Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-06-13
False Economy
AS War Measure
a Fatal Mistake

An Augusta reader asks the Journal
to publish the following from a Wash
ington paper:
with the entrance of the United
States into the world conflict. there is
no occasion to fear that business vii
suffer as consequence" says knowl-
ten =. Drysdale.
"Ouite the opposite is true. Business is
merely the exchange of commodltles- the
| exchange of one mans product for tne
product of another, with money as Ihe
medium of exchange The mistaken ldea
that because the nation is at war, people
should therefore skimp ana econonilI. ias
and deny themselves the things Whlch
| they would purchase under normal condi-
tions, would if. followed. be calculated u
| bring about the very condition that II Is
most necessary to avoid. ~
ITO prosecute war successfully re-
dures money, and lots of it. line only
source from which money can be obtanei
is from the people who have it. The only
way that people can get money IS oducr ny prc
he that of brain or Drawn, and eXchanS-
ing that product for money Then the
use of that product to purchase some
keeps it in circulation. encouraglng pro
duction and furtherinS business actiVity'
"A single dollar in active circulation
contributes more toward promoting pros
nerity than the entire wealth OF the ma
tion. allowed to remain dormant. Ihere
is more money in the country To-Day IMAM
ever before in our history The govern Tn
ment is preparing to raise seVeral pll
lions of dollars But that does not mean
that these billions are to be Withdrawn
from circulation. Just the contrary Il. -
true For the most part. TINS money VIII
be raised from funds which nave peen ~
doll nf
find its way into the channels OF trace.
II will mean the production and purchase
Of munitions. of textiles Oh
foodstuffs, and of the innumerable otheI
things necessary for the equipment ana
maintenance of our army and our navy.
gwen the funds which are loaned ~
tho European allies will not leave our
shores but will remain in our own cou,.- @
try and they also will be used TO pur-
chase war material. The colossal pur-
chases made in thi country by the Euro-
pean allies during the past TWO years o .iaa
resulted in uneNampiedI, prospgt1iicii p.tici ronst
he exnended in the same direction, thdl
nrosperity is bound to be greater lhah
ever. .,., +ho+ he ;s
ne,nine his countrys cause by practlclns
Inwise economies and encouraging others
M ~ do 40. is doubtless well-meaning put
sadly misguided, and his actlVltles , can
only tend to in weaken rhs nniv econ
Cfr
o,,,jes which are at all justiiable are
thhsa which will serve to assist in prose-
cutting the war. In this list the most es-
sential is the conserving OF our 1000 sup
niles. It is probably safe to say tnat !he
tr,a1ua of the foodstuffs wasted In INC
Irnited States is enough to feed an army
One of the important factors whicn
have contributed to making ours tne
lost nrosperous country in the world IS
.ha incIination of the great mass OF our
naonle to spend their money IN proNluiiis
themselves literally with the things tney
want whether those things be necessl-
ties or luxuries. In this way each has
heen instrumental in keeping MS iellow
nan busy, and that fellow-man Q! ms
iiheraiity in supplying his own wants nas
enabled other fellow-men 10 Supp! 'hei'
wants. ,oner. +hero
selves to the bare necessitles OF me h"S
ever become rich and prosperous.
..vye shall continue to live as we have
lived much the same as though we were
NOT at war We shall continue 10 pc
Clothed: we shall continue to puila
hnmes: we shall continue to supply our
selves with the thousand and one Things
whirh contribute to our needs ana TO our
eniovment Manufacturers will continue
~ keep their men employed. The farmer
viii continue to buy implements and ma
chinery. The building Of roads so mu cA
needed. and other public improvements
will be continued as before.
And it is well that it is so.
..One of the best ways for US to show
our patriotism is to do things which viii
nrornote our country's general prosperity,