The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-08-13
YOUR SONS LIFE
OR A new SUIT
What it Means If los, 100000
People Refuse to Economic
on Clothing
NATION HURT IN MANY WAYS
One of Numerous Cases in Point Vivid
ly illustrates the Vital Necessity
of Saving to Save the
Country" In War Time.
BY PAUL M. WAR6URG,
Vice Governor of the Federal Reserve
Board.

Board.
/ am one of one hundred and five
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 Ameri-
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 100000 people.
Let us suppose for the purpose of
illustration that / decide that | shall
effect saving on clothes. | might Sc
lect boots, automobiles, umbrellas, or
any other article for which | 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 l make up my
mind, then, at this juncture that to
wear old clothes is more respectable
than to be seen in new ones; if | de-
eide to buy one new suit of clothes
less than usually purchase each year,
and if figure that suit to cost nc more
than S10-the country as a 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 los 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 a
much smaller amount than the aver
age man or woman spends for a new
suit of clothes. The assumption that
a 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 80
cents per pound for cotton respective.
ly, represent POS, 1874 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 load
ing capacity of 16 tons per car for
wool and 10 cents per car for cotton
this would represent 1902 box cars
loaded with wool and 32,O56 box cars
loaded with cotton? Assuming rs cars
per train, there would be about coo
trains; the total length of these trains
would be approximately 314 miles, anG
these trains, hauled by 600 engines
when standing in line would approx
| mately cover the distance from Balti
| more to Pittsburgh? Can you imagine
| the amount of coal consumed in frs
transporting and then weaving thi!
| raw material into cloth? Can you i'm
agine the number of hands employed
| in these processes? And then consid
er that more coal, more labor anC
more transportation are required il
4 distributing the cloth and again mor'
labor and more material in converting
it into clothes, and again more labo
and transportation in retailing the fin
ished product to the final consumer
| Let us be mindful that all the tim
these processes are being carried on
Uncle Sam is short of the men neces
sary to dispatch his war work, an,
furthermore that shortage of coal am
the clogging of the wheels of transpor
tation have stopped his progress a
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 equippin
men, and in sending to them, and t
our allies, the supplies they need
means increased losses and a longe
duration of the war. My new suit c
clothes may cost, therefore, the lif
of my son.
The supply of goods. of labor and {
transportation is limited. 1t is ma
ter of common agreement that thi
limited supply is not sufficient freely I
satisfy all wants and that unrestricte
attempts on the part of each individus
to satisfy his own requirements ma
lead to a wild scramble and destruc
tive competition with the government
resulting in fatal delay and endless il
crease in prices.
The loaf of bread available for on
selves and for our allies is not larg
enough to "go around" if we all wal
to eat more than is absolutely neces
sary for our maintenance. 1t is ever,
body's duty, therefore, at this time