The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-16
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. LIGHT

Greatest in U. S. History
Thirty Billions Ready
For Nations Customers
Shortages TO Be Few
IN Nsxf Couple Yesrs
~ RAY TUCKER
WAsHINGrON-The nations
accumulation Of merchandise
stands 1t an sll-fime peak today.
Manufacturers. wholesalers and
retailers stocks have scared by
10 billion dollars worth In the
last Is months until now they
amount TO almost 30 billion dol
lars In value. They have grown
by almost three billion since
Pearl Harbor. despite conversion
of many industries to war pro-
duction.
The bulk of this pile 10 In the
hands Of factories which laid by
raw or semi-prpccssed materials
20 the extent OF IL billion. The
remaining Is billion of consumer
goods arc on the shelves of mid
dlemen and ultimate distributors.
Although there In q shortage in
many lines. the backlog suggests
Il may be almost two years be-
fore the American people will be
unable to satisfy their wants in
foodstuffs. clothing. shoes. fur
niture. household articles and
general department store items.
increases In these fields have
ranged from 30 to 90 per cent.
santa's bag should not suffer for
advance Christmas buying by
shops of toys. games and phono-
graph records has swollen their
holiday SURPRISES by from 20 to
200 per cent.
Two factors indicate that Gus
toners will occupy Z favorable
position for some time TO come.
Sales have fallen off sharply In
the last few months and future
demands on the family pocket
book thigher taxes. war bonds.
. prospective increase in the cost
Of living win tend to curtail
purchases even more. In short,
we are far from privation or
starvation.
IT Ia the spottiness Of the ac-
emulation which has compelled
Washington to inaugurate a sys-
tenn of artificial regulation. IN
less holders Of these goods are
forced TO share with less-fortu-
nate competitors. many compa-
MES viii be driven into bank
ruptcy. And little business
will become the chief victim of
federal non-intervention.
4 recent survey reveals that
the great corporations - whole
sale. retail and ndustrial---have
built up the largest stockpiles.
Whereas the big fellows have In
creased their reserves by an
average of 80 per cent or more,
smaller merchants have shown n
decline or have anticipated flu
ture demand with only a neg
ligible margin Of safety. In
distribution In also re-
gional In character. Certain geo.
graphically favored sections are
able to FIJI orders more speed
lily and generously than others.
Unless this unbalance is rene
died there will arise the same
howl that New England raised
against the failure to apply ra-
Of gasoline to the mid
die and far west. The Yankees
rebellious yells still din in White
House ears.
A canvass of dealers reveals a
surprising willingness to sub
init to RECOMMENDATION and re-allo-
cation Of stocks. even though II
amounts to penalisation Of the
more foresighted purchasers AL
they ask Ia that inventory con-
trolls be applied in q fair and
manner. The major
Ity seem to favor an automatic
arrangement under which q store
would be apportioned q certain
percentage of the merchandise
which II sold during normal
times. That method probably
will be put into effect by the
Samples of jungle uniforms
worn by Japanese soldiers when
stealing through the foliage
businesses of Malaga, lndo-
Burma and New Guinea
have been forwarded to the war
by General Douglas
A. Macarthur and associate
In those areas. They
rere taken from killed or cap
.ured enemy troops.
Each military costume Is
disguised. The basic
,olor is dark green. matching the
.rees and underbrush. Leaf
shaped patches OF orange, yell
ow, red and a deeper emerald
ire stitched to the main gsrb-
rhe effect is that the wearer
an animal or blends
into his surroundings.
At 20 PAGES a scout so dressed
$ hardly distinguishable from
-. x.a-.,,r1 The eoloraflou