The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-19
Happy Condition of Business.

The prosperity of any community
or country is indicated, not alone by
the investments of the humble and
moderately well-to-do. We know,
perfectly well, that, when the labor
ing man, the artisan and the mer-
chant give out word and visible tok-
en- of being prosperous that it is a
good sign and we never fail to re-
Joice thereat. There is nothing that
gives us more pleasure than to re-
cord the fact that Thus and So have
bought house and lot and have paid
for 1t; have enlarged their stores or
have branched out on new lines of
industry; it all shows that our peo-
pie are laying up for themselves
treasures on earth that they have
earned, out of the sweat of their
brow We pride ourselves on the
fact that, here in America, more
working men than can be found
elsewhere, the whole world over,
own their homes. Our workingmen
are thrifty, frugal, saving and indus
tr1ous; they are the mainstay and the
backbone of the nation, and we glad
ly yield to them our applause and
best wishes.
However, there is another indica-
tion of prosperity in this country
that we must not fail to take into
account, and we hereby take note of
it.
If the workingman is prosperous,
those he works for must also be
prosperous, else there will be no
such thing as prosperity and we
should be in sad case indeed.
We like to see the rich growing
richer because it inevitably means
that those who work for the rich
are also getting better off. In an
era of depression among those whom
we term as "the rich" there may also
be expected loss of work, lowered
wages and general shrinkage of en-
ployment. When we see the wealthy
launching out in investments and the
use of their money, then we may
look to see the laboring man also
prospering and profiting.
We are moved to thus express our
selves because it has just come to
notice that more diamonds and other
precious stones were imported into
New York during October than dur
ing any other single month in the
history of the port. This informa-
ton is given out by George Wana-
maker, appraiser of the port.
The total appraised value of the
gems imported in October was $5,-
132,189 compared with $1,988,6S9,
in October, last year. Two years
ago in the same month the precious
stone entries were valued at $2,O41,-
TAT, Last months gem imports ex-
ceeded those of last July when the
entries were appraised at $5,122,-
957. The appraiser says that the
phenomenal importations of precious
stones are an indication of wide
spread prosperity in this country.
The report gives $85,272,859 as
representing the total appraised value
of all imported merchandise examin-
ed last month. The total appraised
value for October, 1908, amounted
to $6O,784439.09, the month of Oc-
tober, 1909, showing an increase of
approximately $24,50O,0OO, exceed
ing the figures of October, 1907, by
more than $17,0OO,OOO.
All this goes to show that those
who can afford to wear jewels and
travel about in automobiles are do
ing we'll and are on the increase.
This should be an indication that the
worker, the man who works for
those thus able to travel and wear
jewels, is being more and more en-
ployed and getting better pay for
what he does.
At any rate, it is all an indication
of prosperity which we are glad to
take note of, If prosperity affects the
employer, 1t also, of necessity, af-
fects the employed.
We never see rich man adding
to his riches but what we think of
his added capacity for giving en-
ployment and better wages to those
whom he has to employ to serve
him.
So all these figures are pregnant
with hopeful suggestions as to the
future. The American workingman,
we verify believe, was never better
or than to-day and never had bright
er prospects for the future.-Middle-
town Times-Press.