Milford chronicle., 1947-10-03
MILFORD CHRONICLE MILFORD DELAWARE FRIDAY OCTOBER sp191

Peron, as an integral part of his plan, is
vastly enlarging ArgentinaS military forces.
The actual expenditures for this purpose are
secret, but it is believed by reliable OBJ
servers that they far exceed Argentina's
normal governmental revenue. Where Per-
on finds the money is mystery, but the high
powered import and export deals undoubted-
ly account for much of it.
Peron's diplomatic policy is similarly
complex. The Argentine and the Soviet I'm
ion were hardly on speaking terms for long
time, but while ago trade agreement was
effected with Russia and there is at least a
surface warmth in the relations of the two
countries. He stands ace high in Spain. And
he is getting along with the United States,
though there is a noticeable coolness on both
sides and Argentina is one of Americas
major diplomatic problems.
NEARLY EVERYONE seems to think a
price is too high if he is buying and quite
within reason if he is selling.
That universal attitude explains a good
deal of the debate over prices these days.
The working man kicks like steer when he
has to pay $3.50 for shirt that cost $500
before the war-but he is all in favor of a
wage rate that may double or more what he
earned in 1941. The farmer yells, "ROb-
bery!' when he finds that the cost of piece
VI uldCllluCTy lids SOuS way UP
but he doesn't see anything wrong with
record prices for meat and grain. And, fin
ally, the real estate man regards his grocer
as lineal descendant of Jesse James when
he sees how little food fve-dolar bill will
buy-and then goes out to sell houses for
$4,000 that would have cost $4,000 or less
seven years ago. Government officials de-
nounce industry for high prices-but say
nothing about the infationary influence of a
$3.50, ,000,000,000 national debt and prodi-
gal government spending.
What we would all like, in short, is to
enjoy 1947 incomes along with 1941 prices.
Desirable as that dream may be, it is strictly
a piece of fantasy so far as the facts of life
are concerned. Your retail merchant is
charging you more for what you buy because
the increase in wholesale costs and business
overhead force him to. The manufacturer
charges more because there has been tre-
mendous imitation in the cost of labor, taxes,
materials and everything else. All intelli-
gent businessmen would like to see lower
prices. They are worried for fear that mil
lions of consumers will be priced out of the
market. But prices have simply followed the
wage-cost-tax trend as they always have and
always will. And all the talk about profteer-
ing we hear these days won't change the sit
uation one iota.
AN OFFICIAL of the Actuarial Society
of America recently analyzed the proposed
national compulsory health insurance bill
which she terms "The .socialized medicine
bill-1947 edition." She came to the con
clusion that the system would cost to IL
per cent of the entire payroll of the people
covered.
Other social insurance costs, she con
tinued may reach Is per cent of payroll
Thus, if socialized medicine were adopted, i
would mean that up to 25 per cent of the ma
tons payroll would go to the government
for one kind of social insurance or another
The obvious question that poses is jus
how much the country can afford to pay fo
services of this sort The benefits of socia
insurance, whether in the field of medicine
old age pensions, or anything else, are in
evitably broadened as the years go by
Groups of people who were not Originally
covered naturally clamor for their share O
the gravy and are given it. The administra
tive bureaus grow like jungle weeds, AM
the cost scars to one high level after another
So far as medical aid is concerned, tn
American people are rapidly solving tn
problem for themselves-and doing it pure
ly voluntarily. A large number of organiza
tionS are now offering low-cost, prepaid med
ical plans, and the leader in the field ha
something like 30,000,000 members. Over
bership is available to practically all work
ers and their families. AS one authority ha
said, there is nothing the government can
for us in the field of medical care that W
cannot do better for ourselves-and at
: lower cost.
&&@@&
NOT ALL of the scientific energies
the time are being devoted to the productio
/ of atomic bombs, guided missiles and othe
l instruments of world destruction. There al
+ still laboratories which are concerned wit
l the arts of peace, and with developing pr,
1 ducts which will contribute to the well-bein
D and living standards of all the people.
4 Present experiments in producing Q
0 from coal presage something of an indu
: trial miracle. The enormous and virtual
limitless demand for oil products of hui
C dreds of kinds has caused an acceleration
e this work AS long ago as 1910 Germa
n scientist worked on process of hydrogel
f.. atiOn Of coal info oil Tnonortant nrOUrocc