August, 1918 C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 135 



voidably here as well. First of all it seems to me that these conditions demon- 

 strate in the strongest possible measure the absolute and urgent necessity of a get- 

 together movement among the pharmacists of the entire country. If ever there 

 was a need for harmonious action it is now, if ever there was a chance to suc- 

 ceed in such efforts it is noz^'. Picture to yourself what a power you could be if 

 ten or fifteen thousand pharmacists were united in one strong organization; think 

 what influence in matters concerning the entire nation an organization compris- 

 ing all of the branches of pharmaceutical endeavor could exert. Forget your 

 petty jealousies, dismiss from your mind the thought that John Johns is your 

 competitor, think of him as a friend, an associate whose interests are the same as 

 yours. We are beginning to become engaged in a game of tug-o-war. At the 

 end of the rope there is a steady pull, becoming stronger and stronger as each 

 day passes, due to conditions provoked by troublous times, high prices, scarcity 

 of supplies, shortage of labour. Let us unitedly take hold of the other end of 

 the rope and pull together in the right direction and we will not be swept off our 

 feet. 



On each letter and each post-card the government sends out this warning: 

 "Food will win the war, don't waste it !" Those who follow up conditions abroad 

 more closely than those who only read newspaper reports realize that this exhorta- 

 tion is not an unnecessary one. Have you ever stopped to think to what extent 

 fcod-stuffs are used in medicines? It is true that in many instances such food- 

 stuff can not be replaced by something else and still the same medicinal effect 

 produced, but it is equally true that a considerable amount of food can be saved 

 by a judicious effort on part of the pharmacist. We use eggs, lard, flour, olive 

 oil, sugar and many other important foods in medicines. Let us heed the warning 

 and restrict their use wherever and whenever possible ! If we do not do this, we 

 merely hasten the time for the institution of a radical system of rationing. There 

 is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this will come. Great and glorious 

 a? our country is, its resources are not unlimited. 



There is not the slightest prospect that labor conditions will get better in the 

 near future. They will readily get worse. 



Women may in time relieve the situation to a certain extent, but too much 

 should not be expected from this source. The owner of several large stores told 

 me a few days ago that he had tried employing girls at the soda fountain, but 

 found that in many instances they were physically unfit for the work. In another 

 instance the male force employed threatened to quit work when the possibility 

 of female employees was mentioned. These are, no doubt, isolated instances, 

 nevertheless they show that female labor will not be a cure for all of our ills. 



Comparing our situation with that of our colleagues in Europe, we can only 

 say that we are very fortunate indeed. Whatever sacrifices we are now making 

 and will make in the future will not have been made in vain. A greater, freer 

 v.^orld lies beyond the valley of shadows and sacrifices into which we are now 

 passing. The one great lesson which we need to learn from conditions here and 

 there is : — Get together, pharmacists, and let your voice be heard ! 



