Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-29
Retailers
Continued From First Page)

NStOnSIS
Continued From First Page)
urge that the fullest consideration
be given to the timing and alioca-
ton of orders for military goods SD
that unnecessary strains and bottle
necks in the production of civilian
goods shall not develop.
"Hope to Be Smart and Tough"
IF price rises occur which cannot
be justified by increases in costs or
by results in terms of nationally de-
Sirable effects upon production, or
if resort is had to undisclosed de-
terioration of quality to mask the ex-
action of unfair prices, We hope to be
smart enough and tough enough to
bring about rapid, effective and
lasting correction"
Mr.. Lazarus spoke on the other
side of the fence.
The retail industry" he said, "a
military group of trades whose
task it to supply goods to the public,
isInufronted fretfnfcs or war with
serious problems. The past two dec
AIDES have brought retailing to key
position in the economic system.
Now. that war preparations have
shifted the emphasis baekto manu-
featuring and processing, the retailer
as we'll as the consumer may mad
vertently be relegated by force of
circumstances to minor roles.
I'm any event, the retailer is
caught between two forces. On the
one hand is the drive for produc-
ton of the highest possible output
of military goods. This drive is
likely to be supported by virtually
of military goods and by relaxing
peacetime restrictions on business
practice.
Between Upper and Neither Stones.
"On the other hand there will be
a trend to restrain prices to con-
sumers, to protect the country
against imitation, and perhaps a
tendency to reduce the standard OF
living even before that may be
necessary. Unnecessarily rising
prices at the manufacturer level
and pressure to keep consumer
prices down may put the retailer
into situation in which he cannot
continuously properly serve his
public.
There will be no shortage OF
capacity in the field of distribution.
If consumer purchasing power
should be reduced, the competition
for available business will become
even keener. We cannot think of
the war as boon to the retail trades.
The bargaining position of manu-
facturers and suppliers is greatly
improved in time of war and they
may well be able to dictate terms
and prices"
During his first-hand account of
the impact of war or retailing in
England, Mr.. Selfridge. whose father
founded a celebrated London depart
ment store and who has just re-
turned to the United States to live
after 20 years in England, described
the British governments manner of
protecting the personal economy of
conscripted troops. He said:
"A law passed in the spring of
1889 obliged employers to keep jobs
open for those drafted temporarily
for training; none of us (the retail
ers) were quite clear as to what our
legal obligations would be about
taking people back after the war.
But frankly, we weren't bothering
about that very much
A New Society Expected. ,
Even last winter, we knew that
by the time the war was over the
whole society in Europe would have
to be built up afreSh In the mean
time, a few businesses were paying to
their employees some or all the differ
ences between their army pay and
their civilian wage; stores just could
not afford anything of this kind.
though most of them created a fund
to look after cases of special hard
ship.
But this drafting of men had
not become serious even after six
months Of war. Metropolitan stores
lost less than per cent of their
total staffs, and that figure includes
woman employees who had volun-
tarily given up their jobs to move
to safer districts. With declining
business, this reduction was no
hardship"
I'm the matter of debt collections,
the courts, with the backing of pub
lie opinion, took a lenient view, and
if the debtor was in uniform or
doing war work, debts become un-
collectible if paying them might
cause hardship.
Rents Included Also.
"This applied not only to bust
ness debts, but to rent and other
similar obligations. In the case Of
installment business, q law Of the
autumn Of 1888 had compelled the