The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-02
ENGLISH LABORERS
ENJOY new WEALTH
Methods Are Being Devised to
Induce Them to Save Part
of Earnings.

LONDON, tby maiI).-How completely
the war has baffled the foresight Of
economic experts Is shown by the re-
markable wave OF surface prosperity
which the masses of Great Britain are
experiencing. Only a little Acre than
a 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
hnanciers like Sir George Paish. edt-
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 a recent speech, and
the newspapers are taking up the
| same cry.
The conditions which the war has
developed, nave settled the problem of
public works on lines which apparently
were not foreseen. The enormous in
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
OF the country procurable on a basis
of voluntary service, and given a great
surplus of employment to the United
| ldtCS 1AlOllty IL Del1iS 01oChai6 So
freely, and wen layishly and ~extrava-
gently to contractors and to working
men, and for the support of the fam
lilies of soldiers, according to the eco
nomists, and it is being spent by the
people at large with equal layishness
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-
ses into the pockets of the workingmen
and the families of soldiers. While
the workers furnish a majority OF the
men under arms, the people with
large estates and those with savings
and middle class income believe that
they furnish, through taxation and
war loans, the bulk Of the money which
is carrying on the war, and which finds
Its way down through the government
and contractors to the small merchants
and workmen. This results in he en-
forcernent 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
ually most economical. While the Co
vent Garden opera has been suspended
during the war time the theaters of the
masses and the picture shows are pros
pering. The hotels and restaurants
supported by the wealthy pass their
dividends; the popular resorts are do
ing good business. Tailors n fash
ionable dressrnakers claim to be suf-
fering great depression, but the wives
and daughters of w~orkingmen 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 hnv6rG and ayDprtS who
have been taken into government en-
ploy, is q 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 govet alnent into
the hands Of he people back to the
government in taxes n loans. But
Britain Is importing enormou guam
titles of goods for the use of the peo-
pie, beside war supplies, and the ex-
ports do not balance the imports by
many millions.
Advocates Of mon in the popular
press AXE advantage of the opportun-
ity to all upon the government for re-
trenchment. The office Of lord chan
cellor alone. with almost nominal du-
ties. is costing $4,000 a year Lord
Buckmaster. recently the head Of the
press bureau, Is drawing the salary of
$50, 900, 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
writers for newspapers which circulate
among the working classes call upon
government officials to set the exam
pie in responding to Mr.. Montagu's ap-
peal to citizens to place half their in
comes Of the disposal Of the govern
] mept.