The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-11
Smash 7he Black Market
Cheap Chselers, Racketeers Should Be Sent to Prison, Declares Acting State OPA Director,
 Anthony F. Arpaia in First Radio
B r o a d C a s t.

storekecper knows that they may b, able to get 1t down the street a a price, of course from @ delib' crate and brazen Black Market oper. ator.
 Well, what does he do? Many ( retailer pulls in his belt, reports vio. lations when he sees them and trie. to hang on untn the war is over And I think the majority of that mans customers respect him for 1t But what happens If the grocer'l resistance breaks down. We'll ht goes into the Black Market to get the goods And the goods are there for you to buy at a price
 If we could only stop to realize al what a price. Now here you have ont outlet for the Black Market which begins with a few wartime racket. eers and then spreads to other re- tailers. It capitalizes on the selfish. ness of those few customers who want more than their share.
 If 1t were just a matter of not pa. tronizing these criminal retailers, ] am sure that most of us would never violate the law. But. perhaps we're in hurry. Other people are waiting to be served and we see 8 nice piece of meat or a chicken. The butcher asks us a price and we pay 1t. Now if we pay for more pounds than we get |. or, if we pay more per pound than the legal ceiling price or if we pay for one grade and receive another grade .. or, if we pay few CT points from our ration book than we should if we do any of these, we have furnished 8 second outlet for the Black Market capitalizing on our indifference and carelessness
 In other words, we subscribe to and endorse the Black Market every time we unconsciously or deliberate ly pay more than the legal ceiling price for anything.
 Now that is practically all there is to the Black Market as far as you and I are concerned as con- sumers. And the Black Market could be stamped out overnight if, beginning tomorrow morning, each of us refused to pay one penny above the ceiling price or to accept any, thing without giving up ration points.
 Therefore, I urge every organized public group, every Parent-Teacher Association, every local labor union, every American Legion post or other veterans organization, the League of Women Voters and every other civic group to do this job and help the otherwise honest retailer get away from the pressure of the black mar ket, and kill the business of the out and out criminal retailer.
 To help lock the door against the Black Marketeer we have an official OPA liht of legal ceiling prices fol groceries and meat posted in every grocery store, They are positiyel, the highest prices that can bt charged anywhere in Connecticut Consult those ceiling prices and re' fuse to pay more, If you are asked to pay more than those prices cal 1t to the st0rekeeper's attention iT friendly way. You'll find that II the great majority Of eases he'll bs glad to correct the mistake Now, | he doesn't. 1t is your clear and un' mlstakable duty to notify the Prlc' Panel of your Local War Price ant Rationing Board,
 Practically every local board lI ths state has Price Panel. It | composed of retailers as well as con suIDers, Men who can offer adyle. to a fellow business man, They WI talk the matter over with the retail Hr in 6 Dnighb0rly way ,,, show hin where he's wrong, ID nine essns ol of ten, the retailer will be quick t sea the error of hls ways if n ,l0esnt II he insists upon put ing profit bsfoFs patriotism then, and then only, will the ease b' referred t0 the Stale oFA omee 70 appropriate acton,
 fO far I've been talking abo.i what you as consumers oAn do q XII the Black MATkes, Nov vs, Ii ths state once, also hays ' lob an' we're going lo do t, promise yo' that
 [ promlss you that, so fsr as it within our power, gasoline statlol operators wllo uafiie in stolen, puF nhaind or counterfeit coupons an' sell gasoline At | premium VIII D elnmd and will stay closed,
 [ promise yoll that we will neve relax ln 0llF endeAyof t1 break uI Inc flns Of smailtims and bistiin rAeketeefs wha promote and enssE ln this trafIie and who. in doing st violate, not only Federal laws bu State laws against conspiracy. bur glary. theft. biaekmail and an other crime.