The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-03
The MeddLer
"IfttE eOSt fits you, pHr IT on.

If you have given the calendar a
thought you know that this is the third
day of December and that you have but
IS shopping days before Christmas. And
possibly you recall a resolution, made in
the hurry and hustle of the last shop
ping hours of year ago, that you
wouldn't get caught that way again.
| Now is the time to begin practicing that
resolution if you have not begun already.
DO your Christmas shopping early" is
an old story but there is just as much
virtue in it now as there ever was, and
that's a lot. The merchants all over
town have their holiday goods In, and
| in most instances have made their prices
well below the marks~Uf war days. On
many articles heavy losses are being
taken, for wholesale prices have been
cut and the retailer has to act accordingly
regardless of the actual cost of his stock
on hand. Everybody is, or should be, in
terested in the cleaning up of the
counters and shelves of every retail store
in the land for until this comes about
ders. And until the wholesaler can pass
the word along to the manufacturer
that trade is picking up mills now idle
all or part of the time will remain
in their present condition, people out of
work will remain out of work, and so
on. That is why Santa Claus is a par
ticularly important person this partic
ular Christmas season. If his business
is good everybody's business will be good.
If the shoppers in this town and in other
towns and cities, resume their normal
holiday shopping pace things will be well
on the road toward normal industrial
conditions. That's one reason why DO
your Christmas shopping early" should
have such a strong appeal at this time.
There is a good deal of merit in the
plan of the Massachusetts registrar of
| motor vehicles to make applicants pass
a practical test before they are given Ii
censes to operate automobiles, and it
wouldn't be surprising if some such pol
| icy were adopted in Vermont before
long. Such a test has been required of
applicants wishing to become professional
chauffeurs, but licenses are issued to
owner-operators upon sworn statement
that they have driven a car 200 miles
and an affidavit from some holder of a
license that he has ridden with the ap-
plicant and considers him a proper per-
son to have license.
Though Brattleboro has been bit
slow in getting its annual Red Cross en-
rollment under way there is every rea-
son for believing that the results OF the
campaign which closes tomorrow night
will be satisfactory. This years en-
rollment is in effect O test of the will
ingness of people of every community to
support this agency of good works as
permanent institution. The Red Cross
should not be left in doubt as to its
maintenance. 1t is the one agency for
humane works that has no distinctions
between races, or faiths or other divi-
sions of people. 1t has an enormous
task vet on it's hands and other posi-
fllment. 1t is needed abroad in relief, |
and at home in service to the disabled
soldier and sailor and in the extension
of health protection is wanted in every
sort of community. 1t is equipped for
humane work as is no other instrument. |
1t is the peoples agent, in sense that
no other organization is, both IN the
universal nature of its membership and
the readiness of its service to mankind. |
What should not be needed is great
expenditure of effort 70 get its appeal to
the people. Even though it commands
such a number of volunteers as does no
other organization, there is great cost in
its annual solicitation, a cost that ought
not to be necessary. With its member
ship costing only one dollar, it depends