The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-10-26
THIRD CLASS DIET IN THIS NATION MUST GIVE WAY 2.
 TO LABOR CAPITOL '>
Editor, Waterbury, Democrat:

Editor, Waterbury, Democrat:
 The question is frequently asked why so much want in, the midst of plenty? T think it is of interest to point out that national surveys prove that the average of our ,cit- lzenship lives today on what would be called by the medical fraternity, a third class diet. If the country lived on a second class diet, we would need to put many more acres than we use today back into the production of food stuffs for. do- mestic consumption. If the nation lived on a first class diet, we would have to put more acres than we have ever cultivated into the pro duction of an additional supply ot things for Americans to eat" These words were spoken by President Roosevelt in his Atlanta speech while campaigning for the Presid- ency in 1882. I would like to ask MT, James Fitzpatrick why, speaking in broad terms in following up this particular illustration, are we living on 8 third class diet? For the very simple reason that the masses of the American people have not got the purchasing power to eat more and better food. And that leads us to the question of: Why do people lack purchasing power2 It is not due to the peoples unwillingnesS to labor and produce wealth. It is not, due to the lack of capital. The natural resources of the nation, if touched by the magic hand of labor and capital would supply enough and to spare for all. i
 "The Bureau of Home Economics of the Agricultural Department after 8 careful review of the needs of an average family in the United States found that an annual income : oi $2,500 was necessary to maintain a reasonable standard of living. When lit is remembered that in 1929, the year of our peak prosperity, there were six million families in the United States with incomes of less than $1,O0O twelve million families with incomes under $1 800 and over nineteen million families-over 7l per cent of our entire population with incomes less than $2,500, SO il is obvious that the wants of the people were far from satisfied. Tn periods of depression, and in times of ordinary business conditions the income of the average family is less These facts indicate the inadequate and limited purchasing power of the great mass of the people. either oi the so-called good or bad times They further indicate that there, is among our own people 8 great pot ential market that will be available with the advent of adequate pur- chasing power in the, hands of the people. @syt],4
 It is estimated that ifstile income of the average family were $2,500 per annum, the farms, mills, anG factories would be required to pro duce 75 per cent more wealth ol consumers goods in order to. supply the demand of the American mar ket. These are not my figures, MT Fitzpatrick, they are government re. cords"
 These facts confirm the finding: of the Brookings Institution o, Washington, D. C., which found after an exhaustive investigation study of the problem of production and distribution of wealth that al the very peak of our so-called pros. perity in 1929, 13 per cent of tn. people of the United States owned 90 per cent of the wealth. and thai the income of the other 87 per cen was so low, that only 8 few of then consumed any luxuries or cQnven. fences at all, and that practically all of the 87 per cent were compel led to spend their entire income fol the bare necessities of life. Tn an exploration for an answel to the question of why want in tn, midst of plenty" and to observation about inferior diet and lack of pllr. chasing power, the BrookingS 1nSti tution's discovery of the inequitabll distribution of wealth and the lov purchasing power of 7l per cent o the American people. was due to <, faulty economic system. With all dtl respect to your opinion, Mir. Fitz patrick, a state can be laid low jus as effectively, by wrong ideas as D. an invading army, and there is n' agency of destruction known t chemists that is half as fcFmidaBI as the T. N. T. of Bad ecoiiohiics There is no branch of the socia