The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-09-10
THE SOCIALIST ASSAULT ON
BUSINESS


If the federal government has an obhga-
ton to reduce electric power rates through
-Fv'. out the country by experiments the cost OF
f.r. which will ultimately run into billions OF
49, dollars, and by the expedient of contscat-
80 . ing the properties of private power COM
NAMES in order to eliminate competition,
there is a similar obligation resting on the
government to reduce the prices of all ser
vices and commodities. This is the con-
''"o- clusion reached by David Lawrence, editor
of The United States News of Washington.
1t is reasonable conclusion.
How does this fact stack up with the
governments price-raising policy? The
"''-~~ government has been claiming all along
that prices were too low, and it has been
wasting millions of the money of the tax
payers in efforts to raise prices. Only IN
$50 the power business are prices too high, &C
.Ss eording to the Socialists who are running
III the Washington government; but it is a
& ~ certainty that they will soon conclude that
SIS sfess prices in other lines of business do not
- meet their views, and they will start a
Nkf& campaign to wreck and confiscate other
great business enterprises.
The radicals are determined to destroy
the American system of private ownership
= of property, business and industry, and the
S. country is being driven in that direction as
rapidly as the radicals can perfect their
81 plans
The high price contention, of course, is
- a subterfuge The suggestion of buying a
-. commodity or service for less money IS
one that always appeals to the American
D1y boll xbo md miss a.
49, ton the public has been made to believe
that the private power companies are rob-
bling the people. This condition is now be-
- ing turned to the advantage of the Social
~ lists by making it the excuse for the build
ing of power developments which, it S
said will ultimately require three to four
billion dollars of the money of the taxpay-
ers, which will be sunk in enterprises that
z will not earn dividends in the next hun
= dred years, if ever.
We are told that this is being done to
provide 'yardstick' to prove that the
power companies are overcharging the
people for electric current. The American
people are one hundred and twenty-five
million boobs if they swallow this hooey.
Any citizen of ordinary intelligence can
ASelectric power can be ascertained in any
state by the agencies set up by law for
Scontrolling and regulating the power COM
panies. In fact, these agencies are sup
posed to have this information on file at
the present moment. If that is not suffi-
= cient, the all-powerful federal government
can undoubtedly devise a way to secure
this information at cost of not more than
a few thousands or tens of thousands OF
dollars, instead of few billion dollars.
The Times-News has no intention of en-
tering into discussion of the power fight
which is being waged in this country, but
is merely using this as an example and il
lustration of the lengths to which the So
cialists propose to go to destroy the Amer
lean economic and political system.
The Times-News is opposed to govern
i.Aanent ownership of American business; is
opposed to government competition IN bust
o. ness; is opposed to government contisca-
ton of the business of American citizens;