Don't Call On The Government All Of The Time

"Isn't it awful, the prices we have to pay for things,"

exclaimed my neighbor to me.

"Just look at these shoes! I paid $10 for them!

Something ought to be done to these profiteers;

poor people can't afford to live anymore."

My neighbor's shoes were new, of course, and the heels

were extremely high, too high to be really good style;

but she seemed very proud of them and proud also in a rather

shamefaced way that she had paid $10 for them.

"You need not have paid so much," I replied.

through all these high prices for shoes I never have paid

quite $4 for a pair, and my shoes always have been correct

in style and have worn well."

"Oh!" said my neighbor. "It's too much trouble to hunt for bargains,

and my foot is not easily fitted. Besides, you order your shoes, do you not?"

"Sometimes, " I answered, but never when I think the home retailer is

asking only a fair profit. When I think he is profiteering, I protect myself

without calling on the government at Washington. I do for myself

at least as much as I can."

There are problems that should be handled for all of us collectively;

but as in so many other things of our national life, it is also a matter

for each of us to attend to. If each one of a crowd acting independently

does the same thing, it produces a mass action that is powerful; 

and we can handle this problem of high costs for ourselves

much better than we have been doing, if we try.

We all did seemingly impossible things in conserving and producing

during the war. We can still do them until the effects of the war have

passed away so far as prices are concerned, and it is as much

a patriotic duty. Experts in economy say that the rate of production

has not kept up with the inflation of currency due to war conditions,

and that the remedy for the evils of high prices is increased production.

 World War I Food Canning Promotion Poster

According to them, prices and production work like a seesaw-when one

goes up the other goes down.  When money is scarce and products plentiful,

a little money buys a large amount of products; but when money is plentiful

and products scarce, then it takes a great deal of money to buy a small

amount of products, which is where we are today.

Just now to help arrive at that balance we must practice economy and

produce as much as possible. This is where everyone of us can help.

For instance, if by caring for a garment, we can make that garment

last twice as long, we have not only saved money but also helped to

increase the volume of products by leaving them on the market.

It acts the same way as a schoolboy described in his essay on pins-

"Pins has saved many lives by not swallering of 'em."

Another way to help ourselves through the pinch of these 

unsettled times and make it harder for the actual profiteers is to

buy as carefully and economically as possible even though it is

some trouble, for it is surely worth the effort.

Laura's Sewing Basket

"Don't Call On The Government All The Time"

November 1919

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

From the book, "Little House In The Ozarks"

A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler

The Rediscovered Writings

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

Edited by Stephen W. Hines

Guideposts Edition

(1991)

Laura Ingalls Wilder 
1867-1957