The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-07
Member of the Associated Press.
MONDAY, DECEMBER I, 1914.
KEEP ON SPENDING.

Sound in logic as well as reassuring
Shelton Williams, comptroller of the
currency, gives to the American people |
through Roger w. Babson in the Sat |
urday Evening Post. Says he:
What l wish to say to your readers
is that they can best help business
by continuing their purchases as here
tofore, for it is income that is needed
by workmen, industries and railroads.
The most loyal citizen of the United
States today is he who is continuing to
spend-of course he should not spend
beyond his means-as heretofore. Too
great economy under some conditions
is crime. Let us remember that to
provide for the bare necessities of life
food, raiment and shelter-the hu.
man race would have to labor prob
ably not more than one day q week.
1t is in creating and furnishing what
we're Cnce regarded as luXuries that
occupation is found for the great army
of employed during the other five
working days of the week.
Mr.. Williams is not banker; the
FORGING utterance shows that. He is,
l
builder of railroads and a borrower
of money in large quantities. AS such
| he is able to look at business needs
from the borrowers point of view.
The fact that he wasn't a banker
made his appointment distasteful to
some men in high financial circles
| those whose business is to lend mon
ey-but this same fact is doubtless a
good thing for the people of the coun-
try.
Keep on spending. That is Comp.
troller Williams 5 advice. But by it
he doesn't mean for folks to be ex
travagant. What he wishes to avoid
is the situation that is bound to oc
eur when people take double knot il
their purse strings through fear Of
something that they can't explain.
For example, suppose every person
in Brattleboro should decide all of ;
sudden that the best thing for him t.
do was to hang onto every penny no
absolutely necessary for the purchas,
of the bare necessities of life. Sup
pose this attitude was generally en-
couTaged on the ground that the uncer
tainties of the future were too seriou
to be courted , 1t is easy to imagin
what would happen: Stores woul
close or reduce their forces, amuse
ments of all kinds would stop, tn
number of unemployed would increase
and soon there wouldn't be enoug
money in circulation so that anybod
could get hold of any to- hoard.
\ Thrift is to be encouraged at a
| times, but as Comptroller William
| says, the loyal citizen today is he VIII
II is continuing to spend within hi
| means. If BrattlebOro people wi
II bear this truth in mind all of thel
II will be the gamers. To be sure, PAL
II of cur industries at present are rul
II ming on short time or at somewhat r
II duced capacity (although they repo1
II that business is better than it W;
II two months ago. but others are enjo
II ing unusual prosperity. Collections a
II a bit slow but they would be better
II folks who have money with which
II pay would pay with it.
Ill Times are good in BrattIeboro col
III pared with conditions in many 9th
II places; they will improve if all of !
IL cooperate in the work of bringir
II about this improvement.
y Keep on spending; it's a pref
= good slogan when one stops to reas'
y it out.