The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-08

| hObA SSpbA uIlSlib
 EdSon confer ence on
 consumer goods. The conference wa
 promoted by the Retailers Adviser,
 Committee, q business organization
 which called in over 40 representa
 tives of 52 food, textile, clothing ant
 other trade associations to zee where
 business fits into the goyernmen
 price control program.
 RETAILERS
 SEE LIGHT
 This conference emphasized tho
 fact that Q majority of retailers
 have already adopted the far.sightet
 policy that 1t is to their advantage
 to keep prices down. to prevent price
 spirals, and furthermore to do thii
 as much as possible on q voluntary
 cooperative basis without the ben.
 eft Of government control or gov-
 ernment price fixing.
 This may not be the most world
 shaking news to come out of Wash-
 ington these days, but as 1t hits 130
 million people fin the pocketbook
 right where they live, 1t is fraught
 with significance at that, 50 here 1t is.
 What Is happening is that as more and more of the country'S productive capacity is taken Up by defense or- ders, less capacity is left for busi- ness usual production for civilian use. At the same time, employment goes Up, wages are going up, and there is greater consumer demand. The tendency is for the prices of consumer goods to rise because sup. ply cart meet demand.
 This has resulted fin q number of things. There has been q ccr- tain amount of scare advcrtising- telling people to buy now because prices were going Up or to order
 now because there would Dc ghort- ages later. In an effort to keep prices at present levels, quality has in some cases been sacrificed and the product cheapened, Or substitutes have been put into the product.
 A dress that fades, shirt that shrinks, a sheet that splits, c S3.50 blanket that ooeSr1't keep you warm after 1t has been washed. This, as Miss Harriet Elliott points out, is q downward spiral of quality and 1t iS as much to be guarded against aS an upward spira1ing of price.
 Here iS where the further edu- cation Of consumers comes in and this is one of the lines that Miss Elliott's consumer division in the Leon Henderson Office of Price administration and Civilian Supply iS attempting to strengthen.
 Realizing that housewives can't talk in terms of economic theory, the language ifl the retailers cdu- cation of his customers must be re- duced to understandable factors. A 1-cent rise on q pound Of sugar or 6 quart of milk means more to the housewife than q B0-cent in- crease on shoes or c $i0 increase in the months rent. BREAD 
 The economies in q loaf of bread is also tough one to explain. Tine farmer gets less than q cent for tho wheat that's fin the loaf which sells for 10 cents. Where does the other 9 cents go? Explaining that to the | consumer would help justify any increases, If and when necessary. feel 1t is q lack of under standing Of the work Of the proceB BOTS and distributors that causes most of the confusion on price mat ters.
 Another factor is the labor costs that enter into Congtmcr goods l Tho food industries say that from 65 10 70 per cent Of the cost of q can Of beans or any other food | product IS labor. Textile industries | say that 51 per cent Of the increased | value of a manufactured product iS labor costs. Those are entirely rea- sonable and unavoidable but they have to be appreciated by the coil- stiifler.
 BE HONEST
 WITH THE CUSTOMER
 Tn line with this idea Of having the merchant tell all to his GUS. toners, there iS perhaps 10 better way for q consumer to find out where he stands than by glancing at the summaries made by the re- taller groups at the recent Depart. ment Of Commerce consumers goods conference. Their opinions boil down to this:
 FOOD -- Inform the consuming public frankly and fully aS to facts on prices and the reasons for changes 50 as to count0ract scare 4 advertising and rumors which re- 'ult in hoarding on the pantry 'helf. Supplies in sight are ample. 0isorganized conditions prevailing n last war can be avoided without government control or price fixing. The farmer should have an equit- lble share of national income.
 WOMENS AND GIRLS CLOTH costs are increasing, iue to defense competition. Retail- ITS are accepting fall deliveries far n advance of normal practice, which will have speculative reper- ;ussions. Mills are damned with ad- 'ance coat orders. Street dress pro- luction is unaffected, but house lresses may find substitution of in- erior fabrics. Shoes are lip about 0 per cent and quality must be educed or the price pushed Into the lext bracket. MEMS AND BOYS CLOTHING Facilities arc adequate to take are of all army, navy and civilian demands. Costs of materials have increased somewhat, but are being Iveraged at current prices. Far e nore shirts can be produced than | re being purchased today. Work lothes and shoe industries can take [ are of any demands,