Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-12-27
NO.. so.
Pay Your Bills.
1.-THE Outlook.1

The worst feature of a panic is that II
/ makes men towards when II does not
! make them brutes; and the special form
! OF cowardice which comes with financial
| stress is unwillingness to part with
/ money, the tendency to hoard what one
! has and increase the peril, instead OF
/ generously giving 1t out and thus re-
/ moving the cause of the peril In every
| strinE'ncy host Of people begin by not
| paying their bins. 1t is the DELAY in
| paying small bills even more than large
| ones which prolongs hard times and un-
/ justly and unnecessarily lays a heavy
| burden on the backs of some of The most
/ prudent and honest members of the COM
! munitN An honest man always pays his
| debts. II misfortune overtakes him. the
day Of the discharge Of his obligation is
only postponed; it comes as soon as he
can make ready for it, But in a time Of
| panic 1t Is every mans pressing duty to
| pay his debts with the utmost prompt
ness.
There are hosts of people to-day who
have money in hand and are letting their
grocers, butchers milkmen, and others
who supply the necessities of life go un-
paid simply because they are timid and
like some country and city banks. want
TO collect and keep as much money on
hand as possible; as If money were for
boarding and not for circulation This
small-minded precaution is bringing mis-
fortune to many industries and faithful
men and women. Those who supply the
means of life, whose coming and going
from the house are part of the daily rou-
tine Of keeping the family alive ought to
be the very last to suffer from DELAYED
payment. As a matter of fact, they are
the verv first People who can still spend
money upon the theatre, the opera com
certs, and other forms of entertainment
are letting their grocers, butchers, and
milkmen go unpaid, thus contributing
TO the very condition which makes them
cowardly. There is no longer any rea-
son for timidity; but if there were, The
duty Of paying ones small debts with as
great promptness and as deep a sense Of
responsibility as one pays ones large
debts would press still more imperatively.
1t is great deal more honorable to have
a small bank account and no unpaid bills
in the house than to have a large bank
account made up by keeping money
which belongs to other people.
These paragraphs are from an editorial
in the current number of The Outlook
which was written with special reference
to people of means who are just now
neglecting TO pay their small bills be-
cause they fear that they may cut into
their bank accounts. But the application
is universal. The admonition to pay
your bills" is as much for small COM
munities as for large ones-for people Of
ordinary means as for those who are
rich. 1t is now well recognized that the
beginning of the financial stringency was
in the action of many of the national
banks in boarding currency-for fear
something might happen-instead of let
ting their money go in the usual channels
of business. For individuals now to fol-
low the same timid course is the height
of folly, because it is the surest way to
make the times really hard"
We are not facing any great disaster or
prolonged depression. There is general
confidence that the early months of the
new year will see business resuming
healthy activity. The great majority of
people are going to live and do business
and earn money and spend it just as they
have always done, and the very best
thing any Of US can do is to heed The
Outlooks advice: act like honorable men
and women by using our money to pay
our bills. and so do our share toward
keeping the wheels of business moving.
Pay your bills-and you will find the
money coming back to pay the bills or
the wages that are due you.