Milford chronicle., 1948-11-26

varying degrees, and they want planes,
tanks, ammunition, and so on. And in the
view OF many, an alliance on paper wouldn't
mean much unless it were sOlidly backed up
by material power.
There is still another point that deserves
wide mentiOn-the courage that small Eu-
rOpean countries have shown in resisting
Russia. That resistance is fairly easy for
us, with our enormous military potential,
and our possession of a huge country which
has been free of foreign invasion. 1t is a /
very different thing for poor and devastated
countries which have been fought over at
almost regular intervals for centuries, and
which are within easy reach of the powerful
Russian bear with his innumerable divisions |
his planes, his submarines, and his guns
The antl-cOmmuniSt leaders in those cOun-
tries certainly can hold no illusions about
what will happen to them if the communists
do gain cOntrOl-the example of CzechOslO-
Vakia alone is sufficient. And even the rank
and file of Western sympathizers know that
there would probably be an unpleasant fate
in store for them tOO-the communists OBJ
tain their forced labor gangs from those who
oppose them. All in all, the peoples and
governments of Western Europe have shown
fine degree of resolution in standing up
for what they believe to be right.
5000
FIRE MARKS
When fire insurance companies were
first organized in this country, and for a con-
siderable period afterwards, pOlicyhOlders
were issued Fire Marks - metal devices
which were attached to the properties COW
cred, much as street numbers are today
They served two primary pUrpOses-first,
to discourage malicious arson by showing
that the owner would not greatly suffer if
the building was destroyed; second, to guar
9Otpp tn tho hOt1u oOV0OofitiVo fro b1eiCro doc
OF the time that the outfit which extinguish-
ed blaze on the premises would receive
handsome reward from the company. AS
consequence, the fire alarm bell was the sig
nal for a pell-mell race to the scene by all
the brigades in the vicinity.
Times have changed, and Fire Marks are
now collectors items. Practically all prop
erty of any value is insured. Fire depart
mentS are municipal functions and we
aren't expected to reward the firemen for
their services as they draw regular salaries.
But the menace of fire, always serious, is
Infinitely greater than in the lOng-gOne era
when the fire insurance companies were
formed to provide an essential protection.
We are the most careless and wasteful
people in the world when it comes to fire.
Because of our negligence, fire takes 10000
lives year. 1t destroys S7O0,00O,OOO worth
OF property. 1t accounts for an indirect loss
replaceable natural resources.
The Fire Mark of yesterday adorned the
property of fOresighted citizens The fore
sighted citizen of today has his insurance
policy in his safe-but, at the same time, he
should be taking an active part in the war
against fire.
WHO MAKES THE GAINS?
The radicals classic complaint against
capitalism is that it tends to concentrate the
wealth and income of the nation in the hand!
OF relative few, at the expense of the many
That ancient cliche is still in use. Ye
the truth is that just the opposite has Oc
Cured. The greatest gains in late years
have been made by people in the lower anC
the mlddle-lncOme groups. AS an example
in 1941 there were a, 4,139,000 families in tn
S3,OOO-$5,0O0 bracket-last year there wer
more than 100000. And, in 1941, onl,
7 about 100000 families had incomes owe
$4,000, while last year the total reached al
: most 100000.
/ Last summer a survey was made to fin
out what classiicatiOns of people were bet
ter or worse off than in 1880, after MAXIM
allowances for changes in taxes and liVin
:, costs. Such representative labor groups a
coal miners, railway workers, etc., were a
2 better off, and by a wide margin But twp
. cal groups of executives, and stock and bono
S holders were worse off.
n No economic system in history has don
n as much as our free enterprise capitalism fo
S the sO-called common man. The radicals ar
r trying to hide that fact
n 5000
d THE STORE AND THE COMMUNITY
: The primary function of a retail stO1
/ is to provide a place where people may bu
g their food and clothes and hardware and a
i the rest of the necessities and luxuries
life. The merchant is purchasing agent fC
\. the consumer.
Is Beyond that, retailing serves a high
d important and often overlooked function.
y is one of the great builders of the commul
, ity. The stores all compete to attract bus
/ ness-but they pull sOlidly together in ma
n ters that affect civic progress and the ere
- tiOn of better town. This is good busine
K for them-and good business for everyol
y else too.
le Every time a new residential develO
c. mn0t Is OOpnpd tho C+Opoc cODoo in oDd oC4o