The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-08-12

A friend writes me: 81 have just
finished reading the Monthly Re.
port of our Purchasing Department,
which reports that during June an
inspector OF the OPA visited our
plant TO investigate the quality OF
wiping rags we were receiving. The
wiping rag industry is under in.
vestigation."
He has nothing on some OF our
farmers in these parts. When they
used TO get gasoline coupons for
their farm implements, they were
given 100 gallon coupons. Then
somebody decided that the 100
gallon coupons were out OF order;
so they were given E coupons
which are good for one gallon each.
Now Instead of receiving a piece
OF paper the size Of a postage stamp
good for 100 gallons. they receive
100 stamps each good for one gal
Ion. And there is paper short
age!
Every summer, since rationing
started, put in time doing the
family shopping and l learn a lot
OF things just standing around
stores. For instance, why is 1t that
when an item Is put on the free list,
1t becomes scarce in the stores,
but the moment. you have to have
points for It, the stores have plen-
ty on hand. I've asked that question
OF butchers and grocers, but they
don't know the answer,
They say that exactly that has
been their experience but they
don't know why 1t is like that. They
are willing to sell what they can
get to sell, points or no points. 1t
isn't their fault. And they hate to
have their customers read that GER
tain cuts OF beef will be on the free
list or the points will be lowered
only to discover that the items are
not to be obtained anywhere.
1t Is like that report in the news
papers that aluminumware Is being
released for consumers purchase.
You find II. Hardware dealers were
deluged with women looking for
pots and pans. 1t would have been
smarter to make the announcement
after the pots and pans were actu-
ally on the shelves Of the store
not months before. Who benefits by
all this double.talk in official an
nouncements? The consumer wants
goods, not publicity mems hand
outs.
1t Is like the ceiling price on
used cars or any other used items
called in the good old days, Sec
ond-hand goods and sometimes
plain junk. In the first place, no
ceiling price was put on used cars
until the market was permitted to
go haywire, every Smiling Jack"
and "Fair-Dealing Bill" pulling in
customers like an old-clothes shop.
Then suddenly a ceiling Is put on.
Suppose a young man puts his saw
ings into a car and Is drafted. He
has to dispose Of 1t Immediately.
perhaps to leave his wife as much
cash as he can lay hands on. In
free market, that young fellow can
shop around for the best customer.
Today there is a ceiling and II he
takes a nickle above the ceiling
price. he is in trouble. Or suppose,
II is a widow.
am not citing the draftee or the
widow to make the picture senti.
mental. The rule Is the same no
matter to whom or. to what II is
applied. should hate to have to do
any forced selling at this time when
II is almost impossible to replace
what is sold at ceiling prices.
The trouble is that any govern.
ment bureaucracy in any country
under any circumstances has TO
make general rules which apply
without discrimination, which real
ly means without sense. There is
no flexbility, no give and take, no
exception, no appreciation OF val
ues. There is the rule. Live by It.
II you can't, you're out of luck. The
rule Is made on the basis of some
impersonal application OF the re-
suits Of statistical data compiled
by one OF those monster machines
that punches holes In cards and
then counts the holes.
Man becomes a hole, a dot, an
item on a chart. His problems may
not ut the punched hole, but that is