The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-04-11
PLEA FOR THE PENNY.

The Sunday San Francisco Chronicle |
makes an able plea for the deSpised |
penny. 1t sets forth several points to
sustain it's plea, all of which are en-
titled to more or less weight. But
we think the argument that the use of
the little coin would cultivate frugal
ity is an apt and weighty one. The
French people are the richest in the
world-that is they have the largest
average per capita wealth (not the
largest number of millionaires, by any
means, because they are the most
frugal-because they take care of the
centimes and the francs take care of
themselves. But there is the Chron-
icle's article:
1t is strange that the penny has not
been brought into use on the Pacific
coast, since it would benefit the buyer
and producer and work no injury to
the seller, except possibly increase the
volume of his business without a pro-
portionate addition to his profits. Its
direct benefits would be so great and
widespread and it's secondary advan-
tages equally so positive and eXten-
sive in the way of cultivating frugal
L ity, that it is indeed remarkable that
we should be SO inhospitable to the
introduction and use of this small coin.
| "No problem in Euclid can be de-
monstrated more lucidly or unequlVo-
cally than that the use of the penny
would add substantial increase to
the wages or salary of every working
man or clerk. Thus, if man buys
half dozen eggs for 8 cents and must
pay 10 because small coins to make
the change are not in use he loses z
cents or 20 per cent of the purchase
price. If he spent his wages in small
purchases Of that character he would
lose 20 cents in every dollar, and if he
were wageworker at $1.5O a day
he would lose by the end of the month
Sc. The saving of such an amount
, would be equivalent to an increase il
his wages of twenty per cent. O1
course all of mans wages are no
laid out in small purchases, but If one
stops to think, it is remarkable how
, much a man of small means buys il
small quantities.
"If a man can save in his purchases
+ from five to twenty per cent of his in
come he has just that much more t.
, expend for other articles. If the work
. man saves 2 cents in the purchase o
I half dozen eggs, he has that addi
, tional amount to lay out for an appl
q or orange. His purchasing power ha
:, been increased and consequently tn,
man who produces has just so mucl
lgreater demand to supply. Thus tn,
a|producer is benefited to the degree o
= the increase in the buying power o
+ the people.
. sit may be said that the seller woul,
lose this odd change in the transaction
' and this is true. Yet, if he could sci
? the half dozen eggs for 8 cents an,
. thereby get fair profit, he ought no
: to complain because he cannot charg
f twenty per cent additional. Further
5 more, the buyer would probably spen,
: for some other article the amount h
saved on one purchase, and the selle
i would make a profit on that transaC
4 ton.
"a careful study of the daily pun
o chases of a wOrkingman with SINAI
Il family will show that he loses fror
So to So or SO month because he doe
: not receive exact change from the sell
4 er. And this amounts to SubStantia
e and important sum.
= "There is also secondary benefit be
f slowed in the use of small coins whic
d should by no means be despised.
r is the advantage derived from the i'm
e pulse to frugality and economy whic
O it gives. If a child be given q cen
to spend instead of a nickel, it ha
: great deal more respect for the nick
r ell, and looks upon it as of create
s value than though it were the s1nalles
f coin in use. What is true with tn
child is true with the man. And thes
subtle Impressions on the mind hay
]. an unconscious effect upon the opir
: ion man forms of the value o
money.
S 1T is said that the old California;
e who used to measure values by tn
: rude way of weighing gold dust, threy
the nickel in the street when it wa
e first given to him in change. Blu
i who would now give up the nickel, O
J. who can estimate the benefit it's us
4 has brought to the people? The pen
t ny is just as useful, just as beneficial
e ito the people as the nickel. and it
coming should be warmly welcomed.
Il INDIAN WAR VETERA RAMS