The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-04
THE EVIL OF WASTE.

dion wasted upon poodles by silly women
would, if properly distributed, supply all
poor orphans with homes" Without indors-
ing this statement to its full extent it is rea-
sonably safe to say that, as individuals and
as people, Americans waste enough to keep
them in comfort if only their resources were
properly applied. There are poor people
who, of necessity, can waste but little be-
cause they have but little to subsist upon.
They are obliged to be not economical, but
frugal. They cannot throw away SO much
as they eat because they have barely enough
to live with. But just as soon
as the limit of actual necessity is exceeded
does the habit of waste manifest itself.
There are exceptions, of course, but they
are exceptions and not the rule. The waste
is not wanton, but rather a careless one
among people OF moderate means The
necessity of economy not being apparent,
they give little thought of the morrow
while indulging in the good things of to-
day. Food is wasted when palatable bits are
sent to the pigs instead of to the larder.
We waste none the less efIectually, and to
greater harm, when we eat more than we
need because it is SO good" We
waste whenever we eat anything 'just
TO save it' We waste clothing when
we discard it before it is worn out We
waste when we lay it aside because it is no
longer fashionable We waste when we
wear more clothing than we should or less
than we should But it is not always eco
nomical to hoard money. 1t sometimes pays
to invest little in fun; in some diversion
that will allow body and mind to stretch"
themselves for a time free from the harness
that binds and gals A dollar for picnic is
better than ten for a physician. Itpays bet
ter occasionally to expend dollar in 7ainly
trying to capture a mud cat" than to buy
brook trout at the fish dealers for fifty cents.
We waste money when we take two-dolar
time to do ffty-cent work. 1t doesn't pay
for man earning five dollars a day to saw
wood in order to save paying wood-sawer
dollar a day for doing it. We waste nervous
we work sixteen hours day instead of ten.
We may endure the strain for a time, but in
the end the result will be a dead loss. We
waste while trying to economize by putting
a dollar half-sole on a fifty-cent SHOE We
waste very effectually when we buy cheap
goods because they cost but little. 1t would
pay better to invest twice as much
in order to get four-fold as much service.
we'll and never wear we'll.
The well-to-do and wealthier classes, with
greater opportunities waste with greater prod
gality. With the means OF indulgence at
command it is next to impossible to with
stand the temptation to squander A few do
net give way to extravaganza, and those are
they who grow rich. In this stratum Of So
ciety the tendency runs to poodles and pi-
amos, though great many own the latter
who cannot afford the former. To be sue
cessful and stylish poodle nurse, its
foster mother should be possessed of little
sense and unlimited leisure. 1t is no waste
Better that than to perpetuate a race of hui
man weaklings Better poodle than noodle.
1t is waste TO bestow a fifteen-hundred dol
lar grand upon young lady who has ac-
quired four-dolar musical education, and
for the life of her cannot tell pastorale
from fandango. 1t is waste of money 10
send boy to college for four years to fit
him for a forty-dollar clerkship. 1t
is folly to attempt four-thou-
sand dollar superstructure on an
eight-by-ten foundation. But the rich
and those who ape them are blamable for
many examples OF extravagant waste for
which there can be no plausible excuse.
Take, for instance, a fashionable hotel. 1t is
quite safe to say that as much food is daily
wasted as is consumed by the guests Not
that it is not palatable and wholesome but
from a false idea of what is morally right
If it is right to consign half the food pre-
pared to the swillbarrel, it is just as right to
send it there direct from the cuisine, without
The trouble of carrying it to the
table Nobody would attempt to
Justify anybody, however rich, who would
be guilty of such willful waste 1t is spe-
cious plea that man may do what he pleases
with his own. In one sense--a very limited
one-this may be true; but no man has
right to be prodigal in destroying that which
would relieve the distress or even minister
10 fha 6
limply shameful. 1t creates a false demand
that inevitably increases the cost of the arti-
Giles thus des pissed. The man or woman