The Portland daily press., 1874-11-21
Worth Thinking Over.

Whatever may be said in praise of the
good qualities of the American people-and
great deal may-as people we cannot
claim to be above the frivolities of dress ard
fashion. The statistics not only indicate that
we are the most extensive devotees Of luxury
and finery but that our expenditures in that
direction are increasing in surprising ratio.
For. instance, in 1854, Paris exported to
America about $17,OOO,OOO worth of goods,
largely articles of finery or luxury, while
during the present year Paris will furnish us
about $50,000,000 worth of these articles,
showing an increase nearly three-fold in a
decade. Those who go into the details of this
increase will find that $6,OOO,0 900 of It can be
charged to kid gloves, shawls, hair, laces,
buttons, false flowers, etc.
One would think that our expenditures IN
this direction would be reduced by the
financial panic of last fall and the season of
dullness which has followed. Such, however,
is not the case, for despite the panic, which
has stopped the wheels of industry, paralyzed
every department of business and brought
poverty to thousands of households that never
knew it before, we have bought $751;, 1000
mole of finery this year than in 1873 This
goes to show that our people will give up
most anything before they will relinquish
those articles which minister rather to vanity
than contribute to comfort. By an examination
OF the items of expenditure, it appears that
during the year 1873 we expended $4S1 200
more for jewery than during the present
year, but for false flowers we have spent
100000 more, for shawls 100000 more,
and for kid gloves $275,00O this year than
the year preceding.
One would naturally think that the change
of fashions would affect the demand for GER
tain kinds of finery or adornment. If this
were the case, we should come to the con-
clusion that the wearing of false hair was
going out OF fashion, since there has been a
diminution of 100000 In the import of this
substance or about 80 per cent. in amount.
We do not recognize any such falling off in
the abundance of capillary adornments worn
by the ladies as such a falling off in the
expense would indicate. An exchange ac-
counts for this on the possible ground of the
restoratives."
In addition to the articles of firery and
luxury which we import, the census of 1877
shows that we consume annually about
5000, 600 worth of articles which cannot
be classed among tie actual necessaries of
life For instance, we consume 1872, 100000
worth of malt and distilled liquors, which is
not only money wasted but ten-fold worse
than thrown away. In addition to this we
expended that year $22, 100000 for jewelry of
domestic manufacture, $16,000,000 for con-
fectionery and other articles of like character,
all aggregating as we have said nearly
S200,000,000.
The figures which represent the cost of
finery and luxury are sufficiently large to
demand general attention. The alarmingly
rapid increase Of expenditure for articles
embraced under those heads; the growing
tendency of the American people 70 sub
ordinate nearly every good to love of dis
rlay, and to run all sorts of financial risks to
crafty such tastes are facts worthy of serious
consideration and evils which demand an
early remedy. A people burdened with
vast public debt and cursed with an irredeem-
able currency will achieve greater honor
among civilized nations by getting out of the
road to bankruptcy than by winning the
reputation of being the most willing slave OF
vanity on the globe.