The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-08-23

grow on historic spots. but are really
bogus. Strings of beads are manufac-
tured by the mile and sold to the pub
lie as the work OF Indians. The same
is true of moccasins toy canoes and
the like.
At best the bulk of these goods Is
rubbish, and our oltgo for this pur-
pose might well be cut off entirely dur
ing the war. TO do this requires alb
solutely no sacrifice. The people en-
gagged in this business will simply have
TO do what 50 many of us have already
done, adjust themselves to war.
Aside from souvenirs we are wan
ton Spenders for actual merchandise
that is inferior or worthless. There is
a great class of people to whom cheap
ness or tiaShineSs appeals, rather than
utility and economy. \ dealer in cheap
goods told me that he netted $4,000
wear from merchandise that was prac-
tically worthless. He found ii easy TO
appeal to the spending instincts of his
customers.
Unnecessary Phone Calls.
Not many Of us ever stop to think
Of the immense amount of money that
is spent for unnecessary telephone
calls Wherever you go the telephone
booths are occupied and when you
catch fragments Of the conversations
you usually find them unimportant.
Reginald calls up his best girl to tell
her he still loves her, Maude calls Al
gernon 10 thank him for the chocolates
No matter how trivial the occasion,
our first impulse is to step into tele-
phone booth.
If five million people would save one
tive-cent call a day ii would mean a
total of over ninety million dollars "A
year. Doubtless several times this sum
could be saved very easily by the gen
eral public on local and Iong-distance
calls. We are lavishly eXtravagant I'm
the use of the telephone. | know of
business houses that talk several times
a day between New York and Chicago,
incurring tolls on each occasion that
run from five to forty dollars or more
If there IS one thing that the Ameri-
cans haven't learned it is economy of
talk-which in these days of war need
might we'll mean millions of dollars In
Liberty Bonds. The telephone wires
are heavily OvertaXed, anyhow.
Then there is the telegraph. We
have this habit. too. With little
planning we could commonly use
three-cent stamp instead Of Il tcn-word
message. One large wholesale house
requires all its travelling men To re
port daily by telegram. an eXpendi-
ture that might be eliminated. The
telegraph tolls of some of the large in
duStrial and commercial establish
mcntS are SO big that they seem in
credible
The night letter is, in Il measure
luxury, at least we could do away
with the social phase Of it and
much of the domestic. hap
pen to know one business man, who
on his frequent and long absences
from home, gets Il night letter from his
Wife every morning and sends one each
night. Nor are these messages con
tlilNAl ~ llllN NbItNs tlUl btlfll run Nt'N-
eral times that length. Baby had the
collie; Freddy fell downstairs and
skinned his knee, Jeanette had her
hair washed
happen TO be acquainted also with
with young man who revels in night
letters to his fiancee. They are real let
ters, too, beginning like this "Darl-
ing Sue-I love YOU more than ever.
| couldn't sleep last night thinking Of
YOU. Do you love me still? :"
\ certain business man, the head of
a large concern goes away at intervals
TO rest for week or two, but insists
on having a night letter every morn
ing, narrating the substance of the
previous days business. These mes
sages run into hundreds of words every
day.
l would not belittle the night letter:
but in the present stress we need TO
curtail whatever part of this expense
may be unnecessary, and loan the
money TO the government.
The Taxicab Mania.
we Americans also nave the taxi |
cab mania. There is very large class
OF men and women who ride in cabs
habitually, and let 90 immense sums in
the aggregate. They take taxicabs TO
20 few blocks. In II group of twenty |
leading cities there are about four hun
ired thousand of these vehicles. and If |
each of them absorbed ten dollars ev-
cry day In unnecessary fares the ar |
gregate would be over fourteen million |
dollars a year. What would be the |
.otal for the whole United States? II |
S luxury to jump into cab when
ever ones wants to move about. bur
-heSe are stern times and we need 10
De more iron-minded. The boys in
France do not ride in cabs. and the
money we waste on this form Of luxury
night better 20 into gas masks for
hem.
We American men Saturatc ourselves
With many kinds of soft indulgcnceS-
IS in the barber shops. These places
n the high class hotels. as well as the
,etter shops outside, take from us i'm,
nenSe sums-for what? Here is
ypical list: Shave, 25c: haircut. soc:
hampoO. 35c; bay rum, 15c: face mas
age, Soc; manicure, SOC: shine. 1Oc
lps, 2Oc; total $40. 1t is not I'M
0nmon for men to 90 through the
whole list and to pay additional money |