The American Economy

Our thanks to the Union Lum.ber Company lor permission to reproduce this excellent editorinl which first appeared in ilrc March-April, 1963 issue ol Union's The Noyo Chiel.-Editor.

WHY did our free market, private enterprise economy make us the best fed, best clothed, best housed, and the most prosperous people on the face of the earth?

WHY did this economic system provide the goods and services to more than satisfy the needs of over I70 million Americans?

V/HY did this economic system provide 7/o of. the world's population, occupying 60/o ol the world's land area, with over 5O/o of the world's wealth?

WHY did the United States attract the millions of people who migrated here voluntarily?

WHY did man, who worked ceaselessly at back-breaking drudgery and lived in hunger, filth and disease for thousands of years, suddenly find in one small spot on earth, a supply of material things that gave him the highest standard of living the world has ever known?

WHY did this happen in the United States? Some might say it was our natural resources. But, the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa also have rich supplies. These resources have always been there.

Have we worked harder? People of most other countries have worked much harder.

Did we inherit superiority? Our ancestors starved and struggled as did all other peoples.

Do we have more energy-mental or physical-than other peoples of the world? This is hardly reasonable-but, we have made more efiective use of our human energies than have any other people on the face of the globe-anywhere or at ny time.

The "Why" to our material progress and wealth is found in a history and tradition of freedom and opportunity that goes back to our early settlers-and to two political documents they brought into being.

During tlle colonization period the Spanish, French and Dutch colonies were set up as government ventures. Each colony was given detailed instructions for clearing the land, caring for fences and gates, plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and dividing the crops.

In contrast, English colonies were private ventures and not government sponsored. The English colonist-not subject to government regulations-was free to move about, free to work whereever he pleased, free to set up his own business. As a business man, he was free to buy and sell whatever and wherever he wished. In only four generations the frontier settlements of America had been transformed by these self-reliant settlers into established towns and farms which were more productive thany any in Europe.

England became alarmed at the growth and wealth of the colonies. For the t'common good,'n King George III restricted emigration to the colonies, prohibited any more settlers from moving westward, reserved the best pine trees for the Royal Navy, restricted industry to England and agriculture to the -colonies, restricted and controlled trade.

The American pioueers having had a taste of freedom and its unrestricted opportunities to grow and prosper ignored the restric-

(Contirund on Page 65)

GDAR (erfigrade thingles

(eilisplif Jhakes

(ompo$lion Shinglel

Iidewall Shakes I lhingles

All Rooling Maledah

Whofesole Only-Since 1926

(()MPIHT [.(.1 SI()O( AYAIIABI.E

IRU0([TRAIIIRnilR](lAD

Feoluring: tlgin 2-1631 or lUcerne l-I000

ROOF.TOP DEI,TVERY!

Green & Dry Uppers

Rough & Milled Commons