The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-08


do not need The trouble Is that 50
many people are just as busy now aS
they can be, on a paying basis. They
might go a step farther and become
| usybodies, but no one would reward
them for their extra and unnecessary
labor. Professor Blackmar has adopt.
ed views of the standard political eco
nomists, who believe II is a good thing
that men should be profoundly dissat.
isfed, wanting all sorts of convent.
ences and luxuries that they cannot
easily obtain. That makes them en-
terprising, energetic and Industrious
prodpcers of wealth with which they
may satisfy their desires. From the
point of view of the old, orthodox po.
litical economy, the happy, content
ed man who is also poor, is not worth
the powder that II would take to blow
him into heaven. Political economy
has a grudge against contentment and
wants everybody dissatisfied with his
or her condition in life, so that there
will be a universal ferrnent and a con.
stant struggle to get a hold on new
possessions Of real or imaginary value
But like some other sciences that
could be mentioned, political economy
is somewhat contradictory and recon.
mends thrift and frugality while gent
ly intimating that the consumer
should consume more, so as to help
out the producer. Capital should be
Accumulated for investment in wealth
production, but production can only
be profitable when the consumer re-
lakes his grip on his hard-earned dol
lar and buys something more than the
barest necessities of life. Competitor 10
no longer the life Of trade Trade thriw
es on the money of the man who pur
chases something he might have
managed to do without. The reckless
man who blows himself for q new
suit of clothes when he might have
had the old one cleaned and dyed IL
the true hero Of commerce. without
him and his like, general bankruptcy
would stare the mercantile commuuj.
IS in the face AS Prof BlacEmar de.
.c0arcs the delight of living calls for
certain degree Of extravaganza. Some
people are So well convinced OF this
that the only limit to their purchases
is tbe credit line that is drawn against
them by those in possession of the
goods they want Others have money
enough 10 satisfy every want-f they
ouly. had the wants. But their desires
are weak and few and they leave their
money to their heirs.
The increased cost of living presents
very serious problem to a vast multi
tude of people. and many of them
will find cold comfort in Prof Black.
mars philosophy. Perhaps he Is not
up against it" hard enough in his
own domestic economy to be entirely
on common ground with the average
and households. More
help may be derived from what a Chic
ago packer says. He is the president
of Swift & Co., and probably does moi
know enough about political economy
to lecture on the subject, but he seems
to be familiar with domestic economy,
which is the kind now most in demand
This packer magnate says:
II feel that some of the talk abou'
high prices Of beef is due to the great
demand for rib and loin cuts which
comprise only twenty-six per cent OF
the total. The proper preparation and
cooking of the cheaper cuts, compris-
ing seventy-four per cent of the beef.
is given considerable attention by do
mestic science authorities with a view
of increasing the use of these cuts, ,and
thereby effecting a saving in the cost
Of living"
These are the words of a man who
sells beef and who wants people to con
tinue eating it. He does not console
us with philosophy bat meets the situ-
alton by suggesting that Americans
are wasteful. All European observers
have said the same thing and prob
ably 1t is true. But under this fate.
full Taft administration the people OF
the United States are going to have
every opportunity, apparently, to learn
and practice economy. In the fullness
of time, providence sent, Taft. Aldrich.
Payne and Cannon as scourgcs for our
sins II they can't make us repent as
a nation then indeed is our case hope
less.
AMERICAN