as more single
rooms were demanded
The core 81 this prohlem--thts mat
ter Of high prices--is contained in the
FIRST paragraph of our correspondents
letter. He says that hundreds Of us
who came TO your town. sr"nd cur
money freely with YOU" Hundreds
did come. and it must be remembered
that those hundreds came TO Whining
;au because Wilmington vas paying
higher wages than almost amy city in
America during war time Ir prices
we're hieh-then so were wages. IN
the majority OF cases the increase in
the latter was greater than in the
former And remember, some war
workers spent our money freely"
Is it SO soon forgot that the bankers
Of Wilmington urged. and almost
literally begged the workers Of VII
mington to save their money 70 put it
aside for the rainy day that was to
come Columns of space were taken
in the newspapers by banks which in
vited those depositors to come in and
talk that matter Of savings over OF
course deposits are good for a bank
and also for the man whose name is
written on the pass-book No man ever
regretted -four per cent and safety"
But some war-workers refused to
save. With many it was q case Of
n short life and merry one"
And the more money they spent, the
more they increased the demand for
certain articles. and the higher the
prices went.
It is not the fault Of the city OF VIII
mington il some people are out of
work today 1t is not the fault of the
city of Wilmington that some Of our
new residents did not save a portion
Of their earnings. II anything. the
men who are backing this proposed
municipal golf course deserve the
thanks OF the workless for the oppor-
tunity to get a job-a job which will
be steady while it lasts.
To the credit of the city Of Whining
ton it must be said that thousands Of
dollars are being expended in relief
work, and that efforts are being made
, TO see that no family actually suffers.
Today there are any number Of VIII
, mington business leaders who are try
ing to find the means Of opening up
, new factories, of starting new indus
tries, so that the present jobIess con-
dition may be remedied. Demagogues
to the contrary, the average man OF
large affairs has as decent a heart beat
ing under his waistcoat as the next