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Show VIEWPOINTS Government deals at limes work out in peculiar ways. When polato yields indicated a surplus crop, the Federal Government began tubers to support the price. So far Uncle Sam has spent $42,000,000 this year for spuds. l ie sold them to starch and alcohol manufacturers for $10,000,000. Loss, $32,000,000. But wait! Tax on the alcohol yielded $240,000,00 or more. Net profit, $208,- 000,000. This- tossing of potatoes around as though, they were hot has shifted plenty of folding money in people's pockets. Producers got more, consumers paid more for the non-surplus part of the crop than if the ancient rule of supply and demand had operated. Then the liquor drinkers come up to the bar and fork over the alcohol tax. The whole process shows how intricate intri-cate our economic system is. Disturb one phase of normal trade and (he results spread through many channels. Unhappily, Un-happily, not all turn out to be so beneficial to the public treasury as the potato deal. |