The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-01-26
TALKS ON THRIFT
WASTE IN AMERICA.

WASTE IN AMERICA.
I'VE are unduly eXtravagant
people; and the lesson of the hour
is economy, to add as little as pos
sible to the heavy burden of credit
which the country is now called
upon to bear. Let us save every
dollar we can against the day of
investment opportunity just ahead
of US. This is best for the indiy-
idual and for the country as
whole, as we will have no finan-
cial help from Europe for years to
come and great development
work will need every dollar that
can be saved. Ray Stannard
Baker.
Now is particularly good time for
us Americans to consider earnestly
the necessity that is laid upon us to
conserve our resources of all kinds.
One of the Belgian delegates who
called ON President Wilson recently
was greatly astonished at what he
saw in this country of the reckless
use of our opportunities. He said:
On our ride to Chicago we saw
hundreds of miles of fertile lands ~
ing fallow. We saw orchards and
fields with ungathered products rot
ting on the ground. We saw miles of
young trees being destroyed by fires
started by engine sparks and left to
burn unnoticed. Everywhere the
farms and residences were divided by
lumber to build the homes of an en-
pire.
The waste of America is not con-
fined to materials. Never can Euro
pean believe the magnitude of wasted
labor in America unless he visits the
cities. Hundreds of thousands of men,
whose energy might be applied to
production, remain in enforced idle
ness.
In the country, wasted lands; in
the cities, wasted men. On the trees
and plants, ungathered food; in the
centers of population, hungry people.
Those are the economic elements of
American life. Why do not the states
men here address themselves to bring
ing about an adjustment that will cure
these evils?
IF any country in Europe had such
bounteous natural wealth, such limit
less land area fit for cultivation, and
such unused labor energy, it would be
quickly transformed into prosperity
beyond dreams Why In Belgium even
our dogs work Every city lot is cul-
tivated and most of our garden truck
is raised on less ground than Ameri-
cans waste in unused back yards
Undoubtedly there are answers to
some of these criticisms from this for
eign observer, but we must plead gull
ty to being wasteful.
1t is probable that the great Euro
pean war will result in more thrift in
| the United States nationally and in
dividually. There are several reasons
| lol ILLS DclIeI. livery CltiZcu III
America will feel the strain of this
crisis, and most of us will be disposed
! to retrench and to intrench ourselves
by putting more money into the bank
as a reserve fund and for Investment
purposes,
For many years after this war al
the savings of the people of Europe
probably will go into the securities o
their governments which will need t,
do some tremendous borrowing to pa,
the costs of the vast struggle. So tina
, little capital from Europe can be ex
; lpected for long time to help Ameri
can development, as it has in the pas
; We must finance ourselves.
/ Undoubtedly also there will be
great after-the-war immigration t
I America from the European countries
This influx will contain many VIII,
both from training and necessity, al
q thrifty and in the main they will b
r a desirable element In our population
0 Quite possibly we can learn some va
n liable lessons from them.
Il IT. D. MacGREGOR.