Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1912-09-27
HIGH PRICES AND COMMON
SENSE

AJANOA
The price of beef is higher now
than Il has been for decades.
Butter and eggs are away up.
Clothing is high and so are buiid-
ing materials What's the rea-
son
One reason is that in spite OF
the high prices we still go on
eating beef, butter and eggs
wearing expensive clothing and
building fine houses.
The cause of the present era OF
high prices is not thing easy to
determine, for many factors enter
into if. Experts in every civillz-
ed nation of the globe are trying
70 puzzle it out. But some OF
these factors We do know, arld
one of them is the suggested
above. and it is the most 1mpor-
tant of all because it is one the
remedy for which lies in the hands
of every consumer.
The trouble, briefly stated. is
that many of us have come to
demand food and clothing and
home conveniences Of kind that
are not at all necessary to our
health or comfort or edification;
that should properly be classed
not as necessities but Injuries.
Just after the Civil War, men,
women and children throughout
The South got very little meat to
eat. It cost too much. The
majority Of them took to smoked
herring and kindred yiands. Peo-
pie can eat whatever they have
TO. And they can relish it. In
the course of time the Southern
people found that the smoked
herring which they had formerly
turned up the nose at was IN
reality delectable dish, apretIz-
ing and satisfying. The people
of today can ind similar substi-
tutes for porterhouse steak, II
they look for them.
AS with foodstnffs, so with
other things. There is nothing
unhealthy, uncomfortable or I'M
moral in jean clothing, but what
man would wear it? There IS
nothing particularly healthy,
comfortable or beautiful in fine
feathers, but what woman would
omit them from her hat Hand
an artist from Mars a SIS hat and
a $40 crea ton and he'd probably
tell you the former is the more
beautiful. But no woman would
believe him. 1t was bad enough
In the days when women dressed
to please men; nowadays, when
they dress to pique women, the
problem is intensified.
A man with a house to build
was quarreling the other day with
a contractor. II could have put
up this house at one-half the
price you quote few days ago"
he told The latter. Yes" said
the contractor, but then you
would not have demanded hard
wood goors and tiled-bsthTooms
and---hs iatest stunts in artistic
electric fixtures, and a hundred
other things you now expect as
a matter of course.
The truth is that in these days
we insist upon things that are
not only unnecessary, but are
probably also unwholesome; that
minister to the soft side of the
pride of our natures rather than
to that which is more stoical and
upbuilding. We need 4 sort of
semi-re,lgious or altogether re-
ligious revival that will take our
thoughts off the husks Of this
worlds van1ties and put them on
what used to be called the eter-
nal verities. We need to get back
to first principles. Money is
really a sacred thing, because, if
honestly come by, it meant sweat
and toll and wearisome effort;
and it means power. We have
no right to squander it l-x lessly
or selfishly or out of pure vanity. |
The ethics of the most Of us to-
day are as bad as the economics.
II the high cost of living hani-
mers this lesson home. it will not |
be without its advantages; until !
the lesson is hammered lieine we
shall nor get rid of the problem
of high prices. - Baltimore Sun.
Points in Favor Of MOodoM kiIsen
He is not lawyer.
He has no war record.
He Il not connected with an uplift