New Ralphs Hiring Policy

I was appalled by the news that Ralphs laid off more than 1,000 workers, not because they were incompetent, disloyal or lazy. Quite the reverse. As a result of their competence, loyalty and ambition, they rose to the top of their pay scale. Their reward was a choice between demotion or discharge.

Personally, I would prefer to see those familiar, friendly, concerned faces back in Ralphs--and an end to those TV commercials featuring a high-priced saleslady, and the countless pages of Ralphs ads that could well be contained on a single page.

What a mockery of the American Dream! Work hard, rise to the top, and then go to the end of the unemployment lines.

Goodby, Ralphs. We’ll shop elsewhere. Not for long, I fear, for if Ralphs gets away with this, it’s safe to predict the other markets will follow suit. Remember Reinhold Niebuhr, who said: “ . . . And by the time they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.”

SHIRLEY HESS

Canoga Park