Milford chronicle., 1951-06-29

Tor this But the fact remains that people
will not sell their wares, whether they be
cattle or anything else at artificial price
levels which they consider unfair and too low
In the long run, such policies can lead only
to diminished prOductiOn--and more inha-
tiOn. Two more sentences from the Chamber
of Commences study are we'll worth remen-
bering. These are: "It is /. +. imperative that
price controls be viewed as temporary. Con-
tlnuance of direct price controls, whether by
freeze, margins, or other techniQues beyond
a short period of time will lead to curtaiment
OF production, misallOcatiOn of resources and
impairment Of the defense effort"
NGONG
SQUANDERING YOUR MONEY
Anyone who has the slightest interest in
honest, economical government should read
an article by Charles Stevenson in the June
9 issue of the Saturday Evening Post, called
"HOw Government Pressure Boys Squander
Your Money" The point of ct is we'll describ-
ed by the Posts subtitle: 'With expensive
books cocktail parties and thousands of paid
press agents, government agencies beat the
drum to glOrify and perpetuate themselves.
They try to teach you what to think-at your
expense" Mr.. Stevenson's article deals with
governmental publicity activities-paid for,
OF course, by all the taxpayers. Here is a
small sample of what he has to say: Budget
Bureau statistics indicate that S195, 900, 900
is spent annually from taxes to pay 3,4OO
Federal publicity employees and circulate
their product Much of this represents
statistical reports, desirable promotion of
good farming practices, information concern
ing sOclal-security benefits, plus other serv-
ices authorized by Congress. But much of
1t IS also sheer propaganda of another order
In one week The New York Times received
enough government news releases to fill 800
OF Its columns, and the Journalism Quarter
ly on analyzing 286 releases of this type,
found $1,000 words of presS-agentry, 1O166
words to influence legislation, and 45,615
words to influence policy" Mr. Stevenson
names names. The Federal Security Admin
lStratlOn has shot the works in promoting
compulsory government health insurance.
The Bureau of Reclamation has beaten the
drums to the limit in trying to force sOciali-
zatlOn OF the power industry and government
power Development especially in the West.
And government propaganda has entrenched
the Army Engineers "aS an all-pOwerful
pork barrel construction agency" It is an
amazing stOry-and a disheartening one.
How much longer will the government pres
sure boys" be permitted to squander the tax
payers money in this manner?
81 es+.s 5000 t9s..lA -~1 +
L
Are the price controllers subtley moving
in the direction of profit control? 1t begins
TO look that way to number of experts.
The other day a spokesman for an organiza-
ton OF retailers accused the Economic Sta
blllzatlOn Director of exceeding his authori-
ty by prOmulgating what amounts to profit
control formula. Then he said, "The formula
Of profit limitation introduces a. cOncept of
government regulation which could threaten
our free enterprise system. We feel that no.
such standard has been intended by CONGRESS-
as means of control. Retailers believe that
any attempt by government to limit profits
by an arbitrary formula of control should be
recognized as revolutionary, destructive and
self-defeating"
Profits are the lifebloOd of business-and
they are essential to business as wages are
to the workers. They make for progress and
production. They furnish the incentive which
keeps enterprises and individuals jumping.
Without the possibility of profit, no one
would risk his money or spend his energies
on new undertakings. What limits profit is
competition. Last year, to take one example.
Cne typical department stores net earnings
after taxes amounted to 3.8 per cent of its
sales. Other kinds of retailing also showed
very modest earnings. And last year was an
unusually good one in retail trade. The man
VINO tries to make an excessive profit will
inevitably fail, for the simple reason that the
consumer will take his business down the
street where he can get a better BUY. Con-
gITess, which has the last say, should specific
ally forbid the price administrators to at
tempt TO apply profit control to any business.
5000
YOUR TAKE HOME" PAY
The important thing to any salaried man
or wage Garner is his ''take home" pay-the
amount Of money he actually receives, after
all deductions, when each payday comes
around. The government, through taxes. is
cutting down our "take home" pay more and
more. Socialist planners try to sell their
plans for business on the idea
OF something for nothing" SOcialized medi- |
clne, Federal owned power, government built
steel plants and U. S. financed transmission
lines all come from the same hopper The
man who pays is the wage Garner, through
direct and indirect taxes, and through with
holding deductions which cut down his "take
home" pay. The taxpayer is learning that