Siskiyou Union High School - White and Gold Yearbook (Weed, CA)

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every person for an average home, and the necessities of a life of security. But, because of political complications and a number of people unwilling to contribute their time and effort for so just a cause, production and distribution are hindered. Points like these must be considered and altered. A country can survive economically only when exports and imports are balanced. A country cannot .produce everything it needs, but then again it cannot depend entirely on its imports. Production is the key to a prosperous world. With proper production and distribution we can go a long way toward world prosperity. FRITZ ELLICKSON '47, Yreka High School. WORLD PRGSPERITY THRQUGH PRODUC-l-IGN HONORABLE MENTION ESSAY In the world today there is more unrest and turmoil between nations than there was just preceding the last war. It seems that men have not yet ironed out their economic prob- lems. These problems are really quite basic in nature. Each man, woman and child is fight- ing for food, shelter and necessities of life. In some countries these problems of the liveli- hood of the people are very serious. But whether our country is as sorely concerned in this matter or not, the situation is obviously one for the whole world to face because it directly affects world prosperity. The problem, as we see it, is really one of lagging production. Industries are not produc- ing at a fair rate, transportation is behind, and consequently trade is slowed up. To promote foreign exchange, and thus preserve our markets, is more important at the moment than signing the peace treaties. International trade is essential to fostering good will among all countries and peoples because trade connects the world by means of an economic life- line from country to country. Trust and friendship come only when the stomachs of the people are full. Thus industry must produce. Goods must be plentiful, for how else can international trade be encouraged? Exchange of goods and ideas must be maintained in a steady stream among nations. To do this, obstacles in the way of production must be removed. New paths can be opened for research and development of needed ideas. Conservation of raw materials can be practiced so that the supply will be constant for the factories. Strikes and tie-ups can be kept at a minimum in the industries. Jurisdictional disputes should be outlawed as a means of eliminating unnecessary work stoppage. Collective bargaining should be used as much as is possible in settlement of labor-management problems. If we fail in this, men will die, countries become impoverished, and war will result. War means atomic war and destruction of mankind. For further proof of the imperative need for production, we have only to look at the war-ravished countries such as Germany and Japan. Throughout the war production of arms and munitions was kept up in these countries. These goods were useful only in de- struction, and they reaped the people no harvest in wool and grain. For a people must have something to exchange with another people for their goods. A country goes bankrupt if it just pays out money for imports and has no income from its exports. The working man today is Worth as much to a nation as all its gold and wealth. Together labor and capital can produce. Wealth alone can buy for only a limited amount of time. Soon it will lose its value, for money is only a medium of exchange. And the working man alone cannot produce without capital backing him. Thus labor and capital throughout the world must cooperate for unity and prosperity, because production is their responsibility. NANCY WATKINS '47, McCloud High School. 22

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WORLD PROSPERITY THROUGH PRODUCTION FIRST PLACE ESSAY The United States wanted peace more than any other nation. To get that peace we had to produce guns, tanks, ammunition and many other products. When the Japanese attacked the United States they were quite confident. They knew the U. S. was almost totally unprepared for war, and for this reason they hoped to sweep the United States off her feet before she had a chance to realize what was happening. They had not counted on us being able to produce quantities of material quickly enough to defend our country properly. To accomplish this everyone took part. Scrap drives were held. Everyone collected old metal. Factories were built. New workers were hired. Modern America was starting to work to defend herself just as her ancestors had done in the past. With our war plants producing materials and our men fighting, the U. S. started on its way to victory. Every year her workmen produced more material. Scientists were also busy producing secret weapons. Japan simply had not realized what a powerful nation the U. S. is and what her people can and will do if it is necessary. Everyone helped win the war- from the men on the battlefields to the civilians on the home front. The people themselves hardly realized they were capable of so much. Now the United States is again at peace. Her greatest problem is how to keep that peace. She must produce enough food and other products so that her people will never be in need. She must also see that other countries do not starve. If other countries become in need, they then begin to think of war to get what they Want. Through help from the U. S.-money, machines, and education-smaller, less power- ful countries must learn to be able to produce enough so everyone will be satisied. That is the only way to keep peace. United States production led to victory in war. May she have the courage and will to lead the world to prosperity in peace through production. IRIS Goomi, Butte Valley High School. SECOND PRIZE ESSAY Only through production of goods and performance of services on a free and open com- petitive market can the world hope to gain a measure of prosperity. It was proved during the past War that nations can produce when an all-out effort is made. It is now up to the people of the world to make an all-out effort in the production and distribution of goods in peacetime. Distribution is important, as the depression in the thirties proved. For example, a record surplus of fruit, wheat, beef, pork, cotton, wool and manufactured goods were stocked in the United States. Yet millions of people were unem- ployed and lacked adequate food and clothing, because distribution of foods and service broke down for lack of buying power. In order to encourage production and still maintain sufficient buying power to consume what is produced, a balance between prices and wages must be maintained. An honest ef- fort must be made by industrial management and heads of labor organizations to work out matters of' policy and wages without having to resort to strikes. As we all know and have experienced, strikes are costly for owners, labor, and the people needing the goods and service. Examples have been furnished by some industries which have a system where the workers share in the profits, thereby encouraging labor to increase production instead of stalling, as is sometimes the case. The people of Asia, Africa and Europe will have to produce as much as they can to support themselves and, in addition to this, produce as much as they can to export to nations that need their type of goods. In this way they can get surplus money to buy goods they Cannot produce. Now, more than ever before in the history of the world, the coun- tries must establish a system of trade between nations that can exist with no major dis- agreements. At the present time the world is able to produce and distribute enough material to 2I

