The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-08-30
Millions OF Dollars Thrown Away
for Trifles That Ought to
Set Nation Thinking.
SOME WAYS MONEY GOES
Postcard and Cheap Souvenirs Iake
Big Sum Every Yesr--Biliions
Spent for Needless Telephone
Calls and kilograms.
Nv EDWARD MOTT wooLLEY.


rieh and wonderful land Of ours II
shouid be necessary to conduct mighty
selling and advertising campaigns IN
order to raise money 10 crush our enc
mies--eruei and dangerous enemies
who are bent on throttilng the very iib'
er,y on which our country has been
built II we really felt the impulse
we could raise six or eight billion dol
lars spontaneously and without the
hlare of craftsmanship and publicity;
and We would do IL so easily that Ger
many and her allies would stand
tehast NJ our overwhelming resources
ind purpose.
The trouble i TINT even yet we 90
iot renlize the tragedy That Is over
~. The war has not sunk into the
American consciousness. With mil
non or more of our boys In France, and
he casualty lists coming home every
lay. We sfil lack the puisating fervor
Il intrepid courage~-the courage that
wells within one and stirs the soul.
Fighting Impulse Needed.
The one unquestionable evidence OF
courage Is the willingness 10 sacrifice
A man who sees his child In deadly
peril ~ instantly ready to sacrifice
everything. even his life. II takes no
argument to "sell" to him the need Of
courage He gets II from within. The
lighting impulse dominates his every
| instinct. What we most need In
America today II fighting impulse.
| Once we get II the doom OF Germany.
| a. a menace to ourselves and to the
| world. VIII be sealed. IT we had this
| faiorous, undaunted determination we
| .ouid raise. this coming year, not mere
| ~ six or eight billion, but as many bli-
| Ion as our country might need Let
ns search our hearts, therefore. aud
| discover why Ii Is that Grassland
/ methods are needed To sell us Liberty
bonds. II seems all the more incredi-
| BILE that such should be the case when
| the money we are asked to contribute
ia merely money saved for ourselves.
Indeed. we could put through this
fourth Liberty loan without even feel
Ing IL directly. am not talking here
about great sacrifices. With merely triv-
laI and passing inhibition we can make
this fourth loan glorious manifesto
ton of Ameficanism.
Never was there such nation OF
spenders---we literally throw money to
the winds. Cash runs out Of our peck
cts into a hundred channels OF extrnv-
ngance Tempted at every turn by
something TINT appeals to our pleasure
saturated instincts, we hand out the
] dimes. quarters and dollars. We work
hard. most OF us, and we play hard
Many of us play with an Amazing
. abandon that scarcely reckons the cost
And we crafty ourselves not only a
. plays. but we satisfy our luxury.iovin,
tendencies aud our vanity In many %
the things that enter into our dali!
lives.
Let us consider here merely the mil
lions tina, 20 for trivial things that d
not count as permanent investment
, either for utility or luxury.
millions Spent for Cards.
For instance, take our post car
: mania. This habit, which perhaps "
would not criticize In times OF peac,
L. almost universal. A dealer est
! mates that o0.000.OOo people spend n
+ average of q dollar year on IN
cheaper kinds Of cards, and an add
y tionai SUM Of hundred million do
lars on postage hut on the fancy card
and more expensive sets, sold lar2cl
to tourists. the estimate Is Sa00,0OO.00
y In addition to the postage. Including N
cards that are kept by the purchaser
. II 10 probable that the total Is half
billion dollars. Many men have mae
fortunes In this business. | know
one former valentine manufacture,
who retired With a,lot Of money.
II Is certainly Inconsistent that m
great sum should 20 for such
trivial purpose when the nation Is |
voiyed In this mighty war that cal
for cash eyerlastingly. Here Ia ri
expenditure thar could be eliminate
almost wholly until tina war Is oy,
nesiees this amount put into Liher
bonds might mean something wor
while TO the people themselves.
Then there Is another class Of sd
venirs that masquerade as mercha
disc aud absorb an astonishing anou
Of money. Travellers and tourists
pcctally waste their cash upon IN,
things. aud Immense quantities q
sold TO the people everywhere. T
hulk NJ this stun Is useless junk
least In war time. when eonservati
Is the high need. Why spend our nor
these days for fancy baskets. g.
trays. wooden elaptrap articles. kui
knaekS tr.nke,s, popguns. stun a
within whamsf The souvenir stores
Atlantic city. Ashury Park. Concy
land. Revere Beach near Boston. v
Ice near Los Angeles. and similar
Establishments take more than humid
thilion dollars QUE OF our peck
every summer. One small town C