Milford chronicle., 1929-09-13
THE WASTES OF BUSINESS

Inc statement was recently made
by Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Klein, that American bushes!
wastes from $S,OOO,OOO,OOO to $40,
000,000,000 each year. Some of the
leaks were described as follows: I'm
wise credit methods, disorderly mar.
keting, particularly of perishablt
goods, extravagant delivery services
unwise instalment methods, and less
in the packing. handling, and trans
portation of merchandise, and this
applies to some folks in Delaware.
1t is the oponion of many busi.
ness men, that the greatest need oi
the times is for more efficient meth
ods for distribution of commodities
by retail.
The problem is difficult, because
the practices complained of have
grown up as the result of trying to
meet the popular demand. If it is
claimed that there is too much loss
on bad debts, it can be said that re-
tail firms are all the time competing
with all their might to get trade
and they take on many people of
doubtful credit in order to make
sales. Also if the adopt wasteful
methods in delivery, this is in re-
Spouse to popular demand. People
want to have goods delivered to their
door, and enormous sums are spent
in providing this convenience. Much
has to be done to educate the public,
if such wastes are to be abolished.
The loss of perishable food pro-
ducts is referred to, and it is a
heavy one. Many dealers could move
these products great deal faster
and save much of this waste, if they
would advertise them more.
People have their own individual
tastes, and they insist on these being
satisfied. That makes it necessary
for retail stores to keep very large
stocks on hand, which ties up vast
sums in idle capital. If people want
to get the costs of distribution down.
they must not insist so strenuously
ON satisfying every little whim. They
must take standard things like what
the rest of the folks are using.
CRIME NEWS
The claim is constantly made tnat
nawsnaners are printing too much
crime news, and that they attract
people to commit crimes, by constant
stories about such deeds. Grove Fat
terson of the Toledo, Ohio, Blade
and chairman of the ethical stand
ards committee of the American So
ciety of Newspaper Editors, took up
that question in recent address. lie
had figures showing that of all the
news printed today, only three and
a half per cent deals with crime.
Some of our readers may say mat
thew could name some big metropol-
itan sheets which in their opinion
give a good deal more than that pro-
norton to crime. However, there
are hundreds and thousands Of jour-
nails published in smaller cities tnat
give relatively little space to crime
and which are most interested IN the
constructive news of their own 10
cality.
It is not a question so much Oh
how much space is given to crlme'
as how that news is presented. Ihere
is a way of telling a crime story SO
that a criminal is made to appear
fellow who has oeen
hold enough to do what many people
would like to, but do not dare to 90.
If crime is going to be presented IN
that way, such stories may be an
incentive to commit more such Of
fenses.
A more realistic way is to present
a criminal as kind of a half wit, a
fellow who is singularly stupid in
his grasp on vital facts. He has
committed an act of almost insane
folly, and all for a worthless bit OF
He spoils his life, provides for
spending much of his time within
the gloom of jails and prisons, cuts
himself off from the kindly life OF
decent society, all because he wants
to get money little quicker than
the rest of us do. There is no ro-
nance, no glamor, nothing fascina-
ting about such fool acts, and it is
up to the reporters to make people
see it.
ACCIDENTS AND FATIGUE