Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-26
TALKS ON THRIFT
BY <. W. STRAUS.
President American Society for Thrift.

While the saving Of money is not by
any means the sum total of thrift. it plays
an important part even in the develop
ment Of a thrifty character. As a matter
of fact the reflex influence on ones char
acter caused by saving money is probably
of more real value than is the amount
of money saved.
Thrift Not Miserliness.
Some people have misunderstanding
OF the meaning Of thrift. Many believe
apparently that to be thrifty man must
be misery, close listed. parsimonious.
The thrifty man Is the happy medium
between the spendthrift and the miser.
He saves his money wisely and spends
il wisely The miser saves unwisely and
spends not at all-the spendthrift spends
unwisely and saves not at ALL 1t is just
as essential that one spend wisely as that
one save wisely.
In times gone by we have witnessed the
i'll effects Of boarding money-millions Of
dollars have been withdrawn from crcu-
la ton and financial stringency has been
precpitated. because the people boarded
their funds in periods Of public fear.
Therefore. there is just as much 10 be
gained in studying the question OF spend
ing as in studying the question of saving.
Under no circumstance. however, il a
man ever justified in not saving some
thing. DO not be a miser, but be sure
to save something every week or every
month OF this year.
The thriftless spirit is observable on
| every hand in America. In the matter
| OF straw. for example. the thriftlessness
of the American farmer is in uncompli-
mentary contrast with the farmer abroad
The European agriculturist knows that
straw is not relished by his stock. How
ever. instead Of wasting 1t, az is the case
| with so many American farmers the Eu-
ropean chops 1t up and mixes it with
beets. maDgoes or other foods. and makes
! them thus so palatable that the stock
, relish il.
A Woeful Waste.
| A recent United States government re-
port states that IL per cent of the straw
produced in the United States is burned.
I In many districts there are no cattle, and
remoteness from suitable market makes
the sale OF the straw Improbable 1t is
suggested that in such districts the intro
\ duction of few cattle would be a good
stroke OF business
| This shows also how thriftIessne ss
tends to keep up the present high price of
| staple products. We never can get away
| from the law of supply and demand. We
| cannot waste our food and have it,
\ Therefore, the more we waste the higher
prices we will have to pay.
| Various persons strive at times to make
| political capital out Of food prices, but
we should not be so much alarmed over
\ these prices as the fundamental condi-
| tons that make these prices possible
| that is. thriftlessness both at home and
abroad.
! The European war Is the most monu-
| mental example of thriftlessness in the
| world. and because Of this fact it il ali
| the more necessary that America MS
| learn to be thrifty. Resolve that during
the year 1917 you viii lay aside a certain
| sum OF money each week or each month.
IL every wage-earner in America laid
aside but dime . week. the total would
! reach over ssoe.oceoee this ysas. -