Putnam patriot. [volume], December 01, 1949, Page 20, Image 20

About Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
SCOUTING
!N D!STR!CT B
Diocetan Scout Ratty
Most Reverend Henry J. O'Brien,
D.D., Bishop of Hartford. will make :
the presentation of the Ad Altare }
Dei Cross awards at a ratty on Scout
Sunday, February 12, 1950. The
awards wit] be made in St. Joseph's
cathedra!. Hartford. Att registered
Boys Scouts or Exptorers of the Ca
thotic faith are eligibte. Requirements
for this honor catt for a basic knowl
edge of his faith and a period of
service to the parish of the candidate.
Rev. John P. Wodarski, Diocesan
Director of the Catholic Youth Organ
ization, is in charge of arrangements.
He reports there are more than 6ve
thousand Cathotic boys in scouting
in the diocese and a tota! of one
hundred aad-forty-two units. An at
tendance of fifteen hundred scouts
is expected at the ra!ty in Hartford.
The goet, is one hundred fifty Ad
Attare Dei awards, about one per
unit.
Cathotic scouts who are interested
in attaining this retigious award
shoutd consutt their scout ieader or
chapiain for particulars. Fr. Wodar
ski has requested certain informa
tion to aid his staff in their plans.
This information shoutd have been
sent in before December 28. Leaders
and unit chaplains are asked to take
action on this request as soon as pos
sible.
District Rountable Tonight
More than thirty district scouters
are expected to attend the monthy
roundtable meeting in East Woodstock
at the Muddy Brook Fire Station on
the road between East and North
Woodstock.
The committee of Troop 27 wiit
provide a surprise in the way of re
freshments to make attendance at
the meeting a bit more attractive.
Even without refreshments, however,
the Roundtable usuatty draws an en
thusiastic crowd of district ieaders
and scouters. An evening of program
helps in the form of games, songs,
dramatizations, presentations, discus
sions and good fellowship, the Round
table offers much to Cub, Scout and
Explorer leaders. Ait Cubmasters,
Den Mothers, Scoutmasters, Assist
ant Scoutmasters, Explorer Advisors
and all Unit Committeemen are urged
to attend.
District Commissioners Meet
Neighborhood Commissioners, Leon
ard Desjardins, Donald Hayes, Roy
Adams, Robert Miller met at the home
of Dr. Rene Desaulniers recently to
discuss the progress of district units
and review the responsibilities of the
commissioner staff.
As a part of their training pro
gram the commissioners discussed the
use of forms and reports used by cub
and scout leaders and the treatment
of disciplinary problems arising in
units. Cub Commissioner Roy Adams
presided over a question period on
Cubbing and Commissioner Robert
Miller explained the new Explorer
program.
In their unit visits the commission
ers will stress Crusade goals, Round
table attendance, and the Explorer
program.
Newt From the Units
Dei Beaupre, a veteran scouter in
this district, has accepted the post of
Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 68,
sponsored by the Putnam Lodge of
E!ks. Dei brings to this troop a wealth
of experience in the scout skiiis of
hiking and camping. Biii Simmons,
Scoutmaster, wiii find Dei a gre.at
help in programming and outdoor
work.
Biii Dagnait, Institutionai Repre
sentative took Expiorer Scouts Rus
seii Dagnaii, Richard Gouid and
George Roberts to the recent Expiorer
Conference heid at the University of
Connecticut. Biii and his Expiorers
reported that the conference was weii
staffed by program experts and they
gathered much information to bring
back to their crew. An Expiorer
Roundtabie on a district basis is
under consideration.
One of the finest Court of Honor
ceremonies in recent years was hei^ ;
in the Community Schooi in Pomfret
on November 16. The success of this
event was due in iarge part to the
fiawiess candie-iighting ceremony
carried out bfr six scouts of Troop
26, the host troop. Ernest Stary of
the Advancement committee and As
sistant Scoutmaster Phiiiip James
were responsibie for training the
scouts in their duties. The troop com
mittee provided refreshments after
the court. James Smith substituted
for Ernest Stary as chaiman of the
Court. Mr. Stary was absent due a
sudden iilness.
