Milford chronicle., 1946-11-22
JUDGING FROM A SURVEY recently made


merchandising. The survey revealed that most of the
people queried under the impression that more
than one half of the customers dollar went tor net
profit to the lucky storekeeper.
That, as the saying goes, would be nice work If
you could get it. However, the merchant IS tar
from being in the golden position misntorme
public thinks he is. On the average, something less
than five per cent of the customers dollar represents
net to the store. And in staple lines, such as
foods, where there are style trends and obsoles
cence problems to add to the of operation, the
often less
Such figures indicate the injustice that is done
when buyers strikes and other consumer rebelons
are directed at the storekeeper. It's all very we'll TO
protest at eighty -cent-a- pound and dollara-
pound butter if you're SO disposed-but place the
blame where it belongs. Today's prices are simply
the direct and inevitable reflection OF todayS gov
ernmental industrial, agricultural, and general bus
mess COSTS and they can't go down aPpreclably un-
less these costs go down, which include labor and
taxes.
The mercant chain and independent, large and
small old and new, is doing fine job under tough
conditions. He's got problems enough without beng
blamed for those over which he has no control.
&So&&
IN AN EDITORIAL concerning efforts to limit
the growth of business, particularly in the merchand-
isng field, the Christian Science Monitor said: Big
ness is nveriably the end-product OF successful
competition When bigness achieves power, 1t Wields
it sometimes for good, sometimes tor evil 1t has
some natural limitations For the rest, restraint
and discipline designed to curb abuses of bigness
should be our aim rather than some nostalgic ana
historically impractical undertaking maintain an
artificial and frequently uneconomic smaness."
'Bigness" in merchandising came in almost every
instance out of "smallness". The leading chains tor
example, in both the grocery and general merchand-
ise fields, began as single stores-and small stores
at that. Their growth is simp the reflection OF
public approval of their service to consumers. Sc
people patronized them-and the stores grew.
Despite the emergence of the national and reglona
chain systems the position of the independent, tai
from being imperiled, has been strengthened AS th
Monitor points out bgnes has its natural limitations
The one-store merchant can provide SPECIAL service
which a magnet to trade.
This country's economy is based on fair compel
ition between all kinds of business, big and little
If we penaze size, we, by inference, ask that unan
swerabe question: "Fow big business be allowed
to grow?" We must never forget that the big opera
tion of tomorrow is a small and unknown operation
today.
AMERICAS GREAT POSTWAR program o
industrial construction is showing marked ~tren
toward decentralization This trend is supremey I'm
portant from the standpoint of national security /
an atomic age and it also offers many worthwh
economic advantages.
For one thing, the movement of plants into rur;
areas means greater employment. Employees may nc
only find profitable industrial work. but in man
instances may turn back the soil for part OF the
incomes during certain periods OF the year. In man
cases. toog some members of the family may be er
Il @lO
ally.
Decentralization not only gives employment
greater number of people, but the same time ii
creases efficiency. This is particularly of mote
transport, which, by its very nature, makes decor
tralizaton possible. Here is modern engineerir
development that actually time and labor, whi
employing more people than all other forms OF tran
portation combined. Big cities and centralized ia
tories are products Of the present time. Adequa
highways and efficient transport, not to me-
ton the growing increase in air traffic tor Spe
al express service, the need for congested
largely eliminated From the standpoint of pub
health, morals, efficiency and enjoyment of life, t
y rural area promises much the average nc
NAL individual that any trend away from ertrer
- congestion should be welcomed by everyone.
~SeN>
). MOST PEOPLE HAVE forgotten that the ex.
q ing IeClPIoCdl lIdue POHSy was IlC
e former President Roosevelt and former Secretary
State Hull. MIR. Hull finally put the sem-fr'
e trade program because Congress had not made go
Il with its tariff legislation protect own peo
: and their national interests.
% The next Chairman of the House Ways and Me:
,e Committee will be Representative Knutson OF Nj
: nesota, who undoubtly will lead fight against G.
Is dell Hull's brain child. He has suggested study
1t the tariff by unbiased experts
J. Everybody should know that it is the obligat
of the Congress to enact tariff laws and to do p
m feet American job. The House and Senate failed
D. deliver the goods often, that they lost the
is dence of the people years ago, and that was why
principal responsibility relating foreign trade
m transferred to the Department of State
es Chairman Knutson won't have to try very h
prove that Congress should do its full Consti
tonal duty: "To regulate commerce with fore
n nations" (Article /, section 81 certainly that
n mandatory, what political party has n
n critics in the legislative branch of the governmt
<G~I0NNI