The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1916-12-01
EXTRAyAGANCE AND THE HIGH
COST OF LIVING.

AS a method OF reducing tne
price of eggs the proposition boy
colt against that product of the
naughty hen is economically
sound. Although other factors
of minor Importance do enter
into the cause of high prices, the
relation between supply and de-
mand is the chief factor. If
concerted action on the part
of housekeepers of the country
does reduce materially the de-
mand for eggs, then the price
will go down, no matter whether
there is a real scarcity or only
an artificial scarcity due to the
fact that the owners are with
holding them from the markets.
But to amount to much, prob
ably, the boycott will have to ex-
tend over wide area and be
maintained for some time.
After all the actions of the
spectators have been discounted
there remains in the unprece-
dented demand for foodstuffs a
logical explanation of the pres
ent high prices. Europe is buy
ing more of our products than
ever before. So is South Amer
lea. An increased foreign de-
mand, with the accompanying
rise in prices, usually has the
effect of checking home con-
sumption, but that h a S not
proved to be the case in the pre-
sent instance, because the in
creased wages paid to labor and
the great prosperity of the farm
ing class and the general good
business conditions have placed
large proportion of our people
in position to buy even more
freely than ordinarily. Those
who suffer most are the people
of the salaried class, the ones
with fixed incomes, and wage
earners whose wages have not
been increased. From them
must come such action as may
help to ameliorate the situation.
And while boycotts and parcel
post extensions and food substi-
tutes and other remedi S are
being discussed one other thing
should not be forgotten, and that
is the waste that obtains in many
American households. Foreign
ers coming to this country have
always been scandalized by the
extravaganza in evidence here.
They have compared normal
American conditions with nor
NAL conditions in their own lands
and have been amazed at the
contrast. But the war has forced
unbelievable further economies
in all the belligerent countries,
and if there could be contrast
of the conditions as they exist
today it would be a still more
amazing one. In this weeks
issue of the Saturday Evening
Post is an article detailing the
measure of economy that have
been enforced in England
through the government con-
Quoted advertising campaign
there. People who have never
done without servants before
are doing without them now.
People who formerly used motor
cars exclusively are now riding
in buses or walking. 1t has be-
come a discreditable thing to
wear a new frock or eat a gour-
mand's meal. Working girls
have abandoned their petty
fineries and wear garments made
for strictly utilitarian purposes.
A thousand sorts eff economies
that would have been thought
impossible a year or two ago
have been effected. Can Amer
lea learn nothing in this connec
tion from the War-stricken coun-
tries of Europe.
There are a variety of reasons
for the extravaganza Of the peo-
pie of the United States. Love
of luxury is one, though not the
chief one. The desire to appear
We'll before ones nelghbOr is
another. Thouhtlessness is a
third. Men patronize imposing
establishments of one sort or
another when more modest ones
would answer every requirement
Men and women feel that they
have to live in fashionable neigh
borhoods and entertain on the
same scale as their neighbors.
Housekeepers use the telephone
at lib and fail to scrutinize their
bills, and then wonder at the tre-
m9ndous cost of maintaining their
households. What is needed is a