New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-23

80 cents . day unnecessarily In barber
shops we have q total Of 1882, 500 900.
under the actual figures. taking into
consideration all classes Of people. In
the less exclusive barber shops one
hnds q continual stream Of men. Of tne
moderate salary class. who indulge In
the items ! have enumerated. We
might guess the total ought to be at
least half a billion dollars.
To have our shoes shIned We spend
at least $1OO.OOO,OOO a year and a mil.
Hon more than the market price for
shoe laces because we wish u avoid
the trouble Of putting them in DUR
selves. Some Of this expense undoubt-
eddy Is necessary, but while the war
lasts we need not be ashamed Of any
form of Spartan economy. We a be
tight handed and rigorous with our
nickels and dimes without being open
to the charge Of stinginess-provided
we use the money for government
needs. We can shine our W shoes
for a tenth of this hundred million dol
lars. There are in New York a number
Of men who have grown very wealthy
from the shoe-shining business. Among
them are some large tenement owners
one reputed to be worth millions.
There are more than fifty thousand
bootblack places in the United States,
some of them employing a dozen or
more men. The majority Of these
bootblackst are within the fighting age,
at least they ought to be doing some
sort OF war service. instead of shining
shoes-while American blood runs so
freely on the other side.
Women Big Masters.
But when 1t ONE to this kind of
elf-pampering women spend far more
money than Ter Figures secured from
large department store give some
interesting sIdelights on possible eco
Monies. Its sales Of toilet goods last
year ran about 1.3 per cent OF its total
sales. Thus for every million dollars
In sales Its customers buy $4,000
worth Of toilet articles. Apply this
rate to all the stores in the United
States and you have a total OF unnum-
bered millions. The term toilet goods
Is very elastic, including both neces-
sary and unnecessary articles, but the
conscientious war saver no doubt
would class one-third Of these items as
partly ~dispensable, such as perfumery,
certain soaps, powders, rouge, toilet
waters, sO-called beauty compounds,
and the like.
Americas women are highly scent
We live in an atmosphere redol-
with ambrosia. From almost every
woman n passes OF the parade"
streets Of the cities there comes an
aura OF roses, or perhaps ~viOlets. Our
girls demand scents, In infinite variety,
only in perfumery itself, but In
hundreds of products. Merely to graft
fy our sense Of olfactory luxury we
spend tens Of millions Of dollars an
Yet in France the husbands,
brothers and sweethearts Of our wom-
and girls are sweating and fighting
In noisome places amid the stencil of
and death. The OdOrs they get
are Of %gunpowder and blood. Surely
we can spare some of u perfumery
In the cause for which we sent
them abroad.
II 1t were possible to estimate the
money spent by women In New York
alone for hairdressing and beauty cul-
ture 1t would undoubtedly run into the
tens Of millions. One hairdrssser in
The metropolitan district states that
eighteen months, or since Amer
ca entered the war, he has built up a
business that nets him seven hundred
dollars a month.
A woman proprietor Of a sO-called
beauty establishment says that fifty
customers bring her a revenue Of $780,
700 a year, that she realized a clear
'roat Of $4,000 on powders. creams
perfumes, that she sold sets of
cosmetics at seven hundred dollars
ZACH. Thousands Of women pay fancy
ees for hair waving. tinting and
bleaching. One concern announces
welve %cOlors, ranging from black to
blonde. Much money also goes
or removal Of freckles, wrinkles treat
nent, face bleaching and so on. The !
manicure bill in New York is enor- !
nous, and the %chirOpody Outgo large.
these places are furnished In the ut I
most luxury. II only we could I'm !
'ress on women of this class the dread !
ul hardships our American youths are {
In the great cause! I
The lesson ought to sink home to all !
in America, who In greater or y
esser degree, let their good money 60 |
Dr such futile vanities. !
II is estimated that a million men y
women throughout the country are y
living to the Turkish baths an aver "
ge of a dollar a day. Thus we have >
total Of 1866, 100000 a year. To this .
'e can add perhaps half as much for u
attendant fees, special treat. .
tent and in%cldentals. "
Bathing is commended, but most OF y
8, at least those who have the Turk :,
n bath habit, can take our additions '
/ home. The soldiers In Europe don't =
ave Turkish baths. We imagine we a
eed them here. We eat big dinners !"
nd fill ourselves with rheumatic de-
,sits, poison ourselves by gormandiz- -
e. We contract colds because our u
stems are too badly clogged to throw g
T the germs. 1t is when we are stuff u
d with rich viands and all sorts Of II
xuries that we turn to the Turkish II
18th for relief. Why not discipline "
during the war and transfer 81
| these millions Of dollars into the al
nd that is going to beat autocracy al