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Show Its an Up and Down World The Salt Lake Tribune, Tuesday, June 15, 1965 J War Sends S. Viet Finances Spinning By Arthur Veysey Chicago Tribune Writer SAIGON The war is start-- f k, to into Vietnamese reach ing homes and pockets. ( Prices, whichhave been steady, rising only 25 per cent in 10 years, are going crazy. The price of rice, by far the biggest item in the family budget, is fluctuating wildly from town to town and from hour to hour. In Saigon a vendor can ask almost anything for fresh vegetables. Why? Because the Communist Viet Cong, the VC, can block most of the nations roads and .waterways and have virtually stopped the railroads. Conse- - aid goods were brought In at fixed exchange rates varying from 35 piasters to the dollar, for books, tip to 72. Economists think 120 to the dollar would be a realistic- - rate. The black market irr Saigon ranges up to 150, catering to local people who want to send out money. Rate Moves Fp , hamlet shopkeepers quently, cant be certain when the next delivery of goods from the city will be made. A bottle of beer in some ham- lets may cost four times its nor- mal price. Saigon cant depend upon getting vegetables from the mountain country around Dalat and at times when the VC shut that road, a Saigon vendor may ask for- - a $3 head of lettuce. Throughout the country the easy flow of rice is interrupted. In Hong Kong the rate has'ris-- : en in three years from 80 to 13171 The low rates applied for Amer-icaaid goods have been a ma-- : jor factor in keeping prices,; down and steady. By meeting all civilian normal demands for the supported goods, aid has prevented growth of a black market in these commodities. But now, demands are rising sharply and if they continue, either the United States will have to boost the aid, or let a black market aris here. Rationing just wont work. n Have you seen our new neighbor, dear? started or planned on a lions worth of rice. The central bank uses these earnings to pay for fringe commodities. Over the last years, just as Pays for Goods American aid had balanced the American aid pays for most national budget, so also Ameri- goods listed as essential and can aid met the large annual normally American surplus: tobacco, fertilizers, shortages in foreign exchange, Without American aid, Viet drugs, chemicals, books, paper, Nam would have been bankrupt iron and steel goods, gas and in its first year. oil, tires, machinery, buses and The' country uses about 300 trucks, but not passenger cars million dollars worth of foreign 'a car can be sold goods. It sells abroad, in a nor-- j today for its price new', or mal year, about 50 million dol-- i maybe more. lars worth of rubber- and American money-no-matte- r basis. Saved by Aid Last of a Series J cotton, TYPEWRITERS H you typ o Irttk or typo coll tel TYPE-A-llN- BUSINESS MACHINE CO. 16$ East 2nd South 1 War Vices Rampant Those twin vices- of by users and profiteerare emerging, ing by suppliers war-hoar- ding rampant. At the same time the government is increasing its military spending by half, to 3.50 million dollars, and its civilian spending by a quarter, to 250 million dollars, it is giving raises all around. But it da,res not raise taxes which, collected mostly on imported goods, bring in only 250 million dollars. For several years the United States has been giving the Viet Nam surplus foods and financing civilian imports which, in effect, the government sells to the public, netting about 200 million dollars. In the past this sum balanced the Viet Nam budget, but it will not do so this year. Free Supplies In addition to food and civilian goods, the United States has been sending about 200 million dollars worth of free military p supplies. American aid so far has exceeded three billion dollars and the United States is hesitant about increasing the civilian aid. So, to meet this years deficit, the government plans to print money, about 16 billion piasters, or more money than existed in the country five years ago. The presses have been running, on and off, and the supply of money has about doubled in five years. Some of this new money was spent the demand for beer and cigarets doubled in three years but most of it was saved, thereby easing pressure of inflation. Gov-ernme- Spending Increases Whether people will save the new money is questionable. Spending is increasing as people start to think hoarding more wise than saving. The American buildup here Is adding to the disruption of the ordinary way of life and price of structures. About Saigons two million people off the American forces, directly or indirectly, and more are added to the rolls with the arrival of each new American. 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