Arizona republican., 1921-04-22

retailers side of the problem, so we mention some of the conclusions drawn from the 1850 answers.
 The obstacle to lower prices and stability most frequently mentioned in the questionnaires was railroad rates. Transportation was pro- nounced so high as to discoura ge shipment of goods, and it was fur ther claimed that present railroad fares make the expenses of travelling statesmen extremely heavy Both of these items help to account for the price of goods by the time 1t reaches a shop counter. The merchants who complained about transporta- ton costs urged that the railroads should lose no time in cutting wages and rates. so that in turn merchan- disc could be cut more rapidly. The questionnaire answers also be- walled the hotel rates which help to make the travelling salesman so ex- pensive an item of overhead. Some | felt that the hotels should fall into line and begin to lower prices in proportion to the gradual decrease 1 in the cost of living.
 l The Merchants Viewpoint | Regarding the extent of their owr | retrenchments, the merchants ex-
 pressed varying sentiments. Many | cAPiehAnCQ tlidA NdkcS Ol cdlcSElk could not be lowered to great exten,
 because their wages were not raised | in comparison with those in indus | try. The majority of store owners | complied with requests for more pay | in part at least. by granting a bonus with the definite understanding that | this bonus was to be given only
 through the emergency period of war prices. Many of these bonuses are
 now stopped.
 F. Some merchants reported partial reduction in wages. A number ex- | plained in their questionnaires that | they called their employees together and told them that 1t wasn't a ques- tion of profits any longer but of being
 able to stay in business at all. Others again have not made wage eeductions because they felt that their employees
 could not manage on less until living
 costs dropped further. Longer hours
 and insistence on greater efficiency
 were being tried by some instead oi wage reductions.
 One line where new tactics are be- ing developed is in credit deals be- tween the wholesaler and the retailer
 Long credit on shipments of goods Is satisfactory policy when prices
 are on the rise. Then. no matter
 how long the merchant takes to sell the goods there is no danger of hi:
 getting less for them than at the
 time he bought them, and so tht
 wholesaler waits on him. But wLer prices decline. the stock bought to-
 day from a wholesaler for SIP may be
 offered at S10 next month. So tho
 retailer buys less at time, and keeps
 his stock moving.
 From now on, MT. Dodd prophecies
 merchants must get used to doins
 business on a declining price basi.
 instead of on the ascending basis oi
 the past few years. 'We are expert encing" he says. similar condition. to those that followed the Civil war For 30 years prices slowly fell an( a whole generation of dealers con , ducted business on that basis O. , slowly declining prices.
 } This recurring situation has prac tically stopped buying during thu
 past few months. People stopped buying in defiance when prices be came ridiculously high. But th' buyers strike, so called now il
 largely a subconscious revolt. Peopl, are frightened into economy by un
 employment scares and by wage re
 ductions. and then too they are stil using the things they bought during , the rising price scramble. Now they
 are beginning to wear out the extr:
 shoes and suits they bought so anx , iously, and they are expected to be gin to buy. cautiously. but at nor | normal rate"
 HIS TIME WAS NOT YET UP
 A man of mercenary spirit had