Cabmaster Fred Racine was the
master of ceremonies at the month!y
pack meeting of Pack 22 )ast Friday
night in St. Mary's hai!. Fire pre
vention and Thanksgiving were the
themes of the month and the six
dens acted out various skits with the
assistance of the den chiefs. Den
Chiefs George Bordua, Leo Fontaine,
Maurice Viens and Roland Auger
and Den Mothers Mrs. Edgar Pha
neuf, Mrs. John McCormac, Mrs.
W. Wilmot. Miss Prisciila Farley and
Mrs. Napoleon Williams were pres
ent.
Anticipating the December pro
gram theme "Training for Trouble"
twenty-eight scouts of Troop 21
visited the Tutnam police station on
Friday. November IS. Police Chief
Mathurin conducted the troop on a
tour of the station and explained the
record system and the court proced
ure thoroughly. The scouts left the
station with a clear understanding
of the duty and function of the police
force. Celebrating National Book
Week the troop visited the library
on the same evening. Miss Abbie
Scott, Librarian, introduced the
scouts to the catalogue system and
explained fully its use. Several scouts
took out library cards as a result
of the visit. Miss Scott was able to
"get across" several items of instruc
tion and training during the visit.
Red hair occurs among every race
of mankind, according to the Encyclo
pedia Britannica.
These Things WiH Happen
H The Anti-Trust Lawyers Have Their Way
When the anti-trust lawyer* from Washington Med their *uR
against A&P, we toid the American peopie, our customer*, our
*uppiier* and our empioyee* how thi* attack wouid affect them.
We that thi* attack, if *ucce**fu!, wouid mean the end of
A&P a* you know it.
We *aid that it wouid mean higher food price* for American
consumer*.
We aaid that if they succeed in deatroying A&P the way wouid
be cieared for the destruction of other efficient iarge-acaie
retaiier*.
e thought the American peopie were entitied to know about
this threat to their weifare and standard of iiving.
Since that time, however, the anti trust lawyers have been mak
ing speeches, talking over the radio, writing letters and giving
stories to the newspapers, in which they say we are sJ! wrong.
They say that this suit wiH not dose a single A&P store; and
that instead of raising food prices it will lower them.
And they have tried to give the impression that nobody will be
hurt by this decision except the present owners of A&P.
We don't think that the American people want to be confused by
these statements. We know that when they have the facts, they
will understand that this case can affect the living standards and
the way of life of every American citizen.
Here Me the facts:
!t WiU Destroy A&P
The anti trust lawyers have repeatedly stated that "the suit will not result
in the closing of a single A&P store , and that the purpose of the suit is
to enjoin A&P from continuing activity which has been held to violate
the law. '
The fact is that the suit is designed not only to "enjoin" A&P from alleged
illegal activities, but actually to destroy the company.
Here is what they have asked the court to do:
Break up A&P's retail stores into seven groups, each of which must
be sold to different owners, and operated under new management.
Order us to sell A&P's factories, which produce many of the fine foods
you find in our stores, to stiU other new owners.
Prevent any of the seven groups of stores from operating any of the
factories.
None of the present owners, who have made A&P what it is today,
can have anything to do with either the stores or the factories.
The first A&P store was opened 90 years ago. For the past 50 years the
company has been managed by George L. Hartford and John A. Hartford.
These are the men who have pioneered the policy of low-cost, low-profit,
low-price food retailing which has won A&P the patronage of millions of
American families and given them more good food for their money.
If the anti trust lawyers have their way, these men and other company
executives will be completely out of the picture. No one can predict what
the policies of the new owners of the various parts of A&P will be.
No one can predict that they will sell the same quality food at the same
low prices, or that they will keep the same employees, or give them the
same high wages, short hours, pensions and security.
Nor, despite the anti trust lawyers' statement, can anyone tell how many
A&P stores will remain open or will be closed.
