Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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You know — and I can say this because I ' m an out-of- state student and no one can accuse me of bragging — Kan- sas really has the market cor- nered on natural beauty especially in the spring. No- where have I seen bluer or clearer skies. And when the winds start feeling balmy, and the trees get green, I feel as if I could stay in this ' backward ' state forever. 20— Spring

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REGULAR ' IRS . — 1191 Shoppers, shoppers everywhere but hardly a product to buy By John Lonergan From rumors to reality, from oft-repeated headlines to frantic searches for open service stations, from whispers of prophets of doom to roan of outraged shoppers — the Age of Shortages is upon the Ameri- can consumer. For a variety of reasons — some predictable, some inevitable — sup- ply has not been meeting demand in this most recent season of discon- tent. The immediate results are shor- tages in a variety of areas of interest to all people: meat, gasoline and newsprint. Depending upon the situation and the product, students and townsfolk of Manhattan have found themselves adjusting to the sundry havenots in various fashions. The initial result of any shortage is a raise in prices, and the situation has been no different this time. Gro- cery bills have begun to creep high- er each day. Gasoline prices were in the process of taking off when the government put the clamps on them. Then for the station managers it was rationing, watching lines from 8:00 in the morning and, almost al- ways, running out before the last customer was sent on his way. Occasionally ' consumers have sought, or have been offered substi- tutes for their desired products. As the meat counters have begun to empty, grocers have made pains to keep the poultry, fish and grain sec- tions well stocked. Service stations have spent more time emphasizing their services and smiles to keep the customers satisfied. People have begun to rediscov- er the thrills and perils of bicycling, as well as the curious and neglected function of their two legs. Newspapers have began to cramp and cut in the face of paper and newsprint shortages. And planning committees initi- ated studies in power cutback mea- sures in the face of a long hard winter. In the wake of the dozens of mini-crises across the state and na- tion, policies of use and abuse were examined in attempts to prevent, at least to delay, the next breakdown. Along these lines, last spring K- State officials sought and located a supply of fuel oil to be used, if need be, in the frigid months to come. The feasibility of rationing gas, power and food has been a fre- quently debated topic. And in gen- eral, suppliers, administrators and citizens became more conscious of their day to day use of endangered commodities. In light of the fact that the road to prevention of shortages lies in the recognition of the problem, state and school officials have begun an educational campaign which even- tually may dent the shortage spiral. Laws have been introduced and some passed in the interest of prevention. But these conventional methods might not be effective enough in turning the tide of over-consump- tion, paving the way either for ad- ministrative edict or an untimely breakdown. It is a complex situation. The conservation of various commodi- ties is directly involved with people ' s life styles — their personal comfort versus their willingness to freely comply with suggested restraints. But until all people — students and townsfolk alike — are committed to this ' struggle during these chaotic times, the trumpeters of doom will forever be in business. Shortages —19

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