The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-12-02
LABORERS
ENJOY NEW WEALTH
Methods Are Being Devised to
Induce Them to Save Part
|. of Earnings.

London, (by maid How completely
the war has baffled the foresight or
economic experts is shown by the re"
markable wave Of surface prosperity
which the masses of Great Britain are
experiencing. Only little Acre than
year ago political economists were
discussing seriously the need for or
ganizing public works on a great scale
for the tens of thousands who would
be thrown out of employment. Now
fnanciers like Sir George Paish, edl-
tor OF the Economist, and Edwin Mon
tagu, the financial secretary Of the
treasury, are sounding strong warnings
against the extravagant living OF the
nation as a whole. Money Is being
| squandered on all Sides" declared sir
| George Paish in q recent speech, and
the newspapers are taking up the
| same cry. ..
The conditions which the war has
developed, have settled the problem or
public works on lines which apparently
were not foreSeen. The enormous m
crease of the British army to 100000
men, and the demand for workers In
the public and private munitions WORKS,
has absorbed all the available MANHOOD
OF the country procurable on basis
| of voluntary service, and given greaI
| surplus of employment to the United
| States. Money is being discharged
| freely, and even lavishly and eXtraVa-
gently to contractors and to WORKING
men, and for the support OF the lam
lilies of soldiers. according to the ego
| nomists, and 1t Is being spent by the
people at large with equal lavtshness
| and extravaganza.
These conditions cause excited de-
| bate by all classes. In the enormous
redistribution of wealth the general
drift would appear to be from the
hands of the rich and the middle clas-
Bes into the pockets of the worhngmen
and the families of soldiers. While
the workers furnish majority or the
men under arms. the people with
large estates and those with savings
and middle class incomes believe that
| they furnish, through taxation and
war loans, the bulk of the money which
is carrying on the war, and which finds
| it's way down through the government
and contractors to the small merchants
| and workmen. This results In the en-
| forcement OF unusual economy upon
the wealthy and the middle classes,
| Except those concerned in war work.
| who are many, and encourages unus-
| ually free spending In the stratum us
/ u w most economical. While the Co
vent Ctt.I1ep opera has been suspended
during the ', time the theaters OF the
masses and the picture shows are pros
/
| supported by the wealthy pass their
| dividends; the popular resorts are do
| ing good business. Tailors and fash
| ionable dressmakers claim to be sur
| fering great depression, but the wives
and daughters of worlSingmen are
| dressed better than ever before in their
| lives. Wine merchants are putting up
| their shutters, but the public houses
| where beer and gin are consumed are
| crowded.
Extravagent payments to contrac-
tors, and to buyers and experts who
have been taken into government en-
| ploy, Is O complaint against the gov
eminent levied by many business men.
Corruption is not charged, but high
and wasteful disbursements due to
ignorance Of business Affairs on the
part OF officials and the necessity for
making hurried contracts. The coun-
| try would not suffer so much from
these conditions If it was self contained
like Germany and money merely flowed
| in a circle from the government into
the hands Of the people back to the
government in taxes and loans. But
Britain is importing enormous guam
titles of goods for the use or the peo-
pie, beside war supplies, and the ex-
ports do not balance the imports by
many millions.
Advocates Of economy in the popular
press take advantage of the opportun-
ity to call upon the government for re-
| trenchment. The office of lord chan
cellor alone, with almost nominal du-
ties, is costing $125.000 a year. Lord
Buckmaster, recently the head of the
press bureau, is drawing the salary Of
| $4,000, while his predecessor, Lord
Haldane, and two other former incum-
bents Of the office are receiving PEN
sions Of $4,000 each. The two law Of
| fees Of the crown. the attorney general
and the solicitor general. are compen-
stated chiefly by fees which amount to
about 100000 for each official Sever
al cabinet ministers draw salaries OF
| $4,000. The payment OF $4,000 salar-
les to members OF the house OF COM
mons is a comparatively new law. The
writer's for newspapers which circulate
among the working classes call upon
government officials to set the exam
pie in responding to Mr.. Montagu's ap-