Show Spurious Prosperity The American dollar had for so many years a solid constant basis that it is difficult for most people to measure so-called so prosperity in anything but dollar terms How many dollars they receive for labor as salaries for a cow a hog a bushel of wheat etc is the yardstick with which they measure prosperity It is hard for them to realize that through various manipulations mostly by government agencies the dollar is is no longer the same dollar which could well and honestly be used to measure the degree of prosperity or adversity for forell forwell well ell over a century Then a dollar was a dollar based on ona ona a gold standard of so so much gold for a dollar or so many dollars for an ounce of gold Sometimes the dollar w would uld buy more goods than at other times but always there was wasa a sure value of the dollar in terms of gold Then came the depression of the early thirties A dollar ollar would buy a tremendous amount of goods and it was correspondingly difficult to accumulate very many dol dol- lars Jars As an antidote for the deflated dollar the gold basis was changed almost twice as many dollars were to be based on an ounce of gold The currency was changed and no longer was it to be payable in gold as most of it formerly was Gold coins disappeared and most of the younger generation generation generation gen gen- has never seen a five- five ten- ten tenor or twenty-dollar twenty gold piece Other methods to increase the amount of currency and decrease its value in terms of goods also were used Currency issues by the issuing agencies were based n not t on gold but on the amount of money owed to the issuing institution institution in other words on debt The federal government went into deficit spending that is spending more than it took in It also went into the employment business in a big way with much of the employment em ent- being but plain boondoggling All these practices brought about an inflation of the currency and some maintain aided in getting the wheels whee is of industry producing in abundance again When unemployment was practically nil when prices had risen greatly wages and salaries were high farm products products products pro pro- ducts were up and everything pointed to a costly and increasing increasing increasing in in- creasing inflation did the government reverse its actions action to beat the depression Was the gold standard restored ov Ol the dollar value in terms of gold increased Was deficit spending stopped Were the number of federal employees drastically cut Was the issuance of printing press money lessened The answers to most probably all of these questions questions questions ques ques- is a resounding NO The government kept right on with its its deflation anti-deflation program even after inflation had reached reach reach- ed dangerous proportions ons Nor were the government and its agencies alone guilty l in aiding abetting and encouraging inflation Organized groups often groups which should be the first to recognize and fight all inflationary tendencies demanded and are still demanding received and are still receiving increases in wages and salaries s without any increase of production or service These successive rounds of wage boosts and salary increases have been almost criminal in robbing the thrifty o of the value o of f their savings bonds purchased patriotically of If their insurance policies of their savings accounts Strikes Strike wage and salary gouges have been as guilty as federal fiscal policies in bringing about a dangerous and most costly in in- in And the saddest part of all is that such wage and salary demands mands continue even in the face of the present dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- inflationary situation as well as the explosive international international inter inter- national rational situation calling for unity and economy in defense production And what are the fruits of all this which we are seeing today We see people streaming from the rural areas the areas where the raw materials the meat the grain the wool the cotton the lumber the eggs and other things are produced which make for a high standard of living we see seethe seethe seethe the people streaming from from such areas to take work in government government government gov gov- agencies or in areas where all the employment is paid for from federal funds directly or indirectly Farmers Farmers Farmers Far Far- mers are unable to obtain help with planting and irrigating What will it be when harvest and canning time comes around around a- a round lound Sheep men and dairymen cannot secure sufficient help to manage their flocks or tend their herds Yes men and women workers are being drawn away from real production into employment at camps and fields and depots maintained by the federal government Wages are high in such places much higher than the farmer and stockman in spite of present high prices cart can afford to pay And what will all lead it to We have already established established established es es- es- es a complicated and dictatorial Office of Price Stabilization Stabilization Stan Sta Sta- n to try and hold d down dawn wn prices while the same federal government which created the agency is doing many many things to increase inflationary pressures which will surely of shoot prices higher and higher The OPS itself is highly inflationary It hires a standY stand stand- i Y r I II I ing army or perhaps more properly a sitting army of oJ agents and bureaucrats at tremendous cost to the taxpayers They are taken out of productive field fields they harrass and andr i encumber business men and others with regulations regulation r and re report report re- re port making etc which greatly decreases the productive ability and the ability to serve the customers of such business businessmen men and others Wages and salaries zoom up The amount of consumer goods decreases Real producers of the things thing's we cat eat and nd wear and use cant can't get adequate help Controls must be followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed by rationing and this will call for still another sitting army of bureaucrats to prey on the workers and nd producers and distributors throughout the land Our present seeming prosperity is not real It is founded found found- ed on things like debt deficit spending increased spending by the federal government of other peoples people's money and on the hell-born hell policy of trying to give to certain classes something something some some- thing for nothing benefits and privileges for which they have not worked and to which they are not entitled If the present trend continues Americans will soon find themselves as people in other lands have unhappily found themselves with plenty of paper money but nothing which it will buy in the way of food clothing appliances etc Its It's high time some of these demanding groups start starr acting as individual Americans interested in the nations nation's welfare welfare welfare wel wel- fare instead of predatory gangs determined to press their own selfish demands and to hell with the rest rest of the people and the national economy This plent plentiful ul money this cheap money is a false yardstick yardstick yardstick yard yard- stick of prosperity Unless the government agencies and the people and especially the organized labor teacher and other groups soon realize that fact and take steps step steps to stop the inflationary spiral we may find ourselves starving and freezing freezing freez freez- i ing g with our pockets bulging with worthless paper money j |