Milford chronicle., 1950-09-15
SUGAR-COATED STOPGAP

being panicked into them they should real
lze that at best controls are no more than
sugar-cOated stOpgaps. In the long run moth
ing can control initiation except the balancing
OF government income and Outgo. This has
not been done for nearly a generation. The
present threatening possibility of a third
world war is merely aggravating a chronic
problem. One of the most competent of the
dissenters insofar as the price control craze
is concerned is Henry Hazlitt, author of a
column entitled Business Tides, in Newsweek
magazine. Recently he warned that: "Gen-
eral price control is at once an ineffective
and Gripping device by which a govern
menC pretends to protect its citizens against
the ineScapable consequences of it's own fis-
cal and monetary policies. But it has the
merit-fOr the bureaucratS-Of DETECTING
attention from their own irresponsible mon
etary policies onto private scapegOats
known as ''profteers." There is in existence
at present more than three times the volume
of money and credit as in 1889. It is this
increase in monetary purchasing power,
brought about by government policy, and
not a continuance of war shortages or So
called "prOfteering," that caused the high
prices prior tO>June % of this year." Until
the people understand these hard facts and
demand a new measure of integrity and
frugality in the administration of govern
in store for then-war or no war and re-
gardless of controls. This applies with added
emphasis to labor, agricultural, business and
civic leaders who go along with the promo
ton of local projects at Federal expense and
the endorsement of OfficehOlderS and candi-
dates whose primary qualification is ability
to secure Federal handouts.
$500
KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND
Excessive buying is gradually diminish
ing. With little reflection it is easy to see
why. Concern over the grim headlines of
recent weeks simply caused lot of people
to lose perspective. Indisputable facts meant
lttle-such as booming consumer goods pro-
ductlon and soaring agricultural statistics.
Meat is a good Illustration. Abnormal de-
mand has showed up some prices but there is
no shortage. Within a matter of weeks theI
biggest pork crop in history will be movingI
to market. And beef supplies are abundant.
Meat consumption is one of the best indica-I
tiOns of a nations living standard. Here
again the figures should help wary cOnSum-
ers get their feet back on the ground. TheI
average family of four in this country eats
eleven pounds of meat a week which takes
about five hours of the breadwinnel''s pay
In Russia, by way of contrast, one would
have to work 35 hours to pay for the same
amount of meat, if it were available. OneI
very good reason why we have not had SER
iOus shortages of necessities in the United
States is our free competitive system under
which all business, big and little, operates
Wherever there is a consumer need, it inn
nediatey becomes good business for some
one to meet that need at a competitive price.
While meat cannot be manufactured like
automobiles and toOthbrushes, meat produc-
ers and packers are compelled by the same
natural laws governing other free enterprise
to do their utmost to satisfy consumer de-
mand. These are some of the reasons why
housewives in our country do not need toI
scramble for goods There is more than
enough of everything. Practically any other
nation in the world would consider itself we'll
off indeed if it had half the abundance of
this country.