River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-08-22
Many of So-CaIIed Necessities
Should Also Be Used Spar
ingIy as Possible.
WOULD EFFECT Big SAVING
Money Could Be Turned Into Liberty
Bonds and Thrift Stamps, and
Labor Into Essential
Industries.
BY MORTIMER [. scHIFF.


SO much has been said and written
In recent months on the subject OF
thrift, that it must by this time be
the self-evident fact that unless the
strictest economy is practiced by the
people of this country. the enormous
sums and the mass of goods which the
war requires cannot be Forthcoming.
The most important contribution which
the civilian population can make to-
wards the winning Of the war is to so
order it's daily life as to prevent waste
and thus make available for military
purposes the goods and labor which
would otherwise be diSSipated in pro-
ductiOn for unnecessary purposes. Not
only must the spending of money for
luxuries be discouraged, but even so~
called necessities must be used as
sparingly as possible. 1t is only in
that way that the growing need Of our
army and navy can be met.
The amount which the individual
can thus contribute may seem small,
| but if all pursue such a course con-
| scientiously, the resultant saving is
enormous. Surely it is due to our
brave boys at the front that our mill
tary operations be not hampered by
| a lack of supplies due to production
| at home being diverted into nOn-eSSen-
| tia1 channels. 1t must always be borne
| in mind and cannot be stated too often,
| that doing without something results
| in a double advantage to the govern
| ment. The money thus saved is made
available for the purchase of Liberty
bonds and War Savings stamps and in
| addition a corresponding amount of
labor and goods is released for war
purposes.
To illustrate by a concrete exam
pie, If man does not buy new over
| coat, but makes his old one do for an
other season, he not only can place at
| the disposal of the government the
money which he would have used for
| that purpose, but the manufacturer
| can use that cloth and the labor for
making the overcOat in manufacturing
military or naval overcOat for one OF
our soldiers or sailors.
Thrift VIII Help Win War.
| Fuel and food conservation work in
| similar way and everything which we
| as individuals do without means just
| SO much more for our allies or for
ourselves for war purposes. The Cos
pei of thrift cannot be preached too
often or too strongly, not only for it's
| direct bearing on the war, but also for
| it's effect on the future of this cOun-
| try. We have been so blessed with
! natural resources and facilities for
| production, that we have been an eX-
| travagant people, and it is certain
| to be of incalculable advantage If we
learn the value of saving. We have
been extravagant not only in the eX-
penditure of money, but also in what
| is even more important, in the use of
our raw material and of our land. In
| tensive farming and full use of buy
ing products are examples of this kind
of thrift, which if intelligently prac-
| ticed will tremendously increase our
| production.
| Saving to be effective must be sys-
| tematic and not haphazard in charac-
| ter. The greatest advantage of War
4 savings doSOC1dI1OuS VI Tic puIC1ldSO
| of Liberty bonds on the installment
| plan is that they require the setting
| aside of definite sum each week or
each month and the making of the do
nestle budget accordingly. And the
remainder of the money thus set aside
is saved and invested in the premier
security of the world, in the obliga-
ton Of the United States of America.
Frugality Great Asset.
The problems of peace are going to
be no less serious than those of war,
but we face them with confidence, if,
as result of the habits we have ac-
| CURED during war time, we shall have
become thrifty and economical peo-
| pie and a nation Of savers. waste
| not, want not" is a true old saying,
| but it's application was never more i'm
| portant than now. Frances greatest
| asset has been the thrift and frugality
of her people and we can do no better
| than to emulate her in this, as in SO
| many other things. To do so each
! must do his or her share and by so do
| ing divert production from non-essen-
| tials into essentials and make avail
| able the labor and goods needed for
| military purposes. In the same way,
| it is only by thrift and economy that
| we can speed up our production and
make participation in the war more
| and more effective.