The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-11

oi sugar. as well great many other foodstuffs. and also clothing (fhis latter among the male population Is excessive. but are not quite willing to believe that this has increased in ratio to the rise in prizes within the last month
 There is one bit of information in Mir Pankey's letter for which we are
 thankful. however. and that Is that t
 Is the public which makes the donations heretofore credited to the merchants since We had heretofore believed that these were from the pockets of those credited We will now be able with a better grace to refuse these requests, with tho state- ment that our contribution has been al- ready made. This will be a great relief as We will thus not be obliged to listen to n narrowing story. and then be compelled to refuse relief on account of the great advance In the cost of necessities of life.
 In regard to his plea for higher prices. Will say that he is surely too astute to think that the millions of persons in the west tpresumably farmers) are to any great extent benefited by this rise in the cost of flour The facts seem to be that IL Is the middleman to whom this profit accrues, and not the producer
 IL Is also Interesting to note. in the latter part or the letter from the champion or the brokers, to note their sentiments toward the laws of the city which inter fere with the liberty of those so for tunate as to be able 10 own automobiles We who are not in this fortunate. or en- terprising class cannot appreciate the fact
 tnat all our rights would be equally we'll protected without these-and strange to say, our commissioners seem to apree with the masses
 II lne stories recently published Of the
 profits taken by the firm of which inc l apose mentioned gentleman is a menber
 are correct. We can quite easily believe
 tnae ne mas not the same appreciation of
 the value of money which would rest in A
 mechanic or laborer whose monthly earn I ihgs amount to only from Si0 to SSo nor month, and that the attention of such men would necessarily be somewhat dis traoted from the wonderful and beautif,,l | things with which they are surrounded.
 m the endeavor to make their meager sti- 1 bends meet the constantly rising scale of 1 the necessities. in which is of coursa in ciuded the excess which enables those Of more acumen to purchase automobiles to be interfered with by the regula lions made Tor the purpose of safeguarding the hVes or those who, in the final analysts pay for them
 From the tone of Mir. Pankey's letter the source of his information that .the American people are d greedy jealous lot of materialists who spend their time talking about theirs friends is easily to
 De enthusiastically since honest confession is said to be good for the soul.
 It is perhaps not amiss to point out thar 1t is not the taking of honest dues which IS the subject of the present popular elamor, but the suspicion that these are being considerably exceeded. This is of course. yet to be decided.
 It would of course be quite delightful if we could all become SC imbued with the spirit of happiness that we would wander in a roseate haze careless of the sross material desires of the world, but We are unfortunately when we reach this state, invariably recalled with a tnud when the disparity between our monthly salary and accounts payable Is perceived.
 Which thud is not lessened by the fre- ouent notice that flour has risen again. ana that Pankey and Davis have cleaned up another $o0.00o. W. D. OTIS.
 Birmingham, September s. 1914