The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-12-19
GIRLS WITH SIS
: A WEEK " Earring
$500 FUR COATS
INVESTIGATORS FIN D VALID REA.
SON FOR THE ~ Ugh COST
OF LIVl NC
SENSELESS SPEN DING HURTS
Economy and Increased Production Is
Hope Of Nation, Says Ambassa.
dor D.. R. Francis.

When it was discoV cred that girls
earning less than SIS per week were
buying coats costing all the way from
1925 to $500 each, paying down and
Hedging Their meagre Incomes for
months and years to come, economists
gaspcd.
It was while a COMMITTEE from the
Connection War Saw ings 0rganiza
ion. working in cooperation with
Robert Scoyille, state ford admins.
traitor. in an attempt to track the high
cost Of living to its lair, made the
discovery.
"a woman represent ative Of one Of
the stores in Hartford Is reported to
have taken orders for $50 fur coats
from girl employees Of one insurance
company, on a 81 a week basis says
d statement issued by the committee,
"These coats cost from Sl25 to $500
each, but in this Insurance Office hey
were purchased by girls earning prob.
ably sl5 per week or less. Some Of
he girls will be paying on their coats
for three or four years BY such reck.
less extravaganza as this the prices
of luxuries are made 20 soar, and to
some extent the prices of necessities
follow"
The statement also declared that
the owner of the depar tment store has
told other merchants of Hartford that
the spreading Of the gospel of thrift
among the people wouId be bad bust
ness
The statement also cites the in.
stance Of young women employees Of
the American Thread Mills at vii.
hmantic who. when tn ey were work.
ing only SO hours per week, sold their
Liberty Bonds and War Sa wings
Stamps to buy expensive clothing.
Last winter, II is es timated by the
committee % per cen of the bonds
sold were by girl empl oyes in various
factories to make initial payments on
fur coats.
The committee points out there is
p%roiteering, undoubtedly but that
proi'eering is by no m cans the whole
story
The work OF the Con nectcut thrift
campaigners might well be emulated
by War Savings comm ittees In other
states. The American people are not
likely to persist in a foolish policy as
regards their individual spending if
the obvious foolishness Of that policy
Is pointed out to them.
Mr.. Scoville says that even the poor
people judge the quality Of the goods
they buy by the price rather than by
common sense, What merchant. in
such a case, would not charge high
prices for goods that " ould otherwise
be left on his shelves?
Every large city could stand an in.
yestisation along these lines The peo
pie got the thrift lesson during the
var. They got it very quickly and they
adhered to It admirably. But the end
ng Of hostilities seemed to them, also
10 BE- the ending Of tn cir responsible
ity. Il was not the end-nOt by any
means. And the people will RESPOND
to the appeal If the Sound common
sense of it is made clear to them
David r. Francis of St. Louis. Am
bassador to Russia, in recent addresse
n his home city, has taken occasion
TO point out the fact that Germany 4
certain to recover quiz kly from tn.
setback Of the war, and If American
10 not guard themselvS = Germany vii
surpass this country and gain con
mercial supremacy,
On all hands II is c onceded that tn
high prices prevalent e veryw' ere ma
be attributed more to lack Of produ,
ton than any one thin & Ambassadc
Francis shows that the thrifty &c
mans are now askinZ that they b
permitted TO work 10 hours a day II
stead of eight hours and the fir,
hing the German does is to begin
, save and accumulate a fund to pay o
the debt and rehabili { ate himself
a commercial way.
, The U. S. governmen ut plan to sa,
, is ideal, and is mad 10 reach q
classes, The child sa yer Is pruvid,
!. with the 25 cent Thrift Stamp. The
in successive steps co me the So w.
|, Savings Stamp and the 800 and SIC.
: Treasury Savings Certificate rhe
securities pay i.27 per cent # he
until maturity, on Jan uary |, 1924,
more profitable inves tment than II
" government Of any OF her nation
y offer its people,
= And no investment ON earth
" safer as the entire Vvealth Of eve
y state in the Union is behind The
= Stamps and Certi6cat es
u a 800 Certificate may be bought
October for sS42O. and any bank
will be glad to give any person all {
Information necessary to a. thorou
un~dpretandino n hn reallv ,ropte