OCR Text |
Show fm$s0f& iMiooo from .L RlQil OTHER ilQSi EDITORS From the Cedar Springs Clipper, Clip-per, C'rilar Springs, Michigan: There's a great deal of controversy contro-versy over Russia's economic and scientific achievements. But one thing is sure the Soviet leaders are masters of propaganda. The Russian people are deluged day and night with words designed to make them believe that communism com-munism does more for the masses mass-es than any other system. And Russian visitors to this country, from Khrushchev down the line, take every conceivable opportunity oppor-tunity to try to "sell'' Russia's progress and superiority. Well, no one can blame .iem for that it's their job as dedicated dedi-cated communists. But when we get down to the facts, the picture pic-ture takes on a very dilTcrent hue. There's only one way to judge the material well-being rf a peopleand peo-pleand that is by the yardstick of how much the average man's income will buy in the market place. With one month's wages, an American can buy 6M suits and 24 pairs of shoes. With one month's wages, on the other hand, a Russian can buv half of a suit and a single pair of shoes. The situation is comparable in the case of most other consumer goods beyond the bare-necessity level. In Russia, the government produces pro-duces practically everything and practically everything is sold In government stores. Government decides all questions what shall be produced and sold, of what quality, at what price. There is no competition. In America, on the other hand, there's competition every inch of the way from the source of raw materials to the finished goods offered a retail. The producer pro-ducer or retailer who is able to oiler the widest choice and best quality at least cost gets the trade. And that's one of the main reasons why the American worker, with his month's pay, can buy so many suits and shoes if he so desires and the Soviet worker so few. Mass merchandising methods, pioneered in the United States, give customers super services in foods and all manner of personal per-sonal and home necessities not enjoypd elsewhere |