The midland journal., 1946-04-12
1LOOHNG
Z AAE4D
/ m GEORGE S. BENSON
Presidenf--HardiKg college
Sedrey. Arkaxsas
Merchandise

Warnings against imitation are be-
ginning to reach us country people
with increasing force and frequen-
cy. Nearly all the experts who COM
ment on it say we have imitation al
ready but it can get much worse.
Accurate definitions of imitation are
rather complicated. In fact, some
of the definitions are harder to un-
derstand than the condition itself,
such as we all can see by looking
around.
When just about everybody has
spending money in their pockets be-
cause they can't find enough of the
things they want to buy, that is
where imitation begins. The results
are quite natural. Automatically
people start bidding against each
other for what items they do find,
and prices advance far beyond real
values. Then, no matter what we
buy, we are squandering money.
Regulation Prices.
What we need to cure initiation is
plain to see: more things to buy.
That's all it takes. If ! need hat
and can find only one that fits my
head and suits my taste, the dealer
can (unless restrained by law
charge me whatever he wishes. ]
may rebel at the price but some
body else will pay it and the mer-
chant will not need to worry about
me. What will set the matter
straight? More hatsl
When hats are offered by every
haberdasher in town, some compel
itor is certain to lower his prices
to increase sales. Another will try
to outdo him, and this competition
continues until falling prices get too
near cost to 60 cheaper. II is that
simple. Goods are the scare-crows
that frighten away imitation. What
ever interferes with the production
of merchandise only makes nfia-
ton worse.
Artificial Feeding
Initiation is like hunger. 1t Is
want that has the full force of a
need. Hunger includes a craving
that throws a persons sense of
values completely out of plumb.
Food is the only satisfactory answer
to the hunger question and, just so.
goods are the only sound solution to
imitation. There are trick ways to
hold prices down, when goods haze
to be scarce, but they are only tenn
porary help.
Once in a while somebody has
strange ailment that makes eating
impossible, or very dangerous.
Physicians deny such a patient food
while they try to adjust the malady.
Sometimes they use drugs to. make
the patient sleep and forget his crav-
ing; sometimes they flow energiz-
ing liquids into the blood-stream,
but it is no diet. Nobody can live
on it; 1t only makes starvation
slower.
War II q Malady
During the war, people in Amer
lea were rightly denied goods; there
were not enough workmen; not
enough factories, not enough ma
terials to supply the nations de-
tenders, our men and their allies.
Consumer goods were scarce and
a lot of people had extra money.
All prices would have skyrocketed
but government restrained it by law.
It was an emergency-drastic rem
edy; no complaint.
Price controls did not contribute
ANYTHING permanent to this coun-
try's economic strength, however
They simply eased the shock for
civilians who had to undergo eco
nomic surgery or perish of die
tatorship. Now the ordeal is over
and the patient is wholesomely hun
cry for merchandise. Every regu-
lation that now retards production
should be removed or relaxed in
the public interest.