“The Economic Organization of a P.O.W. Camp”
Institutions facilitated trade by:
1. Allowing prisoners to receive private parcels of clothing, toilet requisites and cigarettes. This created imbalance and an option for some who had more to exchange for goods that otherwise they would not enjoy.
2. Distributing the same quantity of goods among prisoners regardless of their preferences or needs. If all smokers were given the amount of cigarettes they needed per day they would not need to look for more cigarettes to exchange. At the same time, if non-smokers, or less frequent smokers, were given zero cigarettes or the exact amount of cigarettes they would smoke, there would have been no “extra” cigarettes to exchange on their part. Giving the same amount of goods to all prisoners, regardless of their preference or needs, made prisoners exchange unwanted goods for the ones that they needed or desired.
3. Allowing prisoners from different backgrounds and countries to communicate and move freely throughout the camp. This also allowed for different needs and wants among the different ethnic groups and therefore allowed for some market equilibrium as demands of goods varied. (permanent camps).
4. By allowing prisoners to use the “Exchange and Mart” notice board, allowing prisioners to know the price of the goods in camp.
5. By setting firm schedules of deliveries and quantities of goods per week. Prisoners knew what to expect and when to expect it, which created a stability of the trading system. Although all not quantities were fixed.
6. Allowing prisoners to have reserve of products, this allowed prisoners to have stores.
7. Allowing prisioners to sell on credit products to other prisioners.
8. Allowing prisioners to set up a store and put products in consignation.
9. Allowing prisioners to exchange products or services for other products or services.
10. BMKs facilitated exchange of goods by protecting prisoners from deflated prices.
Changes in demand and supply that affected prices were the following:
1. Allowing prisoners to receive private parcels of clothing, toilet requisites and cigarettes. This created imbalance and an option for some who had more to exchange for goods that otherwise they would not enjoy.
2. Distributing the same quantity of goods among prisoners regardless of their preferences or needs. If all smokers were given the amount of cigarettes they needed per day they would not need to look for more cigarettes to exchange. At the same time, if non-smokers, or less frequent smokers, were given zero cigarettes or the exact amount of cigarettes they would smoke, there would have been no “extra” cigarettes to exchange on their part. Giving the same amount of goods to all prisoners, regardless of their preference or needs, made prisoners exchange unwanted goods for the ones that they needed or desired.
3. Allowing prisoners from different backgrounds and countries to communicate and move freely throughout the camp. This also allowed for different needs and wants among the different ethnic groups and therefore allowed for some market equilibrium as demands of goods varied. (permanent camps).
4. By allowing prisoners to use the “Exchange and Mart” notice board, allowing prisioners to know the price of the goods in camp.
5. By setting firm schedules of deliveries and quantities of goods per week. Prisoners knew what to expect and when to expect it, which created a stability of the trading system. Although all not quantities were fixed.
6. Allowing prisoners to have reserve of products, this allowed prisoners to have stores.
7. Allowing prisioners to sell on credit products to other prisioners.
8. Allowing prisioners to set up a store and put products in consignation.
9. Allowing prisioners to exchange products or services for other products or services.
10. BMKs facilitated exchange of goods by protecting prisoners from deflated prices.
Changes in demand and supply that affected prices were the following: