Free Market; B. Bryan

Barbara H. Bryan Interventionist? Who me-Free Market Mama? Confession being good for the soul, I'll have to admit that I almost slipped-consciously at that-into an interventionist role. And, candidly, had the reverse order of the following story occurred, I would have. It happened when a 25·cent toy stamper (it inked pairs of black feet on any surface it touched) went through a price rise of some 1100 per cent within a few hours in our home. The stamper was given to Jim Dixon by his grandmother. His bud dies were enchanted when he deco rated them with little black feet. Barbara Hauser Bryan Is a mother "mostly" and freelance writer in Roanoke, Virginia. 752 Their mothers may have been somewhat less delighted, but Jim Dixon was a trendsetter with fellow first graders. Therefore, the item had even more appeal. Jim is a special friend and favorite of my three sons. They are with him in Sunday School and around the neighborhood. Last year he and Cal lan were in kindergarten together.

Russ (Callan's twin) was in first grade with him this year. Big Brother Eason, a second grader, also thinks Jim is cool. The stamper rep resented the last word to all of them. So when Russ came home and announced that he had just pur chased the stamper for one dollar, I noted that he had made a willing exchange in a nseller's market." He FREE MARKET: ELEMENTARY, MY CHILD 753 Left to right, Callan, Mom, Russ (standing) and Eason. could not have been happier. Jim realized he had struck a good bar gain, so we all grinned. About an hour later, Callan emptied his piggy bank and told me that he had to have enough money for 28 pieces of bubble gum. He said he only had enough ~~cents" for 23 pieces. Assuming that he wanted everyone (20 classmates, hmmm?) in his class to have a piece, I offered him a window-washing job for a dime. Using the best of Tom Sawyer technique, he engaged Nicky and Wilson forthwith and managed it with great dispatch.

Soon he left with his full comple ment of cash. The story extends slightly because the convenience store clerk quite accidentally shortchanged him. With his finest eyes-just-above-the-counter aplomb he returned to the store and evened the score. Soon the bubble gum had been turned over to its new owner. That person, it turned out, was his t~;vin brother Russ, who for the bub ble gum and two one-dollar bills released title to the stamper. The story might have ended there. Nobody was interested in my sug gestion that we telephone Jim's grandmother to ask where she had bought the feet stamper. Big Brother, usually shrewd and defi nitely well-heeled, entered the pic ture. Simply because of his status as first-born, he had amassed a much fatter passbook savings account than his siblings. And, frankly, he gets a little horsey about his couple of hundred extra dollars. Anyway, supply and demand being what they were that day, he and Callan wound up in a fascinat ing trading session. When we sat down to dinner, they had already agreed that Eason would fork over three dollars for the one-of-its-kind (at least in our house at that min ute) item.

Knowing beyond question that he held all the cards, Callan savored his rare upper hand by playing wishy-washy. He said he might change his mind. He thought about upping the ante. He even said he might trade back with Russ and get his money returned. We noted with three dollars he could repay himself and buy more 754 THE FREEMAN than 28 pieces of gum. Eason was becoming nervous. (At that point they counted the bubble gum and Russ The Casual learned that he had been shorted by three pieces which Callan admitted to sharing with his fellow window washers.) My only intervention was to com pliment them on their practice of free market economy. We did dis cuss supply and demand-and ram pant inflation. And, I did suggest that a bargain struck should be hon ored. Translated: Callan shouldn't weasel out if Eason really wanted to pay that exorbitant figure-with his educated eyes open. Had the reverse occurred-Eason preying upon Callan who would have hoodwinked Russ who would foist the stamper off on Jim-I would have envisioned all kinds of repercussions. And I probably would have intervened to save my face and to keep peace with the Dixons.

As far as I can tell, all four boys in the story are still smiling. Jim's banker father must be proud of him. Russ and Callan have worked out a rental agreement with Eason so that they still have access to the black feet-for 10 cents an hour. Eason guards the thing with his life. And Mom? Well, so far I've found black feet stamped all over my car's Virginia license plate, the top of our living room fan, our back door neighbor's usually spotless child's face (HHe said he wanted it there!") and the front of the bathroom door. Perhaps I may end up paying for permitting that demonstration of ~~free" enterprise. If we can get the point across with elbow grease, scrub on! @ IDEAS ON UBERTY If You Make a Promise, Keep It SoCIAL chaos has no better ally than broken promises. Children not brought up to keep their word will be the authors oftreaties written not to be observed; they'll run for office on bogus platforms, cancel gold contracts, use the political means to expropriate property; they'll sell their souls to gain fame or fortune or power. Not only will they fail to be honest with their fellow men; they will not even heed the dictates of their own conscience. On the other hand, children brought up to keep their promises will not go back on their bond. Integrity will be their mark of distinction!

LEONARD E. READ A REVIEWER'S NOTEBOOK THE •••• FREEDOM e FREEWAY LEONARD E. READ IT must bring Leonard Read a lot of quiet satisfaction to see that the methods he has extolled in his many books have had their effect. He be lieves in the power of the example-in his new book, The Freedom Freeway (Foundation for Economic Education, $6.00), he quotes Albert Schweitzer: HExample is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." The Read example is to work on the perfection of his own understanding and to carryon from· there in both writing and speaking. He says our times demand statesmen, but he leaves active politics to others. The average politician is not a prime mover; it is the man of ideas, work ing for the long pull, who is the final influence on government. At the recent European regional meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society JOHN CHAMBERLAIN in Spain, Leonard Read, a thought ful observer who limited himself to a single succinct speech about private education, had the living endorse ment he wanted for his way of exer cising social leverage. The final Mont Pelerin session was an im promptu discussion of Margaret Thatcher's chances for turning Eng land back to the freedom philosophy of Cobden and Bright and Adam Smith. Mrs. Thatcher, who cam paigned for the restoration of incen tives, has her opportunity to tran scend politics for statesmanship. But she would never have become Prime Minister on a freedom philosophy platform if it hadn't been for four individuals who happen to be Mont Pelerin members and devotees of the Read mode of conduct. They are, respectively, Professor Friedrich H:ayek who was the Mont Pelerin founder, Antony Fisher, Ralph-or Lord-Harris, and Arthur Seldon.