Milford chronicle., 1954-02-26

Mr.. Thorpe goes on at length to show
how salesmanship has transformed this
country, to the enormous benefit of everyone
in it. At the end he says, ''The plain and
simple fact is that the United States of
America is kept going concern through the
indestructible spirit of these Business Am
bassadOrs of the more Abundant Life. We
all hope and pray for an expanding economy.
American craftsmanship has been, and is to-
day, the answer to that prayer"
&1O(&
EXTREMES ARE DANGEROUS
1t is perfectly reasonable that labor
should wish to get the largest possible re-
ward, in money and other benefits, for its
work. But extreme demands, if granted
could be so damaging to business that there
would be fewer and fewer jobs fewer and
fewer pay envelOpes-and hard times with
in labOr'S ranks.
An outstanding example is found in cur
rent demands being made on the nations
railroads by incorporating unions. repre-
Senting about 100000 rail workers not en-
gagged in the actual operation of trains.
These demands go far beyond disputes as to
wages, and include free life insurance equal
to years pay; free hospital, medical and
surgical care for themselves and all DEPEND
ents; free transportation for all EMPLOYEES
and all their dependents on all trains on all
railroads; more paid vacations and holidays:
triple pay for work on holidays, etc.
II these unions demands were granted to
all railroad employeeS-and certainly if one
group got them the rest would naturally ex
pect them, tCO-railroad operating costs
would go up by $1,000, 100000 a year, which
is almost double the net income the industry
now expects to earn in 1854.
IL is futile to argue that so huge a sum
could be raised by increasing the rates rail
roads charge. Even if the regulatory an
thorltleS would approve the enormous iump.
the railroads must operate in competition
WIN other commercial carriers, and private
automobiles and trucks. There is a point of
diminishing return in the prices anv business
can charge, beyond which people Quit ma
trOnlzlng 1t. Would that benefit labor?
N~GO&~G
INITIATION is THE ANSWER
An excellent editorial on whv baaf rr;oos
remain comparatively high at retaiIRavo1,
tnOugn Chey are now substantially lower
than they were not long ago-recentlv an
peared in the Richmond, Virginia. Times
Dispatch, paper which is edited bv Virginius
DaOney, one of the outstanding editors Of
the South u
The editorial said, The housewives
question as to why retail prices are high is
easily answered. For, while the price of
Dee1-on-the-hOof has declined, the cost of shin
ping Deet-on-the-hOOf, of butchering. process
ing, storing, grading, shipping of carcasses
refrigeration, handling, packaging, merchan
dlsing, plus interest and taxes. has gone IN ~,
stood still These cost factors add the pennies
per-pound that add up to the price the house
wife pays the grocer"
Later on, the editorial answered those
who think that the solution to the problem
lies in renewal of government controls. It'll
observed, Price control of beef, even if it
were feasible, would help neither the farmer
nor the consumer, since all wages contributing
TO farm costs and beef processing costs would
nave to be cOntrolled-a political impossible
lty, neither feasible nor enforceable, in peace
time''
To take one example of what has been
happening, the average wages paid in the
pacNnghOuseS have increased by more than
1O4 per cent since July, 1945. Other inescap-
able costs borne by the packers, which must
be reflected IN the final selling costs of meat,
have also shown heavy rises. In other words,
the imitation that followed World War II has
hit the meat industry just as it did all enter
prise. And no enterprise can avoid passing the
higher costs on to the consumer if it is to
survive. S@OSS
ECONOMIC INSANITY
How long will it be before important
groups in this country get rid of that old
and potentially ruinOus 'let's have our cake
and eat it too" attitude?
A program recommended to Congress by
a major labor union calls for tax revisions
and reductions, including large increase in
personal exemptions. At the same time it
advocates broader and more liberal social
security benefits; high farm price supports
federal financial aid to education; national
health insurance; federal low-cost housing
and slum clearance, and federal power de-
velopment!
In other words, the government is to tax
US less-and spend more and more and more.
Can any reasoning man honestly believe that
IS anything but economic insanity?