The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-19
is ONLY A PENNY.
Urging a System of Exact
Change.
Editor Butler fnveighs Against the
Idea That Coppers Are Too Small
TO Be Watched.

Editor E. 81. Butler OF the Buffalo News,
the most influential Republican paper in
Western New York, has been in the city
for the past ten days, and yesterday while
sitting in the office of the Palace. kept IN
doors, as he said, by the abundance OF
glorious climate" which prevailed out
side, he made some observations on West
ern life and noted a number OF things
which had impressed him during his brief
stay in the city.
There may not be many things that
you people in the West have yet to learn"
said he. but there is one thing that
strikes me rather unpleasantly, and that is
to see any of Uucle Sans money practi-
cal!y discredted in any part of the
country, and that is what YOU are doicg.
There is no place in the West to spend
pennies, and simply because the sum is
small. [ assure you that it does not argue
that the matter is a small one, for it is
class of people more than does the Gues-
ton Of wages, and one of these days some
enterprislDg individual will make that
discovery, and will not only make a for
tune for himself, but be the means of
bringing an almost priceless boon to that
class of people whose purchases in the
market are regulated not by their wishes
but by their necessities.
The people liz the West have the idea
that man is small who does business on
a penny basis, as you say. but it is as
senseless prejudice as ever found lodg-
men. in peoples minds. 1t is simply a
business proposition. Your workmen are
not paid In accordance with the prices they
pay for the necessaries of life, and when
that fact becomes thoroughly patent to
them a change will be demanded, and it is
bound to come.
Now, penny, or 2 cents or even
cents, is not much in itself, but it means
daily paper, or some extra relish or fruit
on the table, or an extra strertcar ride. or
any one OF thousand things which the
poorer class of people in the East can en-
JOY. but of which they would be deprived
If the system of exact change was not in
vogue there.
1.-The people of the West laugh at at
for 80 cents or a pair of shoes for 81 %,
but that means that while they would pay
the dollar or two dollars the Eastern fam
lily is supplied with the news Of the day
cut of the same money. And when they
90 TO the market nickel is the smallest
that they can use in purchasing supplies
for the table, and two bits" and flour
bits" are gone before they have much
more than made commencement.
''In Buffalo you can go into the mark ct
and for 2 cents get head of cauliflower
or a bunch of asparagus. The same sum
will purchase a small sack of potatoes.
Five warm buns at the next stall cost only
4 cents, and you can get them home fres h
and steaming for the evening meal. A
bunch of celery can be bought for another
penny, and il il is late in the evening a
beef bone at the butchers stall may be
had for cents; perhaps it was Is cents
earlier in the day. And so you go ali
through the markets. and buy things for
half and less than half Of what it can be
purchased in this city.
From this it is easy to see how much
cheaper a family can live in an Eastern
city, and yet the wages are not below those
which your workmen receive. IL the men
who are now at work in the park for 81 q
day would buy provisions at such rates as
| have mentioned, out of that sum thew
could support their family quite we'll and
possibly lay by a little of IL. But the con-
cusion is unavoidable that the Eastern
laborer, who is practically at the same
wages as are paid here, either lives much
better or saves more than his brother
laborer in the West.
"There was a time, no doubt. when In
would have been more in place to poo-hoo
the exact-change system; but when men
were paid SIS and 81 day for ordinary
labor and artisans in proportion, there
was no necessity for looking after the PEN
MES. But when the cut came in the price
OF labor il would only be justice tina. a
proportionate reduction should be made in
the price OF the commodities which they
are com PEELED to purchase, and the intro
duction of pennies is a necessity to the
accomplishing of that end"