The Seward gateway., 1921-01-07
TIMELY ADVICE

TAMELY ADtlCE
 The movement of prices toward low CT levels has gained momentum lately. An increasing number of commodities are being affected and the whole spirit of trading indicates growing accept xncs of the idea that readjustment must come eventually and that the sooner it is over the better off the country will be.
 The outstanding feature of the present movement is the resistance of the retail dealer to force which have brought manufacturers, wholesalers and jobbers to an admission that busi- ness can no longer be done on the bas- is of war prices. While wholesale pric- es of wheat, corn, beef, sugar coffee, cotton. wool. leather, rubber, copper, lead. steel. and other commodities have come down, the consumer is still paying more for flour than he did last year, the retail price of corn is still up to last years level, beef prices con- tiuue higher than last year, coffee fol- lows the same example and in the case of sugar, cotton goods, woolens, shoes, rubbers, and househould utensils the reductions do not in general reflect faithfully the cuts which manufactur- CTS and wholesalers have accepted.
 If there is any force comparable to this resistance of the retailer it is the determination of buyers to refrain from purchasing anything except ne e3ssities. As described by A. w. Doug iSs, chairman of the Committee on statistics, in the monthly report of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States" demand in all lines is slack sning," it is everywhere "a case of most conservative buying rather than any great increase in supply" and i've are having a vivid illustration of how our usual volume of business is made up largely of things people do not really need"
 This Is true to an extent but the fact is that the American differing from his foreign brother, always has en- j,ycd in .ife the things he does not Actually need, to carry on existance. IL is the higher standard of living that has attracted the immigrant to our shores. It is the fact that he bathes in an enamel or porcelean bath tub as against . dip in the river that attracts. Cue might say that he does not need tho safety razor. True, he could grow a beard. But he is going to have the safety razor, and the telephone and the talking machine and the motion picture and good soap and decent clothing and we'll made shoes and a thousand other things that he could if he had to do without. The luxury of today is the necessity of tomorrow and the development of these so called lux uries form the basis of greG. .eil- ing American trade, the bulk of the Advertised products in this country. frue the luxuries SO called will be the first to feel any tendency toward busi- ness contraction, but also it is true that the merchants will exercise poor Judgement if they do not play their sart in keeping up to the highest pitch the demand for the higher life in Am aries-
 It would be well if every merchant took one day week and devoted it to 6lking this problem of trade boosting very frankly with other local mer- ctants and the sound businessmen of his community. The pessimistic spirit must not be allowed to find place in country America. The big balance Of t.ads b ia the country. The cities