Denver labor bulletin., 1918-04-20
UNIONS SHOULD
INVEST FUNDS IN
SAVINGS STAMPS
THRIFT AND PATRIOTISM
ARE ESSENTIAL.
Every Quarter Loaned Government
Means So Much Support Given
to Soldiers Who Fight
Our Battles

1t is noticed that there is a ten
dency of organized bodies of individ-
uals to appropriate money from their
treasures to purchase war savings
stamps. There have been numerous
instances in which such bodies have
purchased 81 900 worth of war stamps,
and such instances have been given
wide publicity. as indicating the popu-
larity of the war savings idea as well
as showing proof of the probable sue
cess of the war savings plan.
1t is commendable and praiseworthy
that associations of men and women
should be patriotic enough to vote
such sums from their treasures for
the purchase of war savings stamps,
and it is to be hoped that the practice
will be continued. But the war saw
ings campaign will not be a success
unless it is adopted and practiced by
individuals.
1t is individual saving, individual
thrift, and individual patriotism that
our country needs at the present time.
Association treasures or union
| treasures are small in proportion to
numerical strength. Suppose a union
with ! 900 members votes to invest
| 81 900 from its treasury in war saw
/ ings stamps. Then suppose the men,
I bers of that union assume that they
/ have done their duty to the war saw
/ ings campaign. What have they done?
I Simply invested 81 apiece in the war,
and this indirectly. They have not
I become war savers at all
The war savings campaign IS in
tended 10 raise $1,000, 900, 600 on the
war savings plan, or, in round figures,
an average Of $50 for each man, wom-
an and child in the country. It is
. fNfz aTT1rrrHF.- no rFrrEnH
not only for the money involved
which the government viii need, but
for the stronger reason that in the
raising of this substantial sum a
larger number Of people will have
become war savers. In saving an
average of 500 each, millions OF per
sons will have discarde1 numerous
forms of extravaganza and waste and
will have acquired habits Of thrift,
which in itself will be Of benefit to
the war savers as individuals and to
the nation because of the increase Of
thrift among its people
In addition we shall all beneht by
the additional support Of our armed
forces Every quarter that we save
and lend to the government means so
much support given to the soldiers
who fight our battles. We are sup
porting our own relatives, our own
flesh and blood. and helping them to
win the war in order that the rights
and privileges we have enjoyed in
our own glorious country may be
preserved. 1t requires saving by in
dividuals to accomplish this financial
support, to establish the habits of
thrift, and to make our people more
intensely patriotic in their individual
capacities.
Individual saving viii curtail the
production of non-essentials and thus
help the production Of war necessi-
ties. We cannot win the war unless
we manufacture munitions and sup
plies in tremendous quantities. As
one writer has put II, when we are
threatened with flood and must
build dam to save ourselves, we
must drop other occupations for the
time-being and build the Gam
The world is threatened with n
flood of German atrocities. There
fore, we must drop many of our usual
avocations and work on the dam of
guns, munitions and military supplies
of all kinds. We must save as in
dividuals and loan our money to the
government. We must also sell our
labor to the government for the pro
duction of ships and other war neces-
sites.
The money we save as individuals
will not only help to furnish the gov
ernment with money, but it will also
help to furnish the government with
labor 1t therefore becomes the pa
triotic duty of every wage Garner as
well as every other person to save as
individuals and thus strengthen the
hand of the government and support
those who are Offering their lives that
! N1.p r,oaN 70 ~ free
BY all means continue voting asso-
citation and union treasury funds for
/ the purchase of war savings stamps,
but let it be followed by individual
savings so that thrift and patriotism
may increase and that our forces over
seas may be abuniantly supported
and supplied.