Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-20
CHRISTMAS Is NOW
ONLY 100 HOURS OFF;
THE LAST RUSH Is ON
Savings of Pennies and What
They Do = Municipal
Trees-Last-minute
Purchases
DANCE FOR HOSPITAL
Including today, there are only Ave more
shopping days before Christmas.

There is a great deal being said about
savings that have resulted in the reap
ing of Christmas nest eggs; reaping is not
the right word, but it is the idea. Any
how. there Is something to be said for
+he careless old spendthrfts who all the
vear have blown their pennies away, and
their dimes and dollars, too, like thistle
down.
spendthrifts are usually more lovable
characters and therefore more deserving
of Christmas cheer than others, and as
christmas cheer does not depend on
money-no, not in the least; It has Moth
ing to do with money--they will probably
enjoy themselves as much as the saving
souls. Nobody really saves for Christmas /;
they save for the pleasure of saving, and
the habit of saving is so insldious that
Il is sometimes hard for savers to spend.
still, they shall have what fun they
can. these savers and a great deal of
credit, too, especially If they have saved
money for the purpose of spending 1t on
others A most remarkable saving
scheme was invented by the Rev. c. L.
Mcclellan, pastor of the Fairhill Baptist
church, 5th street and Lehigh avenue.
lie got the children of that mill district
to save their pennies.
Three hundred and two score children
have presented their deposit books to
This economy of the children will save
the parish the necessity of providing
many Christmas dinners for unlucky
families, the idea being to put this form
of charity on self-respecting basis as
many Of the children will apply the funds
to their own families. Others will give
TO those in more need than themselves.
Penny concerts will also be provided,
part of these entertainments being NOV
ing pictures.
Another saving feature of the season
is that of tho Starr Savings Bank, 9th
street below Lombard. The idea of the
bank was that the usual despised change
of nickels and odd pennies would amount
up to what some people call "sizable
sums" in tho course of a year. The his
tory of the bank Is full of astounding
Rccumulations. One junk dealer became
a capitalist.
Ho saved his pennies and now has $4,000
q year. The trouble with this sort Of
thing is not that It is bad thing to
save pennies Ut Is n very good thing,
but that pennies buy too little in this
country. In some parts of the United
States no coins smaller than nickel are
ever seen.
A remedy that has been suggested Is
to follow the example of England and
Canada and make pennies big as half
dollars When n person spends big
coin like that he expects to get more
for It than a little piece of chocolate or
n few matches. In other words, 100 Amer
lean pennies, spent one at time, are
worth nowhere near a dollar. Whereas
II pence are worth every bit of shilling
It is n good thing to save pennies, but
It would be better to have them mean
more than something that only has value
in being saved.
You are right on top of Christmas; or.
rather, Christmas is right on top of you.
1t is not question of days-it is a ques-
tIon of hours now. There are only about
100 hours before Christmas. There is