Milford chronicle., 1949-06-24
WHAT'S WHAT?

The Government at Washington is spend
ing too much money and several leading edi-
tors of the country are telling their news
paper readers that "the American people
are uneasy" In the first place there has
been business recession under way for
many months. Unemployment is increasing.
Union labor bosses have increased unenn-
ployment faster than they have won battles
with employers, with strikes. Prices are
very low in some spots and very high in
others. There are no definite Government
policies. The President of the United States
is out of tune with Congress on the most i'm
portant questions that have ever confronted
the Government in war and peace. But even
without a war we are inconsistent and eX-
travagant and are throwing money around
reckleSsly. Railroads are on the bumps. The
ships at sea aren't doing very good either.
Public service corporations are in hot water
nearly everywhere. Everybody realizes that
farming and agriculture are the most i'm
p0rtant businesses in cur broad land. But
it is difficult to understand why and how, the
Government buys and fixes the prices of farm
products. The price of corn has cost the tax
payers half billion dollars. Even the old
Irish potato has pulled down quarter of a
billion dollars from the United States Trea-
sury. The chances are that the Government
will spend more money in the coming years
than it will take in on taxation from all
sources, and it is sure as a whistle that there
will be another big increase in the National
debt. While we. are glad to hear about it,
most Of us wonder how the Government will
be able to pay S72 dollars q month for veter-
ans who are 65 years old. The White House
demands on Congress included 40 proposals
on new spending. Congress has not agreed
with the President in way that satisfies
Brer. Truman. And here we are in a cold war
with Russia. Russia is our enemy. The
Hoover Commission has finished its lob and
has laid down a policy for the revision of the
American system of Government that helps
to clear the skies. But the leadership at the
White House is recognized as weak-very
weak. And on Capitol Hill there seems to be
more politics than craftsmanship. And so
we could go on recording the lack of prog
reSs in our Government at Washington. The
trouble is that, there is ten times as much
emphasis laid on politics as craftsmanship.
In short, our Government is lamentably
weak.
5000
TROUBLE FOR THE SMALLER TOWNS
1t is doubtful if the public fully realizes
the dangers in the proposed measure to es-
tablish a national minimum wage of Is
cents an hour for a 40-hour maximum week.
One student of the problem summed it UP
IN these words: "The bill would establish a
single nationwide floor under the wage
structure of the United States. A low floor
is one thing. A high floor is another. When
you have a low floor, you still leave primary
control to local competition When you have
aAhigh floor, you virtually eliminate the op-
p0rtunity for increasing the effect of COM
petition and thus increase the rigidity of the
whole local system of business. This effect
would be particularly serious in the small
town and the local community" When We
change the wage structure we also change
the cost structure, and so the cost of livinS
IN little towns would approach the high leve
of New York, San Francisco and other met
ropolises. The proposed new bill, as intro
duced in the House, contains no exception:
of enterprise, large or small
no matter where located, would come under
It.. The existing measure contains, for logi
cal reasons, certain exceptions. One of these
is retail business. Retail stores, by theil
nature offer many employment opportuni
ties for beginners and other unskilled work
ers. But the average retailer could not EN-
ploy these people if the wage rate were Sc
too high. He would of necessity, have t.
seek ways and means to get by with smaller
payroll. And so there would be fewer Jobs
IN country of this size and variety the pro
posed new law would be disruptive inf1u
ence.
NO GAUDY SCHEME IN SENSIBLE
EADM