Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1918-10-12
A STUDY OF OUR FRIEND
 THE AMERICAN DOLLAR

creased in so far as income is con- cerned but not where expenditures are concerned. Taxes have gone up but in few instances, and as d matter of fact, in many instances the curtail- ment of expenditures has brought taxes down. Insurance earned in less than two thirds of the time will now buy just as much insurance as 1t would in 1914, which insurance, when it becomes due, will pay normal dol lar at the valuation of a normal dol lar. The unfortunate man is he who collects his insurance now.
 Outside of war charities, there has been a general curtailment of char itable enterprises, and while the am ount expended for this purpose may be larger than usual, it is being ex- pended in one direction and does not represent the same percentage in crease as does the cost of living. The economy movement has reached the giving of presents, and much less of this is being done, or useful gifts giv- en, which merely represents something that will not have to be included in the family expenditures. Club dues, and recreation have maintained their normal standard, and if more is spent for these things, it is to secure more G4 them.
 The size of dollar in it's compar- ison to the value of a dollar is the all important thing in the analysis of the finincial situation of the working man. In the mining camps the cost of liv- ing has risen in about the same pro- portion as elsewhere, but the size of the dollar has enormously increased. In Bisbee, for instance, the records of the Copper Queen show the average wage for underground men in 1914 was $3.79 per day. This rose to S4.1J in 1915, to $5.32 in 1916, to $5.43 in 1917 and to $5.53 the first half of 1918. With the 50-cent increase of July first and the later 25-cent increase of August first, the average per shift for the last half of 1918 will be $6.23.
 The raise from $3.79 in 1914 to $6.23 in 1918 makes a wage increase of GA per cent increase on the 80 per cent of mans earnings which make up his real living costs and also the some in- crease on the 20 per cent balance which makes up his savings, invest ments and extras. Investments are as good now as at any time; bonds and mortgages can be obtained on as good terms as five years. Many standard stocks are higher because they are paying higher rates, but many are lower. Savings represent the great est difference. A DOLLAR EARNED IN TWO THIRDS THE TIME, PUT NOW WHEN TT WILL BUY HALF AS MUCH, WILL IN LATER YEARS UNDER NORMAL CONDI- TIONS, BE WORTH ITS FULL VAL UE OR TWICE AS MUCH AS NOW. The unearned increment on savings will be.
 The man who can see that he is get ting two dollars worth for every dol lar saved now will be the plutocrat of tomorrow, but he who insists on spend- ing his all when it will buy the min imum amount will be living the same hand to hand existence ten years from now.
 Much has been said of this cost of living problem, but let us not deceive ourselves. If we save $10 per month before the war we should now be sav- ing GA per cent more, or $16.4O. With the cost of living but from 50 to 56 per cent higher, and the wages in min ing camps GA per cent higher than in 1914, the opportunities for collecting the unearned increment should not be overlooked.