So, while there may be a food store where your A&P is now located, it
won't be your A&P store.
Make no mistake about it. !f the anti trust lawyers win their suit it will
mean the end of A&P as you know it.
Your Food WiH Cost More
The anti trust lawyers have repeatedly stated that the suit wiH not increase,
but should decrease, grocery prices.
Anybody who has ever shopped in an A&P store, or has ever taken a
high-school course in economics, knows better than that.
Everyone knows that A&P s policy has always been to keep costs and
profits at a minimum so that it can sell good food cheap.
The very heart of the anti-trust lawyers' case is that A&P's methods, which
they claim are illegal, have enabled the company to undersell competitors.
How can anyone possibly say that you will get lower food prices by elimi
nating the company that has done so much to bring them down?
Actually, there is no question that this suit, if successful, will mean higher
food prices for A&P customers.
" Here is just one of a number of reasons:
We manufacture many of the quality foods we self in our stores, such
as Bokar, Red Circle and Eight O Clock coffees, Ann Page foods, White
House milk, and many others.
The anti trust lawyers admit that we pass along these manufacturing
savings to our customers in the form of lower prices.
But, the anti trust lawyers have ashed the court to order us to get rid of
our manufacturing facilities, which would put an end to all these savings.
This means that if these A&P brands continued to be manufactured, yr
would have to pay higher prices for them wherever you found them.
The anti trust lawyers say that food prices would go down in other stores.
They claim that food manufacturers would be able to sell cheaper to other
grocers because they would not have to make up aMeged losses they now
incur in selling to A&P.
This, of course, is pure nonsense. The suppliers who voluntarily seek our
business and are now rushing to our defense obviously find it profitable tp
deal with A&P. Actually, their sales to this company enable them to build
up their volume, reduce their costa, and sell more cheaply to all grocers.
The elimination of A&P from the picture would tend to increase, rather
than decrease, the wholesale cost of food; and this, in turn, will be reflected
in increases in retail prices.
Make no mistake about it. If the anti trust lawyers succeed in putting A&P
out of business you will find your food bill is higher.
Others Wiil Be Hurt
*
The anti trust lawyers have insisted that this suit will not affect other dis
tributors, nor wt!l it destroy any efficiencies of mass distribution."
The fact is that the anti trust lawyers ask the court to break up the com
pany, make it get rid of its admittedly legal manufacturing operations and
in general destroy many of the efficiencies which have enabled it to sell food
cheaper.
If such an attack is successful, it immediately raises the likelihood of similar
attacks on other chain stores.
The anti trust lawyers are saying that they "do not contemplate any other
suits of this nature at this time." ^
But that does not mean that they cannot undertake such suits at any future
time if they win this case.
As a matter of fact, the anti trust lawyers made practically the same allega
tions against two of our largest competitors that they are making against us.
And it can also be used as the basis for an attack against other grocers and
merchants in other lines.
There are today literally thousands of chain stores, voluntary groups and
individual merchants operating with the same methods and in the same
pattern here under attack.
If A&P is destroyed, no businessman could safely pursue an aggressive
sales policy designed to lower prices and give bis customers a better deal
if by so doing be takes business away from any competitor.
Even if the anti trust lawyers have no intention now of prosecuting other
suits, a decision against A&P will establish a precedent that could be used
by the present anti trust lawyers, or any future anti trust lawyers, to destroy
any efficient business that buys cheaply, sells cheaply, and grows big in
the process.
Such a decision would mean the end of the vigorous, healthy price com
petition which has given this country the highest standard of living ever
enjoyed by any people anywhere in the history of the world.
The anti trust lawyers are trying to give a new interpretation to the anti
trust laws that, instead of preserving competition, will reduce competition.
They are trying, by court decision, to impose a new kind of economic policy
on the people of this country.
Make no mistake about it. !f they succeed in destroying A&P they will be
destroying the method of distribution that has helped make the American
standard of living the envy of the world.
THE GREAT ATLANTA &
PAC!F!C TEA COMPANY