Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-11-22


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 we can turn we must carry
our burden alone.
Our savings go into public and pri-
vate improvements, including the ex-
tension of business enterprises.
Thee savings will not be available for
war until we stop federal, state, NUM-
cipal and private improvements; until
we forbid all issue of securities ex-
cept under federal license, following
the example whereby England reduc-
ed the issue of industrial securities
from S46S, 100000 in the first half of
1914 to $11 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, through our efforts to in
crease production are being seriously
handicapped by the high price of labor.
Immediately after war was declared
the President warned the Country that
everyone should produce more and Icon
sumo less. The idea that business was
to be suddenly reduced by a wave of
economy was a shock to business men
and the cry business as usual" was
spread over the Country and cuased
the Presidents appeal to be forgotten.
Not only are people SPEEDING as
usual, but many conscientiously be-
lieve it their duty so to do.
Every dollar spent means the con-
sumption of labor. We shall not be
far wrong if we say that every four
dollars spent consumes a days labor,
and that every twelve hundred dollars
spent consumes a years labor. A
war expenditure of twelve billion
dallars will consume the labor of ten
million people; twenty-five per cent
of our total labor supply. This added
demand comes during the greatest
labor famine in our history, which has
increased commodity prices eighty
five per cent since 1914.
We have reached point where the
increasing demand reduces the eff
cheney of labor and thereby reduces
the supply, and we are facing
further rise in commodity prices, per-
haps to exceed present conditions in
England, where prices are up one
hundred and twenty per cent.
The most effective remedy is to de-
ereae consumption, and it is impera-
tive that every one should make
drastic reduction in personal expendi-
lures. The example must be set by
the rich, but every man, woman and
child, must be drawn into the move
ment until patriotic economy becomes
the greatest fad the country has ever
known.
1t is not question whether your
income justifes an expenditure, but
whether the country can afford to
let you spend.
Even to prevent hardship we have.
no right to spend to keep people in
their usual employment, for only by a
process of REIMBURSEMENT can we OBJ
tain the labor necessary for the war.
Already the Government is resorting
to price fixing and other dangerous
experiments, because we can no long
er submit to the law of supply, but
we can SO reduce demand that the
available supply shall meet our needs
and SO keep prices within bounds.
With two million men in canton
ments or in tents there are houses
enough for the rest of US. We can
reduce the famine in wool and cotton
by wearing our old clothes. We can
stop the purchase of automobiles, so
that the factories and their operatives
may produce motor trucks, aircraft
and munitions. We can use the
automobiles we now have less freely
and save gasoline. We can reduce the
number of our servants and let our
wives and daughters do more of the
work. We can do away with the
wastefulness of charity entertain
ments if we go less to the threatre
and give the money saved to charity.
The real horrors in Europe are not
on the firing line, but amongst the
civil population, who are pinched for
the necessities of life and in many
cases dying of starvation.-Ev Everett
Msrss.