The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-08-22
YOUR SONS LIFE
OR A new SUIT
What it Means if 1o5,000,0o0
People Refuse to Economic
on Clothing
kATI0,! k,uaT IN MANY Ways


One of Numerous Cases in Point Vivid
Iy illustrates the Vital Necessity
of "Saving to Save the
Country" in War Time.
By PAUL M. WARBURG,
Vice Governor of the Federal Reserve
Board
am one of one hundred and hve
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 Amerl-
can are the same as mine. Whatever
l contribute to the cause of the coun
try. may expect to see done-each in
his own way-by 105,OOG,OOO people,
Let us suppose for the purpose OF
Illustration that l decide that shall
effect a saving on clothes. might Sc
lect boots, automobiles, umbrellas, or
any other article for which l regularly
spend my money, as have no desire
to single out any one commodity, but
clothes lend themselves to my thought,
so / name them. If I make up my
mind, then, at this juncture that to
wear old clothes is more respectable
than to be seen in new ones; ii l de-
eide to buy one new suit OF clothes
les: than usually purchase each year,
and if figure that suit to cost no more
than $1O-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 105, 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
much smaller amount than the aver
age man or woman spends for 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 i'm
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 were half-wool and half-cot-
ton and that the value of the raw ma
terial constituted only so per cent of
the price paid by the ultimate consum-
er, that would, at the present price OF
60 cents per pound for wool and 81
cents per pound for cotton respective
ly, represent 20S,33 tons of wool and
416.667 tons of cotton Can you mag
inc how much freight space would be
required on water and on land. in NOV
ing this mass of raw material? DO
YOU realize that if these bales were
put into freight cars, assuming a load
ing capacity of 16 tons per car for
wool ard 10 cents per car for cotton,
this would represent 1902 box cars
loaded with wool and 32,056 box cars
loaded with cotton? Assuming rs cars
per train, there would be about 600
trains; the total length Of these trains
would be approximately 314 miles, and
these trains, hauled by 900 engines,
when standing in line would approx
mately cover the distance from Baltl-
more to Pittsburgh? Can you imagine
the amount of coal consumed in first
TRANSPORTING and then weaving this
raw material into cloth? Can you i'm
agine the number of hands employed
in these processes? And then cons1d-
err that more coal more labor and
more transportation are required IN
distributing the cloth and again more
labor and more material in converting
1t into clothes, and again more labor
and transportation in retailing the fin
ished product to the final consumer.
Let us be mindful that all the time
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 and
the clogging of the wheels of transpor-
tation have stopped his progress al
most critical moments and in the pres
ent emergency continue to remain
constant menace to the country.
May Cost Your Sons Life.
My new suit of clothes means, there
fore, delay for our military operations;
delay in transporting and equippine
men, and in sending to them, and to
our allies, the supplies they need;
means increased losses and longer
duration of the war. My new suit OF
clothes may cost, therefore, the life
of my son.
The supply of goods, of labor and Of
transportation is limited. 1t is mat
ter of common agreement that thls
limited supply is not sufficient freely te
satisfy all wants and that unrestricted
attempts on the part of each individual
to satisfy his own requirements may
lead to wild scramble and destruc-
tive competition with the government
resulting in fatal delay and endless in
crease in prices.
The loaf of bread available for our
selves and for our allies is not large
enough to "go around" if we all wan