The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-10-14
TUESDAY, OCTOBER IA, 1919.
YOUR PART IN THE H. C. L. WAR

YOUR PART IN THE H. C. L. WAR.
Economic experts estimate that
some wears must elapse before the
cost of living is reduced to the basis
which obtained before the war. Prof.
Frank Taussig of Harvard, former
chairman of the United States Tariff
Commission, fixes that period at ten
years. '... e"
The various departments of the gov
ernment are using every effort to
reduce both the high prices and the
period through which they must OBJ
tain. To make the work Of the de-
partment effective they must have
not only the cooperation but active
assistance of the citizens Of the coun-
try. President Wilson has pointed
out how that assistance can best be
given, through thrift, saving and rig
id economy coupled with increase OF
p~o.,:ct.:oa anI elimination Of eX-
tr:.v:g-@cc a. waste.
Opening Of retail stores conducted
by the Army Quartermasters Corps
for the sale of army stores at low
prices has just been announced from
Chicago, St. Paul, Columbus, San
Antonio and New York. At Chicago,
fifty thousand shoppers assembled
before teh store at o'clock on the
morning of the opening. At San An
tonic on the first day, sales Of 1882
were recorded from the time the
store opened at 10 o'clock until it
closed that evening.
In New York, "rolling stores"
mounted on trucks for the sale OF
eggs at reduced prices proved a de-
cided success and the State Market
Commissioner followed this success
by sending out trucks selling army
meat and other foods.
These are some of the things fed
eral and state authorities are doing
to reduce the cost of living, but
along these efforts will not suffice.
The National Association of
Waste Material Dealers estimates
that Americans throw away $700,-
10000 worth Of food each year. If
only one ounce of food is wasted or
spoiled in each of the 20,000,0O0
homes of America, the total loss is
100000 pounds day. AS much
coal is wasted annually as all the
mines of the country could produce
in two weeks.
Thrift and saving are needed not
Nonly in materials but in labor and
money. Each added individual ef-
fort will tend toward the increase of
production and consequent fall in
price of necessities but physical idle
ness is no less an obstacle to the re-
duction of living costs than financial
idleness. There are millions of dol
lars idle in the United States through
lack of proper investment which
should be working for the common
good. These sums if put to work
would constitute the new capital so
urgently needed to tide over the per-
iod of reconstruction.
Tremendous needs for such capital
exists in one item alone the problem
of adequate housing. In an address
to the New York and New England
Brick Manufacture Co., Allan Beals
announced that the United States
needs 100000 homes, 100000 fac
tories, 5000 schools, $4,000 apart
ment houses 10000 theatres and
churches, '120 freight terminals and
$4,000 railroad stations and freight
sheds.
Capital is needed for these projects
and the projects if financed would go
far toward solving not only the hous-
i2g but the employment and wage
problems of the country. This capt.
tai can be produced only by the peo-
pie of the United States. 1t can be