The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-16
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
BY FREDERIC }. HAsKIN. Directer.
Washington, d. C.
SCIENTIFIC ECONOMY.
Here Is "a Sound Principle That You
Can Apply to Expenditures
of Every Sort

of Every Sort
Washington, Jan.f12.-This, let it be
understood. is not one more request |
that YOU eat less sugar or less meat.
or wear your old suit again next
spring, or raise vegetables in the back
yard, or have a meatleSS dag or
wheatless day, or get your shoes half
soled. or cultivate a taste for cells or
jelly fish, or starve the garbage can.
or can the butler. or to burn less coal
or cultivate a taste for beans
All of these abjurations and many
more have been so widely and per
sistentfy disseminated thru the public
prints that they are matters of COM
mon knowledge even in the back pre-
cincts.
What is lacking is a unifying prin-
cipfe about which all this miscei-
laneous doctrine may be intentgently
assembled philosophy of economy.
Such philosophy is offered here.
1t begins with story. A certain
small western university located in a
small western town happened to OBJ
tain the services as president of a most
learned scientist who was compelled
to live in that part of the country on
account of his health. He made that
one-horse university boom. Its en-
rollment increased. IT'S faculty inn
proved, its reputation grew apace.
Then the board of regents discharged
the learned man who had done all
this for them. The burden of their
charge against him was that he did
not live in a style and manner befit-
ting his exalted position in the COM
munity. One Of the facts that told
especially against him was that he
never wore dress suit,
So the learned man went and Ger
tain eX-high school professor, who
had relatively little learning but wore
dress suit with grace, and had dig
nifty to burn, was put in his place.
Thsi incident illustrates what an
enormous sacrifice Americans are
willing to make for a certain intangi-
BILE commodity. which is expressed
pretty we'll by the word respecta bility.
The amount which they pay for this
commodity is known to scientific econ
omists as conspicuous waste.
OF course, respectability implies
many things besides conspicuous
waste, but no one is considered re-
spectacle in this country who does
not invest all that he possibly can in
conspicuous waste, and the high cost
of1iving is really the high cost of be-
ing respecta Bile. Somewhat the same
thing is expressed in the itme-worn
eplgram that the high cost of living
is the cost of high living. But high
living implies heightened enjoyment
and benefit from life, while respecta-
bllity adds nothing but the satisfac-
ton OF being respectable. And that
Is merely the satisfaction of being like
others, of escaping oddity. If we
couldNall agree to cut down the stand
ard of responsibility a little we could
save enough to feed the allies and win
the war without the slightest real dis
comfort.
This element of conspicuous waste
runs thru every department of the
family budget. Clothes are the most
conspicuous example, of course. There
are, Tor example, perhaps half a mil
non men IN this country who consider
II necessary to own a dress suit Elk
cept IN the case of walters, who must
nave the dress suit in order to get a
job, this apparel, which is more expen-
siVe than any other, gives nothing ex-
cept a sense of responsibility. 1t does
not add comfort; that point needs no
laboring- Neither is a dress suit beau
tlnful. Its absurdity is emphasized by
the fact that 1t compels the guest to
wear the same livery as the servant, so
that at a banquet the head waiter and
| guest of honor are easily confused
| The silk hat that goes with the dress
suit is still more of conspicuous
waste. And a man decorated with
these symbols of responsibility would
be one of the most ridiculous spec
| tacles on earth if we were not accus-
toned to regarding him as a dignified
one. A man from Mars visiting the
earth, even II he could stand the eli
| mate, would probably die of laughing.
The garments worn on gala occa-
! sions are only the most conspicuous
| of conspicuous wastes in clothing The
hard hat, the high collar. the French
heel, the patent leather shoe, the cor
set, are all ugly, and useless except for
| their respectability
In the food we eat, this kind OF
waste may not be as conspicuous, but
| it is present nevertheless. Many a
bill-of-fare at a banquet or formal din
ner is simply a long list of bric-a-bra c
having a minimum of food value, but
adding immensely to the class of the
OCCASION because it costs lots of money
! and entails much rtation-all
| wasteful. This standard of respect
able eating emanating from New
York, has corrupted little hotels all
| over the country. Where <once you
could get such satisfying victuals as
fried chicken and sweet potatoes, you
now face all sorts of, mysterious con-
| coctions with French names that no
ibody likes. In the home, too, this
kind of waste occurs. Women are
especially fond of making weird sal
ads, at great expense of labor and ma
terial, which have little food value an6
startle the palate with their unaccus-
toned combinations. but which are
| supposed to be eaten by the %bes
people"
Nowhere is conspicuous waste more
conspicuous than in amusements. AL
tho the best view of the stage may bt
had from the first row in the balcony
many people would rather take bacl
seat downstairs because it is not re
spectacle to be seen on the uppel
floors. The dignity of others abso
lutely requires seat in box. ever
tho they can neither afford to buy it
nor see the show after they hav'
got it.
The emendous demand for auto
mobiles and the contempt which i
heaped upon cheap but serviceabl
cars, both spring largely from tn
need for being respectable even th'
hungry. The size of your<car and tn
amount which it costs you to keep i