Montana labor news., 1945-12-13
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MS A GREAT SYSTEM

"The time has come" Mr. Dilworth
said, when should discuss the iacts
of life with you.
"Have YOU been reading a book
again. Little Luther demanded. IF
you've got anything hot, III swap with
you for few facts I've picked up my
self"
"rm afraid your imagination is run
ming away with you, Luther" said his
father. 81 want to discuss the facts
of economic life
oh"
"Now in an attempt to give you an
understanding OF what makes the
wheels of industry so around, bought
dozen chickens a couple of years
ago and let you take care Of them and
your mother buy the eggs, just so you'd
realize the many problems that face
our nations great industrialists."
That's true" Little Luther agreed,
"but we've learned more about the
problems that face our nations work
ers and its consumers. When you boost
ed the price Of eggs TO mother ="
'But. son, had to. That was to IT,
lustrate one of the great facts of life
that is. of economic life. I mean the
law OF supply and demand Your moth
er couldn't buy eggs at the store, so the
law of supply and demand compelled
me to raise the price"
81 didn't see any cops around here
threatening to pinch you il you didn't,
and l never heard of a cour; slapping
a writ of mandamus on you. Apparently
the guy who owns the chickens is judge,
jury and law enforcement officer under
that law. And boy il told the OPA
what you charged Ma.
There is no OPA ceiling any more"
said Mr. Dilworth, leering at his son,
so you needn't bother"
Eyes, but when Ma asked you for
more money Tor household expenses, you
said you'd only give her IS per cent
more, and nothing extra for overtime.
Yet you doubled the price OF your
eggs"
Price has nothing TO do with any
thing. Like General Motors, I refuse
to discuss it, But surely you must
realize | couldn't give your mother
more household money son. Every
housewife on the street, then, would
have hit her old man-that is, her
husband-for an increase. And that
would have made the spst Of marrying
too great during the nations great war
crisis. A man might as well stay single
as
"That was all very we'll while you
could eat at restaurants on your in
creased income" Little Luther said,
but it hit US hard at home, eating on
a prewar-pus-l5 per cent food budget.
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you admit
it was your wartime policy. Now | sup |
pose there'll be something new"
There will. indeed" Mr.. Dilworth
agreed. "The cost OF chicken feed is
up, I can get the kid next door to come
in and care for the chickens at half |
the price you charge, and we're going
to get back down to earth in the good |
American way Of life
This ought to be black day in the
life of the Dlworth family" moaned |
Little Luther. "When you start wav-
ing the flag the seat OF my pants begins
20 twitch. Somebody's sure to catch a
boot when you get patriotic"
Infamous little agitatorl" Mr.. Dill
worth snarled. "Just for that, l will do
it. shall cut your pay 80 per cent be-
ginning several weeks ago"
"And cut the cost Of eggs to Mar"
Luther asked hopefully
"Son, you'll never understand Ameri-
can business. think you must be
stupid Prices and profits have nothing
TO do with IT,"
"You try that racket, and Ma and
will have nothing TO do with you. And
now goodbye I'm off to a meeting
OF the Wives and Children's Union to
organize a picket line. You can go out
in the chicken coop and set on the eggs
II you want. Mons not going to buy
asothcr one"