The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-11-26
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| TODAY
and
T0MOR ROW
By DON ROBINSON
By DON ROBINSON

War is gong W dAACCI CI1ouSdIIuS
p, Of things which most of us are
in the habit. of buying.
The chewing gum crisis was
brought to my attention on the
day when the newspapers first
began screaming with headlines
about the invasion of Africa by
American troops. On that day
when a stenographer asked, "Did
you hear the latest?" I assumed
she referred to this Notwithstanding
piece of news, but by giving the
stock answer, ''No, what?" I found
that the real news of the day was
that chewing gum was no longer
available.
Not being a gum-chewing adj
dict, but always having expert
enc trouble with other peoples
gum somehow getting stuck to my
shoes, was at first rather pleas
ed with the news. But the more !
thought about it the more ap-
parent it was to me that it actual
ly was news of importance-that
if chewing gum was suddenly dis
appearing from the store shelves,
thousands of other things must
be close to a similar fate.
BOARDING circle
Upon investigation, I learned
from the Wrigley company that
there actually still is plenty of
chewing gum around, but that
chewing gum. like everything
else, is subject to the economic re-
strictions of wartime.
In the first place, the base for
chewing gum - the stuff that
makes it chevy and makes it
stick to shoes = comes from the
Far East and from South Ameri-
ca. There is still plenty available
in South America, but our coun-
try's desperate need for shipping
space has limited the supply from
these countries.
Because of adequate stock on
hand, however, that difficulty has
not yet resulted in major cur
tailment of chewing gum manu-
facture. But the talk about it,
plus talk about curtailment re-
sulting from the shortage of sug-
ar, has reached the public-and
the next logical step is boarding.
Yes, even chewing gum is being
boarded and that has meant
it has disappeared more quickly
than it should have from retail
shelves - the same as coffee and
sugar did and many other pro-
ducts will.
DEMAND increase
The first result of the boarding,
of chewing gum, or anything else,
is local scarcities, which quickly
increase the pace of boarding
whenever the product is available.
The second result is an alb
normal demand by retailers for
bigger deliveries by jobbers and
by the manufacturers. Thus, even
though chewing gum manufac-
turers could still supply normal
demand, they, like other COM
panies are asked to supply the
product at a faster rate than the
product actually is being con-
sumed.
In addition to this extra de-
mand inspired by hoarders, there
is also an abnormal demand for
chewing gum, as there is for
hundreds of other products, to
supply the needs of the armed
forces. Chewing gum is popular in
the army - and the army must
be supplied first.
! Another problem, applicable to
chewing gum, cigarettes and also
food, is an increased demand for
actual consumption among the
people. Busy war workers chew
| HUE, SIIlOhS 1llO1S anu SdC 1I1OA e
Others, who are in a state of
nervous tension over the war, do
the same.
Thus the demand is increased
on many different fronts while
the supply is a little below nor
NAL and transportation problems
make it increasingly difficult to
distribute chewing gum or any
thing else promptly to all outlets
SHORTAGES towns
When those innocent little balls
of stickum are seriously affected
by wartime conditions, it is ap-
parent that there are few pro-
ducts which can escape.
During the first phases of the
war, we were warned against
shortages of things made of vital
materials-particularly of steel,
tin, rubber and aluminium. But
now we are entering new phase
in which there will be scarcely
any type of goods which can be
supplied in unlimited quantities
Shortages of imported products
are expected, but in addition we