Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-30
It's All a Matter of Choice
[From Kansas City Star1


People who go about complaining
of high prices while struggling
frantically to beat somebody else to
the counter to pay them might just
as profitably employ their minds
upon the problem of why water runs
down hill.
We go up and down the street
shedding money at every pore, and
then howl like a wolf because some
body picks it up.
How much is this?" we ask.
Eighteen dollars" says the sales
man; used to be So" Wrap up
two of EN-" we say, you robber."
Prices are high, but no higher than
we like to pay. When we roar that
we had to pay SIS for q hat we are
really boasting of 1t. Those of us
who are really ashamed of it keep
mighty still. It's the ones who are
proud of having the SIS to throw
| away that tell about it, and it is
those same ones who are respon-
| sible for the rest of us having to pay
~ for a hat that ought perhaps to
sell for 81.
1t is possible in all times to buy
high priced things, but it Is only in
these times that everybody has tried
to do it,. Nothing but the best for
| us. by which we mean the most ex-
pensive. When only the staggering
| rich smoked 10-cent cigars-and
| that wasn't so many years ago
lots of people found nickel smoke
all they needed; but because Prince
| Fortunatus, who butted into an oil
| well, now buys only 50-centers, the
rest of us can find no solace in any,
thing less than two for a quarter.
oh, but we're the little spenders!
We're setting 'em up to the house.
Everybody step up and have a dime
out of our dollar. Producer, manu-
taller, delivery man-here, catch!
Take it, our good man, and
spend it as you will. And as for
/ our little purchase. go to as much
expense as possible with it. Put 1t
in q fancy box, tie 1t with a couple
yards of ribbon and send 1t to our
address in an $4,000 delivery truck.
| We cannot carry 1t ourselves be-
cause our hands are helpless in $12
| gloves.
| Thus we go about with hole in
every pocket leaving trail of coin
which we seem to think will follow
| w &c lOSS OuI d bip
for a penny service, and the recipi-
ent runs after us to remind us we've
forgotten the war tax.
We go to a store where more con-
veniences are provided for us than
we enjoyed at hotels when we went
on our wedding journey, and wonder
why dollar bills are no longer LEGAL
tender.
Wherever we go some attentive
person opens the door for us, an
other takes our hat, and a whole
bodyguard in resplendent attire
conducts us to a seat. When we gel
out we are very sarcastic about
water, free in the river, being ter
cents a glass on a table. But If we
didn't get that service we'd cut thai
place and go where it was to be had
and to be paid for.
Prices are UP, there Is no question
about that. But they are not nearly
SO high at home as they are else.
where. Some fashioned people
(pikers, of course) who have clunl
to the old custom of eating at home
say it is much cheaper that way
Eight dollar shoes are cheaper thar
s18 dollar shoes, too. And the same
with everything. Pay the highes
prices If you want to, but shut up
Be a sport if you want to, but pay
If you can't pay be something else
Lots of people are something else b!
; choice and find it not at all bad.