National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-10
ECONOMY IS WEALTH.


times doubted. The doubters are usually
young persons who have had but little ex-
perience in the earning and expenditure of
money. And there is no saying more
truthful in the world than ''easy comes,
easy goes" So long as a child can get
what money it wants to spend by asking
its parents or guardians for it (be that guar
dian Uncle Sam" or any other MANI it is
not likely to know much of the practical
value of money. 1t keeps no account of
the sums expended nor Of the cost of food
and clothing. The young man who gets
salary of twelve hundred dollars year and
boards at home with his parents without
giving them any remuneration for his SUBJ
sistence, but who smokes and INDUCES in
billiards and drinks, and frequents the
theatre, is at loss to know what becomes
of his hundred dollars each month, and his
parents are even more bewildered than he.
But slight calculation will make it all
apparent.
Half dozen cigars, (and less than this
number would hardly suffice for day,)
at three for quarter, cost fifty cents, which
is fifteen dollars. Half dozen drinks for
self and friends, at fifteen cents, or ninety
cents per day, is twenty-seven dollars per
month. He gets off cheaply at billiards,
if he plays them at all, at five dollars per
month. His suppers and lunches cannot
cost him less than fifty cents daily, on the
average, if he takes them regularly, which is
another fifteen dollars. Four times to the
theatre with lady, Cor twice a week with
out will cost him from three to five dollars
each, which we will call fifteen dollars more.
All this amounts to seventy-seven dollars
per month for absolute luXuries; things
which can be eliminated from ones ex-
penses whenever necessity requires. This
leaves him twenty three dollars for chart
ties, clothing, hats, boots, gloves, car fare,
shaving, boot cleaning, etc, none of which
have been included IN the above estimates
for luxuries.
There are hundreds of young persons in
this city who are expanding their entire
earnings upon superfluous dress and the
qualification Of those passions, appetites and
desires which will annoy them by their
cravings for long years to come, when they
will be obliged to take care of themselves
and family Of their own in addition, and
perhaps upon smaller salary than they
are now receiving. They do these things
'thOughtlessly and heedlesSly, many times
because they see others do them, and they
do not wish to be considered stingy or
mean. What can be meaner and stingier
than to sponge upon aged parents for board
when they are getting good salaries. If
they would keep expense accounts, as they
should be instructed to do from their school
days, so that they could always tell at a
glance their living expenses for each month,
they might realize their value.
But suppose our young friends should
decide to cut off some of their luxuries,
deny themselves a certain pleasure, and in
vest the amount of its cost in some way so
that it might accumulate, how soon would
it amount to handsome capital! They
might take out policy in a cooperative
or mutual life insurance company, payable
by monthly installments; or take share
or two in some building company or asso-
citation. In this manner they could, in
four years, by laying away fifty dollars per
month, which they are now (worse than)
throwing away, sink twenty-five hundred
dollars principal regardless of accumula-
tons
But there are many ways in which econ
Omists may invest their small earnings so
that they will be constantly accommodating
something. The great thing to be remem-
bered is that the only sure road to wealth
is the living within ones income and in
vesting something. There are in this Dis
trict over five thousand Government en-
plOyees, who ought to save by this rule at
least ten dollars per month each. This
would be one hundred and twenty dollars
a year each, or six hundred thousand dol
lars per annum in the aggregate. 1t may
be said that the money is all spent here
and remains here. That may be true. But
it gets into few hands, and makes the
rich richer and the poor poorer. By the
economic policy all the Government en-
ployees might at the end of four years be-
come small capitalists. 1t is not the I'M
lucky who are always poor. 1t is the
spendthrift and the prodigal