Show SCANNING THE WEEKS WEEK'S NEWS r r of Main Mam Street and the World Small Business Casualty of Defense Meat Price Rules Confuse Consumer THE FOUNDATION THREATENED THREATENED According According to several nation- nation pi 1 economic surveys made public in the last week weck or so small business Is becoming a casualty of defense This is a serious and md frightening fact tact factor for or thousands of small towns because about small businesses form the foundation of the American economic p pyramid many of them located in the home towns of the nation In the first two years of World War II Jr 16 per cent of the small businesses businesses busi bus nesses of the country were forced to close down There are reports i L 4 that many observers believe the t fatality rate in th the present defense defense de de- de- de mobilization program may maybe maybe be even higher than in those years ears earsA A Washington report revealed iJ that congressional small business committees are receiving an avI average average average av av- av- av I of letters a day appealing appealing appeal appeal- r i ing for information and help from fromI I tt small businessmen S Several reasons are given for forI forthe forthe I the present difficulties The most I 1 important are shortages of maj materials ma ma- j 4 A allocation allocation of steel aluminum aluminum alum alum- 1 mum etc from civilian conI consumption consumption con con- I to defense projects the 1 inability of small business to qualify I Uy for defense contracts and the expansion of big business to avoid f subcontracting formally a profitable profitable profitable profit profit- able source for small business UP UFA A TREE TREE Mild Mild mannered popular Gen Omar Bradley rem remembered remembered em- em b by thousands of World War II veterans In the home towns of America America Amer Amer- ica lea as the GIs general put the combined senate armed services and foreign relations committees up a tree during his Ws testimony on the removal removal removal re re- re- re moval of Gen Douglas MacArthur l from his Pacific commands S To begin with General Bradley caused a stir among the Republican members of the committees by upholding the administrations administration's actions with the sweeping statement that General MacArthurs MacArthur's Korean plans would involve us in the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time and with the wrong enemy But when he flatly flaUy refused to tell the senators about his private talks with the President on the recall of MacArthur he chased the committees up a a. a tree For a day committee members argued among themselves whether they should take some kind of contempt action against the general They voted 18 to 8 however against such action expressing the view that it might set a dangerous precedent To the home town veteran vetera however it seemed more likely the senators senators senators sen sen- remembered Gen Bradleys Bradley's popularity with the men that make up upa a a. big part of today's Main Street population NEW DRAFT LAW Senate LAW Senate and house conferees attempting to reach a compromise on the two bills previously passed by the groups finally reached a settlement calling for extension of the draft until July 1 1955 with men of 18 eligible for induction for 24 months of service The old draft bill expires July 1 The new one will require all men to register on becoming 18 They would be examined and classified before they were 18 and would be eligible for induction thereafter providing the pool of men from rom 19 to 26 in their individual draft districts had been exhausted by the local boards The bill will put a five million person ceiling on the combined army navy air forces and marines It also requires that all draftees volunteers and reserves have at least four months' months basic training before being assigned assigned assigned as as- signed outside the United States UP TO OLD TRICKS TRICKS After After rejecting American plans for a peace treaty with Japan the Russians reverted to their old tricks in proposing their version of a treaty The Soviet plan which was rejected by the United States would bar foreign forces from Japan after the occupation ends and thereby block an arrangement for American troops to help provide provide provide pro pro- vide Japanese security It was the same type of thing the Russians so successfully carried out In Korea and which led to the present situation in Asia No one can beleve believe believe be be- lieve leve the Russians thought the United States would accept their plan but butone butone butone one has to give them credit for having the nerve to suggest it There is little possibility now of Russia joining in the American peace treaty which is nearing Dearing conclusion BEWILDERED HOUSEWIVES HOUSEWIVES Home Home town housewives entered their Main Street stores and meat markets on Monday May 14 without their usual dread of visiting a meat counter The government had just ordered a cut in meat prices After Alter one quick look she became a startled and confused housewife For the next 10 days she became more bewildered Meat prices were not down according to her figures figures but but up What the home town housewife saw was porterhouse steak up 7 cents a pound and sirloin up 9 c cents Round steak was down 2 cents not cents not enough to mention and short ribs of beef down 8 cents cents cents-as as she had expected of other cuts According to the government however the up and down price juggling of beef actually produced an over-all over savings to the housewife of one half of 1 per cent This she couldn't understand One-half One of 1 per cent didn't do a thing lor for her meat budget FAIR TRADE RULING-By RULING a vote of 3 to the supreme court ruled that merchants who did not sign trade fair-trade agreements are fr free r e to charge rate cut-rate prices if they wish Under the laws of 45 states distributors distributors' of trade mark or brand goods may enter into agreements with ret retail il dealers to sell their products at filed minimum prices Under the new court ruling however the home town merchant who did not sign such a contract or agreement can sell the product product product prod prod- at whatever price he desires The only states not having trade fair-trade laws are Vermont Texas and Missouri The ruling will have little efe effect t on most classes of merchandise of-merchandise as long as business is good most Main Street businessmen believe This would not hold true however if business went into a slump I 4 44 4 A IP vj f m r- r rV 2 r 4 1 l W WV r fr i t 6 Ss f v i KW Vrr W A AC V C i r vC ar S K fe e ti 4 iM 13 3 lN j v r T 1 fr y I c vV 4 y s. fe i SF h If Homeward Dome Bound on Rotation flotation Express American GIs GI's veterans of the be Korean fighting board a truck bound nd for Jor a rotation center where they will be processed for return to the United States Tired GIs GI's slugged the truck appropriately Rotation Express |