Milford chronicle., 1956-09-14
SHOPPING IN TWO BERLINS

There is no place in the world where the
differences between the economics of Com
munsm and the economics of free enterprise
are so vivdly illustrated as in Berlin. Half
the city is under total Communist rule the
other half has representative government
and a competitive economy to match.
Writing in the New York Times Maga-
zine, Harry Gilroy points up the contrast in
an excellent way. First, he takes us on
tour of a Communist department store. It's
three floors, he writes, @. contain more
second-rate merchandise than all the fire
sale shops in Manhattan: seazy cloth, loose
or prOtruding seams, clumsy leather goods
often made of something that is not quite
leather furniture with poisonous green and
disspiriting brown upholstery. Some depart
ments are really melancholy in their power
ty."
Then he takes us to a store in West Ber-
lin: "This turns out to be a department store
in the style to which Americans are quite
content to be accustomed !. There is quail
ity and quantity, all the usual things that are
required for decent existence, and choice
enough to give individuality play"
At this point Mr.. Gilroy states signifi-
cant fact. East Berliners are eager to ex-
change their hard-earned money for West
Berlin currency, even though they must do
so at very unfavorable rate The reason:
tor" w = 0'''p = '''V ->''''N 80
We Americans, who are used to the very
best in retail service whether we patronize
a big store some little independent shop,
would do well to wonder occasionally what
makes that kind of service possible 1t is
this: A free, competitive system of making
and selling things, in which the rewards go
to those who do the best job and where the
government wisely keeps its hands off,
~~zo~SS
THE WAY THE WINDS BLOW
There can be no doubt that sentiment
against SocialiZed government electric power
development is growing-not only among the
voters and taxpayers generally, but among
groups which in other days looked fayorably
on the public power movement.
For example, in late years a number of
spokesmen for major labor unions have come
out strongly against government power pro-
jects. One reason for this is that the unions
have found it much more difficult to get fav-
orabe concessions from government bodies
than from private enterprise.
Now the directors of the American Farm
Bureau Federation, the largest of the farm
organizations, have endorsed private devel-
opment of the much-debated hydroelectric
project on the Snake River at Hels Canyon.
"A private power company has been given
Federal Power Authorization to start three
dam project there. But every effort to block
this is being made by proponents of federal
high dam which, incidentally, would cost a
great deal more money but produce very
little more power.
Federation directors also urged that the
federal government engage in the CONNER
cial power business only where adequate pri-
vate development is not possible It's safe
bet that projects within this category would
be few and far between indeed. For private
enterprise-publicy regulated and heavily
taxed-has demonstrated its ability and will
ingness to undertake any needed develop
ment no matter how costly.
The winds are blowing in favor of pri-
vate enterprise in the power field today
despite political claims to the contrary. That
should cheer everyone who believes in free
country.
1SSo~S
POLIO IMMUNITY