Semi-weekly herald., 1911-02-02
THE QUESTION oE COST.

The question OF cost is question
that enters into the consideration oil
every matter taken up by men of ex-
perience and only fools and children
ignore 1t.
The old saying that those who dance
must pay the fiddler is, and was al
ways, true ard the briefest and most
ephemeral dance calls for its proper
tional payment.
The merchant embarking In com
mercial career, II he be experienced,
figures the cost. and to get this COST
ne takes into consideration number
OF small and apparently insignificant
items that the novice Will overlook,
and it is on his care In this particular
that his success or failure depends.
The experienced merchant knows that
to the cost OF the goods, and the
freight paid thereon, must still be
added the incidental charges known
as the overhead" cost. These items
comprise the loss by depreciation
caused by shelfwear. by changing
styles, rents, light and fuel, items,
clerk hire and remnant discount, in.
surance rates and possibly dozen
other items which enter into the Ques'
tion OF cost.
But 1t ia not only to the merchant
that the question of cost should ap-
peal. Every young man living must
face the question in his daily life.
When young man steps from the
path OF rectitude he usually does SO
without counting cost and when a
young woman takes step which she
desires to conceal from her parents
the step is generally taken without
considering the question Of cost at all.
When even the slightest degree of de-
ceit is practiced there is price to
pay which would frighten one II they
were to stop to figure cost. The loss
of confidence and respect is often the
price paid as the cost of one false
step.
The politician, to become successful
must carefully figure the cost OF every
move, the minister in the pulpit. and
the medical practitioner in his office,
must take the question Of cost into
their every transaction.
Municipalities must also count cost
and the cost Of improvements is not
always all that must be figured. Add.
ed to the cost Of construction there
must come the cost of maintenance
and of repair and against this must
be figured the frightful cost of neglect
A needed improvement might be cheap
at a great expense while to attempt to
save money by failing to make the i'm
provement might be economy practiced
at an enormous cost for with the
question of cost must be taken into
consideration also the question OF
profit, the question of what dividends
can be expected from the investment.
In the case OF the persons who do
wrong, either commercially or social.
~. the question of profit is usually
one only of pleasure and temporary
enjoyment.
In the case of firms or corpora
tions, the profit is usually only a briei
season Of exaggerated impetus of trade
with corresponding flat season
following.
II state, or town. does wrong
about the only profit that can be fig
ured out is the delight and the ap
plause Of the knockers and this will
last only for day and then those who
came to cheer remain to denounce and
vilify.
The cost Of temporary peace is oft
en- greater than the cost of decisive
warfare and the rule to figure cost
on the ultimate result 10 good In gov
ernmental or municipal affairs. in com
mercial and financial matters and in
the consideration of the advisability Of
all acts which make or mar the good
name Of an Individual.