The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-09-22
Bruckmts Washington Digest
Crooks Take Advantage Of War
To Bleed Consumers Of Nation
Without Justification Prices Are Boosted and People
Scared Into Hoarding; Public Sentiment Is Only
Force That Can Correct the Racketeering.
BY WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Services National Press Bldg, Washington, d. C.

WASHINGTON.-My faith in the
soundness of the profit system as
the basis for people to make living
always has caused me to lean some
what to the defense of business prac-
tees when there had to be choice
between theories. Every fair mind
ed person knows that business-ag-
riculture, manufacturing, banking,
transportation or any other-has
had a terrific onslaught of cock
eyed arguments to meet in the last
few years. To me, it is distinct
tribute to the profit system that we
have seen as many businesses sur
vive the last five or six years as
there are still operating.
But, calling upon the record of
these columns, have contended
without exception that there are
crooks in business, and that the
present administration ought to di-
rect some of its venom at the
crooks, rather than at business as a
whole. And, so, this week, I want
to write about this situation that has
come to the surface as a result of
the burst of flame that has engulfed
Europe; they have shown again the
true colors of their makeup and they
have taken advantage of situation
in world affairs, without any justi-
fication, to bleed the consumers of
the United States.
Almost with the crash of the first
: gun on the Eastern front, a small
minority of business interests
rubbed the palms of their hands to-
gether and began to count additional
dollars they could gain in profits by
boosting prices. And to cover up
their perfdy, their treachery and
their characteristics of a water
snake, they have spread counter
pane of lies that will react against
all business, including the growers
of raw materials such as the crops
of the fields. 1t is so easy to blame
things on the war; it is being done
by government officials as well
as the brigands of business, but the
latter class is collecting an unseen
(but deeply felt) tax from all of us
who buy food to eat or clothes to
wear.
boarding and High Prices
Due to Greed, Cro0kedness
have interviewed lot of people
in the field of business in the last
few days in an effort to ascertain
where the cheating is going on.
Moreover, I have investigated a
number of business practices with
the thought that these would pro-
vide clue to some of the price in
creases, and reasons for them, with
the results mentioned in the para
graph above. There must be added,
however, one additional conviction:
hundreds of thousands of consumers
have become frightened and have
started boarding = buying excess
supplies because of fright. still can
not believe, however, that these
boarding tactics are completely re-
sponsible for the kiting of prices
that hsa taken place. Ruthlessness
and greed, faithlessness and the or
dinsty, garden variety of crooked
ness among certain elements of
business must accept responsibility;
for, from these things together with
the campaign of Misrepresentation
which those elements have engi-
neered come the fright of the aver
age consumer. Hence, boarding.
In my study of the price situation
on the regular purchases of house.
hold, I have sampled quotations and
advertising in Washington and Bal
timore. Washington is somewhat
different than any other city in the
United States, but Baltimore is a
large industrial area, fairly reflect
ing normal reactions of buyers. !
have observed the prices of chain
stores and traced them back to
wholesalers and jobbers, and to the
manufacturers in some instances.
Guilt attaches to small per-
centage in the retail lines, the av-
erage store. There were instances
found where the prices were boosted
on commodities that had been on
the shelves three months, articles
that could not have been affected in
any way by any possible change in
manufacturing costs, added ex-
penses due to higher labor payments
or increases in transportation and
distribution. And, incidentally, there
is almost no record of any increases
in those items of manufacturing and
distributing costs. The department
of commerce figures do not reflect
them, nor do the reports in the
hands Of the department of labor
show them. But the beady-eyed rats
behind the counters of small per-
centage Of retail stores will blandly
tell you these things have happened.
Some Wholesalers Are az
Guilty az Sneak ThieUes
There are certain of the whole
salers who are as guilty as sneak
thieves in the night, but, like the
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