Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-11-15
PATRIOTIC ECONOMY
IN TERMS OF LABOR
Personal Service Whether OF Brains
Or Brawn
DANGER OF FOOD FAMINE
Real Horrors Not On Firing Line, Bul
Among Civil Popala-
finn.
fRv Everett Morssl

n terms OF labor instead of in dol
lars We have natural resources and
we have capital invested in the tools
OF production. but even with these IA
eilities our productive capacity is linz
ted by the supply of labor. BY labor
re mean the personal service, whether
of brain or of Drawn, of the forty mil
ion of US who are engaged in gain
ul occupation
To carry on the war we shall spend
as least twelve billion dollars per
years, or thirty-three million dollars
per day This is as much as Great
Britain is spending and fifty per cent
more than Germany is spending, and
The figures are so huge that few of us
appreciate what they really mean.
Europe is already so deeply in debt
hat she may never be able to pay,
and we are on the road to the same
condition Balance of trade statis-
lies indicate that we have made an
extra profit from foreign business
since 1914 of i've billion dollars, or
about two billion dollars per year.
The effect OF this in enriching the
country is suggestive Of the result of
three years OF impoyerishment at the
rate OF eight billion dollars.
Our normal annual savings are
about four billion dollars, and not
only win our war expenditure absorb
eli Of these savings but we must find
eight billion dollars in addition. Dur
ing the past three years our present
allies have obtained much assistance
from us, but as there is no country to
whom.eye can turn we must carry our
burden alone.
Our savings go into public and pTi-
vate improvements, including the ex-
tension of business enterprises These
savings will not be available for war
until we stop federal, state. munich
pal and private improvements; until
we forbid all issue of securities ex-
cept under federal license, following
the example whereby England re-
duced the issue of industrial securi-
lies from S46S 100000 in the first half
of 1914 to 100000 in the same
period of 1917
The danger OF food famine has
been brought home to us and we are
making a real effort to reduce con-
sumption, hcugh our efforts to i'm
crease production are being seriously
handicapped by the high price Of
labor.
Tmmediat asy after war was declared
the President warned the country that
everyone should produce more and
consume less The idea that business
was to be suddenly reduced by wave
of economy was shock to business
men and the cry business as usual
was spread over the country and
caused the Presidents appeal to be
forgotten. Not only are people spend
! ing as usual, but many conscientious
ly believe 1t their duty to do so.
| Every dollar spent means the con-
sumption OF labor. We shall not be
| far wrong If we say that every four
dollars speat consumes days la
| bor. and that every twelve hundred
dollars spent consumes a years la
bor. A war expenditure of twelve
billion dollars will consume the labor
of ten million people; twenty-five per
cent of our total labor supply. This
added demand comes during the great
est labor famine in our history, which
1 has increased commodity prices S.
| per cent since 1914.
| We have reached a point where the
increasing demand reduces the efiici-
ency of labor and thereby reduces the
supply, and we are facing a further
rise in commodity prices, perhaps te
exceed present conditions in Eng.
land, where prices are up one hun.
! dred and twenty per cent
The most effective remedy is to de-
crease consumption, and it is impera
tive that every one should make z
| drastic reduction in personal expendi
lures. The example must be set b,
| the rich, but every man. woman anC
child must he drawn into the move
| ment until patriotic economy become:
the greatest fad the country has evel
known.
Our young men who try to avois
military service are "slackers." Ever.
one of us WHO will not economize t
/ lhelp the war is Stacker" Who vii
fail to spend less when be realizel
that every four dollars saved is a day.
labor contributed to the war? II j
not a question whether your incoml
justifies an expenditure. but whethe
| the country can afford to let yol
spend
Even to prevent hardship we hav
no right to spend to keep people i
their usual employment, for only b
a process OF readjustment can we Oh
! tain the labor necessary for the wal
Already the government IS resortin
to price fixing and other dangerou
experiments, because we can 4
ionger submit to the .law Of suppl
and demand. We cannot increase SUI
ply, but we can so reduce demand tha
the available supply shall meet on
needs and so keep prices With
bounds.
xr,t,, 4x~o million men in canton