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MIRAN DA FIRST PLACE STORY If a flame is to gro-o-w there must be a glo-o-ow, to open each-- Turn off that radio, Mirandalv Ah, Pa, what do you want me to do, sit and twiddle my thumbs? If I can't go out, tonight, I don,t see why I can't play the radio. To each his own, to each his own, and my own is yo-0-ouf' For the last time, Miranda, turn of that radio! I'm trying to read my paper and all I can hear is some darn fool groaning about a rose in the rain. And I mean right nowf' Oh, all right, Pa. You just don't care if you are ruining my life. And now that my life is positively being ruined, you won't even let me do little ordinary things like playing the radiof' , Now, Miranda, we wonlt start that over again. Nobody's ruining your life. I told you if you went to that game last night, you couldn't go out tonight. And I don't want to hear another word about it. Go get your homework and get busy on it. I did it in study-hallf' All of it? Yes. .1 Quiet reigns. Mr. West tries to get his eveningls enjoyment out of his paper, and Miranda lies sprawled tragically on the sofa just staring at the silent radio and thinking her own private thoughts. The phone rings! Miranda makes a wild leap for it, but her father gets to it first. Hello-Who?-No, this is Mr. West.', Turning to Miranda who is waiting impatient- ly, he says, Here, I guess this is for youg one of your girl friends. Hi-Buzz-yeah-Oh, nothing-A C, what did you get?-D, for gosh sakes. I copied from you. Oh! Buzz, yes-No, I'm positive, and what am I going to do?--He just can't do this to me! He made the date with me first. I wouldn't mind if it was any girl but that Lottie Evans! By this time Miranda, carrying the phone with her, has sunk into her father's arm chair. Mr. West now tries the sofa. He arranges the pillows which Miranda had piled on the floor and settles down with his paper, which for some odd reason is beginning to lose its interest. The conversation of which Mr. West hears only one side fbut that is plentyj con- tinues. 'But, Buzz, taking her 'to the'game' after all+What was she wearing anyway?- that awful green thing--Well, I just don't see what some girls have that fascinate men so-Yes, Buzz, I know, I'm just simply desperate-I've just got to go to the dance to- night. After all, he made the date a week ago. Don't you think he'll keep it?-But, Buzz, the terrible thing is Pa says I can't go out!-No, he really means it-Parents can be so cruellv At this point Mr. West frowns at his paper but continues reading. But, Buzz, you know I bought that new dress--Yes, that really smooth one. Oh! Isn't life just too rugged-I just know he won't come, but if he does, I've got to tell him I can't go-What?-the dress? Of course not, silly. What would I have it on for? I just know he w0n't come, so why get it all mussed up? just to think that that simply divine dress will hang in my closet foreverf' Mr. West puts down his paper and looks at Miranda quite sternly, Can,t you hang up on Buzz and give me some peace and quiet? Buzz, Pa is getting difficult as usual. Listen, though, go to that dance with loc and have fun. And poison Lottie's coke if you can-Oh! Buzz, you're nuts, I just know he wonlt come-Bye now. Miranda moves slowly out of Mr. West,s chair and starts for the stairs. She is the picture of utter despair. Mr. West, after regaining his favorite position, calls Miranda. He obviously has a lot to say but only says a little of it because he knows Miranda won't be listening. All Mr. West says is, You can go out tonight. 23