Milford chronicle., 1946-01-25

i"i illUulc vi rugs away Delng renovated, or
fadlOS at the repair shop have been the sub
JectS OF disputes from time to time arising in
the adjustment and appOrtiOnment of losses
because OF overlapping coVerage under two or
more policies held by the customer and the
service shop
Few people are mindful of the MANY
changes taking place constantly in the busi-
ness OF Insurance. Many of these changes are
directed toward greater efficiency and econ
Omy. This is one of the reasons why fire in
surance rates have dropped so spectaculary
over the past few decades in spite of rising
costs IN nearly every fled of activity.
DURING THE DECADE preceding the
war, a remOrseless political campaign was
Waged against the electric industry. The OBJ
JectlVe was socialism. The war diverted pub
nc attention from the campaign temporarily.
1ut II IS out IN the open again The objective
IS the same. An editorial in leading finan-
clal publication, observes:
We return, then, to the unmstakeable
signs that aSemi-govelnmental war on the
private power industry is to be renewed If
cannot Dut be destructive of the general well
iaIe lt VIII be essentially 4 fight on be-
nall OF collectiviSt economy and against
system based on private ownership and man
agement. Such a struggle is wholly unnec
eSS;'lE' elther TOR the utilization Of the coun-
Try 5 natural resources or the protection of
consumers IRON unreasonable charges. Pow
er generated and distributed through public
ownership is not cheap power; it is made to
look cheap only through the use Of Uovorn,
ment capital and the huge disparity between
taxation OF privately y-oWned companies and
the sums paid in lieu of taxes bv the nuh-
llcly-0Wned. This disparity, incidentally is
a part Of the undermining of government
cfedit which cOllectivism works while that
credit Stlll necessarily rests upon the earn
ing power of private enterprise"
whether we realize it or not. the country
can no longer afford the luxury of permit
til9 poHtlcaI mlnorltleS to seek destruction
OF basic industries that pay q large mart of
the cost of government. Five or fen veo,t
ago the question of tax exemption of govern
ineht business enterprises was academic. To-
Gay IL can mean the difference between SOL
Vency and bankruptcy of the nation.
WE NOW HAVE so many regulators of
business that one wonders how manufac-
tufefS and retailers ever managed TO give
Ihe united States the highest living stand
ard IN the world before the professional doc
torS OF economics took over during the war
emergency which has been used 10 cover q
multitude of sins.
Ohan stores, which have been criticized
Tor lo"-cost selling, are now, according TO
i Sile re'all Dry Goods Association, forced by
law to sell nylOn hosiery at prices under
thousands of small independent retailers.
lhey complain that under OPA orders thew
must charge the same price for nylon hos
leiy Whether they obtain it directly from the
lIllilS or from Wholesalers at q higher cost
On the other hand, they claim the OPA order
dio"S hon-chaln stores q higher ceiling price
on hosiery purchased from wholesalers. Not
so many years ago chains were forced to fore
20 loss leaders on the theory that it hurt
Independents Now public authorities force
CHAINS 10 sell what amounts to Gloss leaders,"
Is 1t any wonder that business in the
Onlled States is confused, store shelves emp-
" ReconversiOn is still something talked
ABOUT Ior the future The nations PROSPERITY
uepehdS on production and retailing How
iiucn longer can we stand political horse
play? '''' ''
ONLY CONGRESS- can remodel our one
niueu ,l:m ana lneffectuaI labor laws so that they
VIII represent fairness and equality. ITndnr
present labor legislation, all manner of has
Gu ruilhgS have been secured by labor leaders
against industry. Abuses have become so
ouoTi1erous that they have finally reached the
publc's nostrils ''>'' ''''
One OF the latest moves of labor leaders
TO ALLEVIATE public as well as Congressional
gooo VIII, is their attempt to compel execu-
1--WE or supervisory employees of companies
10 JON labor unions. This is nothing more
nor less than an attempt to gain control of
without any financial Obliga-
ton OF responsibility.
II managerial and supervisory emplovees
can be forced into unions. management miobt
DIS We'll turn the industries over to the unions
10 operate, for there would be no one left on
lhe side OF management to represent the
owners. If Congress fails to correct this Sit-
''atlon, there will be no more freedom of
enterprise in the United States