The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-30
Voice Of the People
Just Charge IT, and Its Relation to the
Problem of the High Cost of Living
10 the Editor of The Times Dispatch

~ tHe Eultof oil The Times Dispatch:
Sir,-Thc most abused and misunder-
stood word in the English language Is
the word tariff" II is on the tongue
or every crafty and designing politi-
cian, being distorted to meet the yhims
OF most eNtravagant and luxury low
ing people. We can often easily fool
the other fellow. but is il so easy 10
fool ourselves? Is 1t really the convic
tion or every thinking person that when
the tariff has been revised the cost of
, living VIII be materially reduced? III
I we could 1muZZle 100000 politicians in
the united states. curb our extrava-
gances. and better understand orr
many vocations. cultivating thrift and
closer application to duty. and conserv-
ing our individual finances we would
DC a long way the road to solving
the problem of the high cost OF living.
AS nation. We are the most extrava-
CANT people on the face OF the Garth
Pride. love of luxury. extravagance and
/ 700 much credit are increasing the cost
| or living beyond the shadow OF n
doubt. n champagne thirst and n beer
pocketbook is where the trouble lies.
INC tendency Of the American people
/ is 10 spend TWO dollars for every one
earned. y contributors factor TO this
tendency is the easily acquired and
readily cultivated habit of SAYING.
/ Just charge it."
! You will readily admit that there is
/ something radically wrong with a
credit system which permits the calIow.
youth TO drop in at the corner drug
store and start the day with a package
( or cigarettes and an exhilarating soft
drink, or the stylishly dressed young
woman TO bring in her letter to be
stamped. and have them charged
There liz no law to prohibit the man
who makes 800 from spending 500
bul mas he a moral right to spend $500
and have the difference charged?
me more we earn the more we Gull
ti'ate excessive expenditures. If the
outcher sells you pound of meat at
80 cents (nothins but the bcst, and
after consuming the same you fail to
pay either the butcher is out the cost
OF the meat or he must make it up on
the next cash customer. If Mrs. Jones
buys a pound OF the best coffee from
the grocery, or Mr.. Jones purchases n
pair of silk hose for himself on credit
Mese purchases are loss to tho mer-
chants. These losses have to be taken
INTO consideration in merchandising
and are bound to influence the price
upward instead of downward.
The American Federation of Sex
Hygiene. Of which DIR. Eliot. of Har-
ward, is president has compiled an in
teresting table OF statistics dealing
with the surplus Expenditures of the
American people. The smallest item
In the list is s13.000.000 for chewing
gum. Think OF IT, Doubtless a large
proportion of these luXuries are charged
10 the consumer. man has no more
right as consumer to have things
charged and never pay the bill than
he has to go into his ncighbor's hen
roost and take his best egg producer
There is nothing too good for the man
who has the cash purchasing medium.
but IT is downright robbery for the
man TO have it charged and never pa ::
the bill
1t is a shameful condition which CON
fronts us. 1t touches the high as we'll
rs the low in the social scale. 1t de-
mands deep consideration by every man
and woman. Politicians. ministers and
others fail to touch the subject of the
high cost of living in the right spot. for
fear of bringing down maledictions on
themselves. 1t strikes too many of us
where we live
4. Another contributory factor to the
high cost OF living is the growing ten
dency of people to strain every condi-
ton to help keep up appearances. Be
cause the Browns who are financially
able to do SO. live in splendid style,
with every luxury at their command.
their near neighbors. the Smiths whose
finances suffer from compa rison,. must
maintain the same style and indulge in
the same luXuries. or go them one bet
ter. The money for these things must
come from somewhere, so 1t is gem
orally the butcher. the baker, the
their money, while the available cash
goes toward keeping up with the pace
set by the wealthy neighbor. Nero was
extravagant enough to burn Rome, but
he was a novice compared TO the rising
generation of tho American people. The