Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-04-08

that living costs were extraordinarl-
ly high. It was a
Lung condition that
Costs struck close home
to everyone. It
was condition that developed an I'M
usual emotion. There followed, nat
urally, a wave that engulfed hum
dreds of thousands of people who
felt that they were being subjected
to high prices that were unjustified.
Most people will remember how
'sH. C. L." became an expression as
common and one that figured in as
many puns and jokes and wise
cracks as the alphabetical agencies
common now to the New Deal. 1t
was type of propaganda that came
along spontaneously because the
condition affected so many people.
The reason I have recalled that
circumstance is because we are
again headed straight into another
era of III. c. L." We have not
reached the top of living costs by
any means. 1t takes more than a
fortune teller or crystal gazer to
predict what is going to happen in
the way of increased commodity
prices. Suffice it to say, however,
that "vicious cycle" has started
whirling and in the midst of the stu
alton stands a very confused con-
sumner, representative Of all of the
people in the United States.
There undoubtedly will be an in
crease in the propaganda concern
ing living costs again. Indeed, there
already is a rather far-fung propa-
ganda which results from the in
creased cost of living but it is di-
rected rather on a slant and not
pointed accurately into the heart of
the condition now confronting us.
Undoubtedly a great many people
have not thought of the frequent and
recurring attacks on business and
business practices as having any
thing to do with the increased liv-
ing COSTS, But the truth is that this
type of propaganda springs directly
from the sporadic cries that are
coming from many localities about
the higher prices-complaints that
the dollar does not go very far in
buying food across the grocery
counter.
It seems to me that it is time for
some calm thinking about this situa-
ton. It seems to me further that
public officials everywhere ought to
be honest enough to analyze the stu
alton and tell the public what the
real causes are. If this is not done,
there again will be undoubtedly a
perfect deluge Of propaganda in pro-
test against high living costs and the
bulk of the people who suffer from
these increased costs will not know
the reason any more than they I'M
derstood the reasons that brought
about a counterpart of the present
outlook back in 1918 and 1919.
In any examination of an eco
nomic condition, one must dig con-
=. siderably below
Seeking the surface to find
the Cause the factors that
have operated to
bring about the results visible to
the eye. Such is certainly the case
in the present situation. One can
not fairly say that the present boom
ing prices in food have just hap
pened. In truth, things never hap
pen; they are brought about. They
have been brought about in the pres
ent circumstance by factors that
date back to 1888 and include nu-
merous governmental policies that
have been initiated since that time.
The trained economist will de-
scribe present conditions as due to
inf1ation-which indeed they are.
But imitation is such an all-inclusive
term that the real story lies hidden.
In an effort to spur and encour-
age production and aid recovery,
President Roosevelt devalued the
dollar. He reduced it's gold value.
During 1888 and 1884 there came
numerous pieces of legislation in
Guiding the MIRA and the AAA, each
designed to foster increased prices
and to build up the level of wages
for industrial workers.
Subsequently, President Roosevelt
sponsored legislation which had as
it's end and aim federal control of
wages for workers. This legislation
sought to give the federal govern
ment power to force business in
terests to recognize labor unions
and to accept labor union scales of
pay-all to the end that labor should
be paid greater percentage of the
returns received by business.
There came also legislation de-
signed to increase the price of sill
yer and the United
Then Came States Treasury
Strikes was directed by
this law to buy
millions of ounces Of silver and to
use that silver in our currency. In
the meantime and recurring almost
constantly the New Deal admins
tration, from President Roosevelt on
down, maintained a barrage of at
tacks on business interests seek
ing wider employment of labor at
increased wages. Coupled with these
attacka was violent criticism of