The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-04-17
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I

The papers and magazines are
printing a great deal about the
question of what is variously called
a Slump" and "depression," il
being assumed generally that g
slump is a mild form Of depress-
ion.
There is just one sure thing
There will be a change of some
kind, for our economic society is
not a thing that stands still. II
moves, one way or another and the
motion is constant.
We shall never have exactly
the same set of conditions in one
year that we had in the previous
year. So next year will be some
thing different from this year, just
as this year is something differ
ent from last year.
1t is conceivable that each year
can be better for more people than
the last previous year. But it is
by no means sure.
1t is fairly sure that if wages
and prices keep going up alter
nately that we shall have no bet
ter life for any large number Of
people, although it can be better
for a few. But a sound society
should aim and work for conditions
that are constantly bettering
themselves for more people.
X X X
But to get back to the question
of whether we shall have slump
or a depression.
Not even the wisest can be sure
about either one of these outlooks,
for a lot of unexpected things can
happen.
Let us not forget that we had
a lot of unemployment just be-
fore Pearl Harbor and pretty soon
after that we had none. Pearl Har-
Dor was not foreseeable thing,
for sure.
And then, with the nation at
war, lot of communities believed
they would stagnate until peace
came. But war occupations of one
type or another came along and
communities that had looked for
stagnation became bee hives of ac-
tivity.
So, there are no sure bets about
our economic life.
But, barring the unknowable
things, there are some signs in the
air and they are easy to see.
These signs are of several kinds.
One sign is that there are increas-
ing piles of supplies on hand.
Another sign is that orders
placed long ago for durable con-
sumer goods are being cancelled
or it is being found that such or
ders are duplicates. For example,
family X, a year ago, placed or
ders in a half dozen places for a
given item, with the idea of TAX
ing delivery from the first mer-
chant who might get the item.
The statistics, counting those
half dozen orders, unconsciously
multiplied by six the amount Of
demand for goods" kidding them
selves and the manufacturers.
There is another item in the
catalogue. When people can't get
an article their desire for it is
keen. When there is a plentiful
supply of it, the desire is nowhere
as keen and it may even vanish al
together.
Plenty of people, for example,
who year ago wanted new re-
frigerator, now say they will wait |
until some really new models are
available. They have no desire for
refrigerators that, while new, con-
tain no essentially new features.
X X X
There are other elements in the
picture. But taken all together,
they show us that we can and prob
ably will have some sort of slump.
With prices that generally con-
tinue to rise, it wouldn't take much
If a push to start real buyers
strike and that is likely to be a
pretty dangerous piece of business,
because nobody knows where or
when it would stop.
People know that prices of cot
on clothing have been mighty
nigh. Example; shirts. They see
hat the cotton textile industry
lust about led the parade in high
profits. They could get pretty sore
about that and they could say they
would just not buy any cotton
stuff until prices got down to
much lower level.
Yes, we can have slump and
f we have a slump we shall be
ucky if it doesn't become de-
,ression.
Doesn't it become clear that we
iced some pattern that will re-
ult in constant betterment, rather
han see-saw, jig-saw ups and
Towns? |.
With constantly improving pro-
uction and distribution techni-
Iues, we ought to be able to sup
ly more people with more goods
onstantly, until all have enough. !