The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-04
Hearing the Mask off Business
 Fear CAUTION UNDER A CAMOUFLAGE
Fly w. H. J. TAYLOR, President of the Retail Credit Mems

National Association
 It is an old saying that the luxuries of today are the necessities of to- morrow. Today's necessities were con sidered luxuries but little while ago. Who, then, shall say what is a luxury and just what things we must elim- mate in wartime? "Eliminate' is Q strong word that falls all too easily from the lips of some who should know better than to jump at conclu- sions.
 I am for maintaining all the so- called luxuries wherever possible, for it's through them that we shall win the war. Every luxury of yesterday hat we take now as a matter of curse marks step in the progress of the world.
 I hear great deal of talk about getting down to "essentials.' Just what are essentials? Food and cloth- ing. Food, first of all, to maintain life. Primitive man needed only food to exist Covering came next. Shel- ter was a luxury, till man got used to it and had to have roof over his head. Heat came as a luxury, then as a necessity to cook his food. From heat developed light, and so on up the scale.
 Yes, if We had to we could exist on essentials. But existing isn't liv. ing. Life is too complex today, haa progressed too far. Our very essen. tials depend upon what some would term luxuries. The picture of the cave man is hardly alluring. Life may have been simple, but it was un- doubtedly short and wanting in ev- erything we count worth while today.
 No, we cannot go back to essen tials. To ride in an elevator is a lux ury compared to walking upstairs. but it makes possible the use and earn ing power of the twenty ninth floor. Our luxury of riding is paying a profit. The automobile may be luxury to you or to me, but to the busy builder who uses his car to hurry from one job to another thus saving time and accomplishing so much more-to him it is a necessity.
 So let us be very cautious in our criticism of how the other fellow spends his money Let it suffice that he spends it judiciously. It is well that those who have great wealth shall spend it, and especially so in wartime, for spending helps others to earn, and so distributes and makes wealth. Rather by far this sort of wise spending than the folly of nig- gardlness.
 To enjoy the art of Sarah Bernhardt is indeed a luxury but when this won- derful woman went behind the lines in France to cheer the men with her marvellous talent, were the soldiers in dulged in luxuries? Certainly not. In their place certain amount of di- version, of entertainment. of cheer, Is q necessity-an essential.
 So do you and need to keep up our patronage of books. of art, of the theatre. All in good sense, of course, good common sense that realizes We cannot overturn our national life nor neglect any useful branch of it. What we have built up for years we do not dare to tear down in a day.
 You who talk of essentials, how would you earn money if you tried to cut down to them? And if you didn't earn and produce what good would you be to the nation? I dare say, further, that what you might inventory as your necessities many another would look upon as luxuries.
 Let us have done with this all-too- foolish talk of luxury. am for econ- omy. but for constructive economy; for thrift, not for penury; for prog ress, not for stagnation,
 have no trepidation for America in this war excepting from the cow ard.
 Why should fear be camouflaged as caution?
 Let us be brave in our business Of wise spending.
 The man who holds back is the cow ardi
 Copyright. 1918. by King Feature Syndicate. Incl