Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-11-19
ECONOMY AND PROSPERITY,

There is an old story, which may or
may not be true, about Queen Vic
toria and the ribbons, which has been
widely used for purposes of illustra-
ton because there are so many cases
that it fits. 1t has probably been told
In these columns more than once In
the past twenty years. but another
telling will not hurt The story is
this:
Shortly after the young queen had
assumed her lofty position trade was
slack and times were hard. With
the maternal solicitude which Vic
toria always felt for her people, and
with her love for habits Of thrift, she
sought to benefit the people by SIM
plifying the style of women's dress
Among other things. she discarded
the use of ribbons. The ladies OF the
court did likewise. Presently ribbon
less costumes became the fashion. To
that extent the cost of living had
been lowered. What the queen had
sought to had been done. But pres
emily there arose a wall from the
trade. Ribbon factories went out OF
business. And the queen was waited
Oh by delegations of working girls
from the factories beseeching her to
change the fashions back again Sc
that they might have occupation.
This was u feature of the case which
had not occurred to the queen. She
had introduced an element Of con-
fusion into an economic situation, and
the result was disastrous.
committee of Chicago women is
at work now trying to md occups-
ton for several thousand women of
that city who have been thrown out
Of work by the closing of factories
there or by the fact that factories
have gone onto a part time basis.
Much of this is due to the interrup-
tion of certain lines Of business by the
war In some cases raw materials
cannot be obtained. In others much
OF the product has found q foreign
market which is now closed. In 9TH
er cases Il wave OF economy, due in
part to sentiment and in part to local
business conditions, has lessened de-
mand. Many Of the products in
whose production these women have
been employed belong in the ribbon
class, that Is. while convenient and
desirable. they are not indispensable.
IT their use we're discontinued their
lack would impose no hardship. But
IN the production OF these things
thousands Of persons have been en-
ployed. and now their employment is
gone. or the demand for their labors
is seriously curtailed. Hence the re.
suit is distressing
The automobile, useful though IL is,
is to many man a costly and bur.
densome piece of extravaganza. But
suppose there should be general
Stacking in the demand for automo-
bilss. Suppose the machines should
suddenly become unpopular Millions
Of dollars that are now spent on autos
would not then be spent in that way.
But in the decentralization which
would come to a business which has
become established. and whose
branches reach into every stratum
of our society there would be more
direct loss than could be made up I'm
wears Of saving in the purchase price
of autos.
The linen collar is entirely unnec-
escsary. man may be quite warm
and comfortable without any collar
at all. If we should all abandon the
linen collar some millions of dollars
year would be saved. But II that
were done lot of big industries
would go to pieces with such a crash
that every trade center in the coun-
try would be shaken. and the elastic
ity OF the new currency system would
be given such a test as. lot US hope,
it will never experience.
Thrift and economy are essential To
the prosperity OF a people. Perhaps
we have not enough Of them. But
waves Of sentiment. whether ex.
pressed in the action Of large num-
bers Of individuals acting voluntarily,
or in lesaslatton which passes ~ 70.
form. are dangerous when they touch
In the finance, the Industry or the
commerce Of nation.