The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-14
What 1t Means if 105, 100000
People Refuse to Econ
omize on Clothing
NATION HURT IN
MANY WAYS
One of Numerous Cases in
Point Vividly Illustrates
the Vital Necessity
BY PAUL NJ. WARRuRG,
Vice Governor Of the Federal Reserv,
Board.

Vice Governor Of the Federal Reserve
Board.
am one of one hundred and FIVE
million of inhabitants of the United
States; my duties are the same as
those Of every other true American,
and those Of every other true Ameri-
can are the same as mine. Whatever
/ contribute to the cause Of the couD
try, may expect to see done-each in
his own way--by los, 100000 people.
Let us suppose for the purpose OF
illustration that ! decide that l shall
effect saving onclothes. might Sc
lect boots, automobiles, umbrellas, or
any other article for which regularly
spend my money, as | have no desire
to single ont any one commodity, but
clothes lend themselves to my thought,
so | name them. II | make up my
mind, then, at this juncture that to
wear old clothes is more respectable
than TO be seen in new ones; IL de-
eide TO buy one new suit of clothes
less than usually purchase each year,
and II figure that suit to cost no more
than s10-the country as whole,
should we all pull together and act on
the same lines. would save thereby
over one billion dollars. 1t is true that
in dealing with our los, 100000 popula-
ton we include children and many
poor people that could not save ten
dollars each because they never spend
more for clothes than they absolutely
must. But on the other hand $40 is a
much smaller amount than the aver
age man or woman spends for a new
suit OF clothes. The assumption that
billion dollars could easily be saved
on clothes may, therefore, be accepted
as conservative,
The first thought that occurs TO us
In this connection Is, that by this saw.
ing in clothes over one billion dollars
would be freed to be invested in Lib
erty loan bonds. That is the first Inn
portant and most obvious result But
there are other economic results in.
volved in this saving that are Of far
greater Importance than the mere saw.
ing Of money.
Economic Results Are Vast.
Let us consider first what one billion
dollars worth Of clothes means. Sup
pose they we're half-wool and half-cot.
ton and that the value Of the raw ma
terial constituted only 80 per cent OF
the price paid by the ultimate consum-
er, that would, at the present price OF
go cents per pound FOR wool and 80
cents per pound for cotton respective
ly, represent 2Os,334 tons of wool and
lls,667 tons of cottaa. Can you imag'
ine how much freight space would be
required on water and on land, in NOV.
ing this mass OF raw material? DO
you realize that IL these bales were
put into freight cars, assuming load
ing capacity OF 16 tons per car for
wool and Ii cents per car for cotton,
this would represent 1901 box cars
loaded with woof and 32,05s box cars
loaded with cotton? Assuming rs cars
per train, there would be about 500
trains; the total length of these trains
would be approximately 314 miles, and
these trains. hauled by 500 engines
when standing in line would approx
mately cover the distance from Balti
more to Pittsburgh Can you imagine
the amount Of coal consumed in first
transporting and then weaving this
raw material into cloth? Can you Inn
agine the number OF hands employed
In these processes? And then consid
or that more coal, more labor and
more transportation all required In
distributing the cloth and again more
labor and more material in converting
II into clothes, and again more labor
and transportation in retailing the nm
ished product to the final consumer.
Let us be mindful that all the Tins
these processes are being carried on
Uncle Sam is short of the men neces
sary to dispatch his war work, and
furthermore that shortage of coal ant
the clogging Of the wheels of transpor'
tation have stopped his progress a
most critical moments and in the pres
emit emergency continue to remain
constant menace to the country.
May cest Your Sons Life.
My new suit Of clothes means, there
fore, delay for our military operations
delay in transporting and equippint
men, and in sending to them, and t.
our les, the supplies they need