Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-05-02

(Register & Leader.)

Because a few words or SOUND
advice about economical living
have been given, many good people
in a spasmodic way have set about
cutting off all but the most newt
able expenses. Like all spasmodit
movements the only effect Of this
sort of economy will be to tenn
porarily demoralize industry and
increase the very evils it is sought
to avoid
One of the most curious mistakes
of our average domestic economy is
the notion that if we bought moth
ing we should all be wealthy AS
matter of fact if we lived as
plainly as our ancestors did we
should be just as poor as they were
Wealth is not primarily a matter
of saving at all, it is matter OF
using what we earn to earn more
II everybody put 500 in stocking
and hid it the United States would
soon be bankrupt. BY putting the
500 in the bank, where on the
average the same identical dollar
is deposited by thirteen persons, we
stimulate business and grow in
wealth
If a mans income warrants him
in living in $4,000 home and he
persists in living in $1,000 home
there is no economy in that, the
man has not saved $4,000 for him
self nor for the community. He has
simply kept labor out Of employ
ment, money out of circulation, de-
prived his family Of the advantages
they ought to enjoy, and to the ex-
tent of his parsimony deadened the
town and stopped trade.
In precisely the same way the
families in the community who can
afford to buy and who do not buy
are not saving the difference in any
real sense they are merely throw
ing working people out of employ
ment, and demoralizing trade. In
the end they lose more through the
stoppage of business than they are
ahead by their penny-wise policy.
We must free ourselves of the
notion that those are extravagant
who live reasonably up to the limit
of their income, and those are
economical who are cutting the
corners all the while. The fact
is if American communities were
made up of tine latter class an1
everybody looked out for the small
est house to live in, the cheapest
clothes to buy, and the least expen-
sive food to eat, our progress COM
mercially, industrially and financ-
cially would be that of the crab
which moves backward.
In ordinary times it is not neces-
sary to emphasize this point of view
for the average American is willing
to spend all he can get, and too fire.
quently to mortgage the future
and in such times the AKIN OF
Poor Richard that silks and satins
put out the kitchen fire" is very
much to the point.N It is only when
in some emergency like the present
somebody pfbposesi chat we all stoI
buying that we need to understand
the true secret of wealth and bust
ness prosperity.
The high prices of this war period
may. be trusted to- act. as sufficient
check on the buying propensity o.
the average citizen, for prices tha
are high now will be mufihA higher
before another year has rolled
around, and the seven billions ap
propriated by this congress hal
been distributed. We are in for {
period of enormous initiation, ant
might look forward with consider
able alarm to the period of settle
ment, If it were not sure that Eu
rope must buy to rehabilitate. Re
adjustment in Europe will COM
like ar,drop into a deep well. II
this country it will come on a slid
ing scale, and we shall toboggal
down to the old level of prices il
comparative safety
There is no merit whatever in ;
spasmodic movement to cut off tn
ordinary expenses of living to whicl
the American community has beel
accustomed. All that can possibl,
come from it will be a lot of close'
mills bankrupted merchants an,
workers thrown out of employment
and that will be the very worst sort o
economy for America just at this time
There is no occasion for any chang
whatever in the scale of American liv
ing. We shall not help Europe an
in that way help ourselves.