Connecticut western news., 1922-06-01

but is a victim of certain economic : changes which have taken place dur. ing the past few years.
 'In the lumber regions of the south, which I visited recently stan. dard hard pine at the mill increased during the war from 100 to 200 per cent, over pre-war levels. Today it is back to normal. The lumber indus try, however, has had practically only one main factor to contend with namely, the price it pays for labor. Three years ago when these mills were paying $3 and $4 day per man, now they are paying from $1 to $1.50 day and are getting much 1 better men. By being able to quickly [ cut their operating costs so drasti- d cally it has been simple matter for l them to reduce the price of their product. Moreover, their volume is such that they are perfectly satisfied with a profit of $2 per thousand feet.
 "When this lumber reaches the city the retailer demands profit of S10 per thousand simply for peddling it ] out. Of course from a economic point | of view it seems absolutely unjust that the man who owns the forest, cuts the timber, makes and delivers to your city the lumber should get i only $2 thousand while the retailer in your town who simply takes it 1 from the railroad yards to your house gets $10 per thousand. Yes, this seems very unfair, yet exanfina- tion shows that most mill owners have become wealthy while only a very few local lumber dealers have ever made much money and the per centage of failures among lumber yards is abnormal1y great. In short, the retailer, under present economic conditions, really needs this appar- ently abnormal profit which he is get ting. The truth is that retailing has Become so complicated that the re- taller is the victim of circumstances over which he has little control.
 My thoughts" continued Mr. Bab- son, Ego back to boyhood days in Gloucester, Massachusetts. There was butcher shop near my home where we used to buy our meat. l can see it now with the ham, and bacon hanging up on the wall, big block in the center. of the store behind which was fat healthy butcher, the : proprietor of the stablishment, and the sole employee. When my father wanted some beef he gave me the money and sent me to the market to get it. The butcher gave me the cut my father desired, wrapping it in a Ii brown paper and I took 1t home, pay ing cash for the same. The price of j good beef in those days was twenty to thirty cents pound. There,. how ever, were no deliveries and the but cher didn't spend anything on ice in the winter time for I remember the frost there used to be on those but cher store windows altho the butcher was healthy and happy man.
 "Today the same store is used for butcher shop but it is steam heated, and the proprietor buys nearly as much ice in the winter as he does in the summer. Moreover, the proprietor does not cut any meat himself. Mornings he usually is found in the store, but afternoons he is usually out, automobiling. He has a book keeper who keeps the accounts, big cash register, two clerks, and a man who runs the delivery automobile. Owing to possible breakdowhs he has two automobiles. Not only is every thing run cn mach more expensive basis but the clerks don't do more than a half Q davs' wolk. They zee the proprietor loaing and they loaf themselves. None of them have any interest in the business and each one is trying to get by with as little work as possible.
 H '"The fundamental question is whether or not this store/is selling any more pounds of beef and provi- sions than it did 20 years ago. I know the rent has doubled and other expenses have tripled and quadrupl- ed, but seriously doubt if this store is selling any more goods. Glouces- ter, hasn't as much population as it Il had 20 years ago, and there are more ], goods. Gloucester, hasn't as much