argument10【火箭 小组】第四次作业

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10The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a Batavia newspaper.

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    "The department of agriculture in Batavia reports that the number of dairy farms throughout the country is now 25 percent greater than it was 10 years ago. During this same time period, however, the price of milk at the local Excello Food Market has increased from $1.50 to over $3.00 per gallon. To prevent farmers from continuing to receive excessive profits on an apparently increased supply of milk, the Batavia government should begin to regulate retail milk prices. Such regulation is necessary to ensure both lower prices and an adequate supply of milk for consumers."

      The editorial recommends that the Batavia government should begin to regulate the prices of retail milk. To verify this recommendation, the editorial cite two facts: (1) According to a reports of the department of agriculture in Batavia, the number of dairy farms throught the nation is 25 percent greater than it was 10 years ago; (2) the price of milk increased from $1.50 to over $3.00 per gallon. However, careful security of this two facts reveals that either of them lend creditable support to the editorial's recommendation, as discussed below:
    To begin with, the report from the department of agriculture is only reliable in the Batavia. The author provides no assurance that the reports statistically correct all throughout the nation. It is entirely possible that the price of mile in Batavia is much higher than that in other regions of the nation. In fact, the average price of milk all over the country might lower than 3.00, or even 1.50. Without further information about the price in other areas, the author cannot rely on the report to draw those recommendation.
    Secondly, even the report is statistically reliable all throughout the nation, I still cannot be swayed by the author's conclusion for he might overlook the factor of inflation. It is heavily possible that the value of $1.50 is much higher than $3.00 today. The price of a myriad of other commodities might have been increasing fast too. The benefit of the farmer is decreasing instead of growing. So understand such situation, it is unpractical to regulate retail milk prices.
    Thirdly, neglecting the influence of inflation, the recommendation of the editorial is still unconvincing either. The cost of producting or delivering milk and might have increase too. Consequently, if the cost of milk increases faster than the price of milk, there is a likelihood that the action of regulating the price of retail milk will pose detrimental influence on farmers.
   Finial, the editorial provides no evidence that the regulation can guarantee an adequate supply of milk for consumers. Common sense informs us that lower profits will affirmatively prevent the farmer to product more milk. Instead, they might change to other realm of agriculture. In short, with further step to guarantee an adequate supply of milk or consumers, the government should be careful to accept the editorial's recommendation.
   To sum up. The recommend of the editorial is unconvincing in many aspects. To bolster the recommendation, the author must provide clear information about the inflation and the cost of producting and delivering milk. Also, other measure should be considered in order to maintain the stability of supply for consumers if the government accepts the recommendation.