The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-04
Hou the Hard Times in America
 Make ThemselDes FeH Abroad

 shows only s377,3s3. Since the panic of last autumn the diamond trade has gone to pieces, and while dispatches from Europe say that the trade there is reviving, this is hardly the case In America. The trouble here hurt the diamond trade in Europe, but only in regard to the lesser exports to this country, but because of the general depression in Europe that followed the slump In this country. That Lyons manufacturer, for instance, did not give his wife a diamond necklace on her birthday, so the diamond workers have suffered on all sides.
 But though diamonds are not bought in this country as they were, young love seems still to bedeck the object of its devotion. only in less expensive gauds. The imports of 'Jewelry and manufactures of gold and silver" have not fallen on. Let 1t be hoped that young love is just as happy as 1t was when 1t sparkled with geme a year or so ago.
 The lace importations are only little more than half what they used to be, and 1t is noticeable that im- ports from the countries from which the most expensive laces come have fallen off more than half. The same fact is true of yelvets. The imports of ready clothing from France is less than half-ready- made clothing being, presumably, the manner in which the soulless Bureau of Statistics refers to the works of art of the great designers. When women vote the GUS toms houses will have to change that or be demolished.
 NIi1ady EcOnOmizes. If milady has given up her PaQuin gown, she does not feel called on to | buy the little accessories that gor- geous raiment requires. so one Is not surprised to find that fans other than palm leaf" have fallen off tremendous | ly. Less than a third of the usual number have been imported. Passing naturally from fans to furs. the hg- ures show that the trade is little more than half what it was.
 Having neither the Paris gowns of former years. nor the painted fans. nor the gorgeous furs. it Is natural | that the lady of wealth should allow herself fewer ornaments and bibelots. The importations of ivory are almost one-half what they were. while fine china and glass show big falling on.
 In the home. too. there are. very evil dent. economies. While as much cheap carpet as ever seems to be used there are fewer expensive rugs. The value of such commodities from Asia and Oceanica is only half what 1t used to be. and 1t is plain that such Orient al rugs as have been imported have been of comparatively cheaper qual- | ity. Less mahogany comes into the country this year than usual. to0 | We Do Not Cut Down the Drinks.
 Economy has not stopped here, | It has spread to what we eat. We devour bananas. which are cheap and satisfying, but we have called Q halt on the better Kind of figs. entrants, and dates. Of some kinds we consume only a quarter of what was used be- fore the hard times set in. Somo kinds of nuts have fallen off. too, and we have apparently been substituting the cheaper cocoanut, to a great extent. for our cakes and desserts.
 | Have our misfortunes driven us to drink? Well, for a country where prohibition Is so strong we have not economized on the cup that cheers to any remarkabel extent. We seem to feel about the average need of Scotch Sghiskey. though we drink rather less champagne and still wine. The re- auirements of conviviality are perhaps met by ginger ale. of which wo i'm port now rather more than formerly. 1 So. reading between the lines of the report of the Bureau of Statistics, one sees Uncle Sam economizing and incl dentally making all the nations of the earth keep him company more or less. The nipples of the stone are wide. and they stretch out farther and farther into mysteries that may well be trag- is, only hinted at by line of ng- ures in a bulky book. In the midst of the unfversal economy. the evident feeling that needless expenditures are not justified this year, there turks ! one smIle--only one. but that Is toIer- ably broad.
 Women are content to order fewer luxuries for the table, resign them- selves to wear feewr smart gowns, and are evidently ready to bear their share of the hard times. but there is one item which shows an actual in- crease. It might be classed under lux uries by unfeeling men. but to the wo- man soul 1t must appear in another light, for the single line in the book which shows q growing trade iS that headed:
 'Perfumeries. cosmetics and all toilet preparations"