The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-05-02


Dependents.
The present war will he benefit to
the entire world in that it will increase
the total efficiency and saving power
Of the people in the various nations,
both those at war and those Oh this
continent. according to recent suite
Ment made by Edward A. Woods, pres
hent of the National Life Underwrit-
ers' association.
Mr.. Woods sdeclared that the Unit
ed States, with national wealth three
times that of France and nearly double
that Of either Great Britain or Ger
many, was shame to the world in the
prodigalityI with which 1t wasted its
substance. Lack Of thrift, he asserted,
was a menace to the continued pros
Herity of the country just as surely as
the same characteristics displayed in
Rome destroyed her world empire.
I'VE have wealth OF $150, 0,000, ,OOO,-
600 as compared with $1,000 O00, 900
tor England and $4,000, 100000 for
Germany" said Mr.. Woods. More
ever, our income OF $35 100000 a
year is larger In proportion to this
wealth than that OF any other nation.
Not only have we therefore the great
est amount Of wealth and the greatest
Income, but the greatest proportionate
income, % 1-3 per cent, comparing
with IA per cent of Great Britain, l215
per cent of Germany and II per cent
AT Hpannn NUn cf,
wealth $20.O00000 day, or 81 100000
600 year, our annual increase equal
ing the entire combined wealth or Hol-
land and Portugal.
Too Many Dependents Here.
"And yet I'm this great, wealthy coun-
try Robert Hunter says that there are
1OOO0,000 and probably l5,O00,O00 In
poverty. One-third of the population
Of New York apply for charity in seven
years, One person in ten who dies in
our large cities Is buried in pauper's
grave. There are 1,250O00 dependent
wage earners costing this country
&220,OO0000 year for their support
who should have laid by enough TO
support themselves.
'"There are l,000,225 children. ten to
fifteen years of age, making living
who ought to be In school. We are
supporting about 100000 dependents
and delinquents In Institutions. There
are lS,OOO,OOO wage earners IN this
country.
'Out OF n commerce of the astound-
ing total of nearly $500. 0.000000.000 we
are probably losing $0O0,O00.O00 a year
by bad credit and paying $1,000, 900 900
IN interest. this total alone nearly
eq1uling the wealth of thrifty Switzer-
land
what Is true of America as a nation
10 true OF many Americans as individ-
Oais. We have large incomes. we have
great wealth, but we are forgetting
that thrift and progress mean the saw
eng or money. and that sa wing is large
~ regardless of wealth. 1t Is by no
means those of large incomes who COM
prise the thrifty, frugal, saving portion
of eur population. II is often the large
nambers of persons of moderate means
who ~. their saving and the character
6uiiding resulting from the saving COM
pose the real bone and sinew OF ma
$ioh. Why Is it that, with all our In.
come. America should rank fifteenth in
the proportion OF our population carry
Ing savings bank accounts?
'The 50 called American plan hotel
n an illustration OF American thrift.
ssssness and waste. We are probably
wasting from American tables today
enough 10 feed the entire population of
Belgium. II Is the thrifty of the coun-
Try who support its institutions, who
give its benefactions, who are support
Ing not only their own families, but the
hospitals, the churches, the colleges or
the institutions OF the state, who are
paying It's taxes, who are the citizens
upon whom the state. society and the
church must rely.
1T IL n curious fact that such de
Htructiye process as war Is sometimes
q benefit TO nations. The entire world
at the beginning Of the present strug-
gle In Europe started to save money.
You see war increases the total eff.
cheney aud II increases the total saving
Let America be not too free TO cast
cauclsm upon our foreign warning Sis
Ter nations. II may be that. the In
creased thrift and the increased eiIi-
cheney and the increased strength OF
cAaracter brought about by this great
erasis so affecting the nations OF Eu-
rope win do for them as they did for
~ In our civil war-produce character
sstics and produce men and women
that In the years following the war
may offset the enormous waste and
destruction brought about by il.
ALSO there are millions of saving
Americans We are not all thrlftless.
OF the 20,215555 homes occupied In
the United States O.0S3.7ll are owned.
45.S per cent Of the total and OF these
6,0S4 ,2sf are lnencumbered. There are
more Pennsylvanlans who own their
own homes than citizens OF any other
state In the Union. New York ranking
second. aud there are more unencum-
bered homes In Pennsylvania than In
any other state In the Union, Ohio