Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-08-24

under the actual figures, taking int
consideration all classes of people. II
the less exclusive barber shops ont
finds a continual stream Of men, Of the
moderate salary class. who indulge il
the items have enumerated. w.
might guess the total ought to be a.
least half a billion dollars.
To have our shoes shined we spent
at least $1OO,OO0OGO year and a mil
lion more than the market price fol-
shoe laces because we wish to avoid
the trouble of putting them in our
selves. Some of this expense undoubt
eddy is necessary, but while the wal
lasts we need not be ashamed of any
form of Spartan economy. We can be
tight handed and rigorous with our
nickels and dimes without being open
to the charge Of stinginess-
we use the money for government
needs. We can shine our own shoes
for 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 dozen or
more men. The majority of these
bootblacks are within the fighting age,
at least they ought to he 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 it comes to this kind of
self-pampering women spend far more
money than men. Figures secured from
one large department store give some
interesting sidelights on possible eco
Monies. It's 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 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
ed. We live in an atmosphere redol
emit with ambrOsia. From almost every
woman one passes on the parade"
streets of the cities there comes an
aura of roses, or perhaps violets. Our
girls demand scents, in infinite variety.
not 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
nually. Yet in France the husbands,
brothers and sweethearts of our wom-
en- and girls are sweating and fighting
in nOis0me places amid the stencil of
disease and death. The odors they get
we can spare some Of our perfumery
money in the. cause for which we sent
them abroad.
If It were possible to estimate the
money spent by women in New York
alone for hairdressing and beauty cul-
ture it would undoubtedly run into the
tens of millions. One hairdresser in
the metropolitan district states that
within eighteen months. or since Amer
lea entered the war. he has built up a
business that nets him seven hundred
dollars a month.
A woman proprietor of so-called
beauty establishment says that fifty
customers bring her a revenue of $780,
900 year. that she realized a clear
profit Of $4,000 on powders, creams
and perfumes. that she sold sets of
cosmetics at seven hundred dollars
each. Thousands of women pay fancy
fees for hair waving, tinting and
bleaching. One concern announces
twelve colors, ranging from black to
golden blonde. Much money also goes |
for removal of freckles, wrinkles treat !
ment, 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 |
most luxury. If only we could i'm |
press on women Of this class the dread |
full hardships our American youths are |
in the great cause!
The lesson ought to sink home to all
women in America, who in greater or !
lesser degree, let their good money 60
for such futile vanities.
It is estimated that a million men |
and women throughout the country are
giving to the Turkish baths an aver
age Of dollar a day. Thus we have
4 total of $780,, 100000 a year. To this
we can add perhaps half as much for
attendant fees, special treat
ment and incidentals.
Bathing is commended, but most of
us, at least those who have the Turk
sh bath habit, can take our additions
ut home. The soldiers in Europe don't
have Turkish baths. We imagine we
need them here. We eat big dinners
md fill ourselves with rheumatic de.
Dosits. poison ourselves by gormandiz.
ng. We contract colds because our
systems are too badly clogged to throw
IF the germs. It Is when we are stuff
ed with rich viands and all sorts of
uxuries that we turn to the Turkish
path for relief. Why not discipline
ourselves during the war and transfer
Ill these millions of dollars into the
,und that is going to beat autocracy
md the German peril?