The Arizona copper camp., 1920-06-12

! SUCCESS.
This fiscal year viii show the
! greatest spending orgy America has
! ever known! And the end is not yet
in sight, although there are indica-
tions that this mad debauch is on its
last legs
Houston Thompson, federal trade
ocommissioner, says the public is
aQuandering 5000O0,OOO year in
wildcat" investments. Facts and
4 figures prove that the public seems
to like the idea Of the high cost of
living; that the spend-thrift of today
actually prefers higher-priced things,
The luxury tax has revealed the
situation. In six months we have
spent s67.212,677 for merchandise sub
4 iect to United States penalty Of 1000.
4 This tax went into effect May 1, 1919,
and during the first two months it
was imposed, the government collect
ed nearly $4,O9ooOo
The luxury tax, for instance. is i'm
posed on mems hats costing over SIS;
women's hats costing more than SIS;
socks costing more than 81 pair
stockings over 50 a pair; carpets, at
more than SIS a yard, and trunks in
excess Of $50. Government figures
4 estimate the total luxury tax col
lected during this six months pc
riod amounted to $2,5OO, 900, 600
about $25 each for every resident OF
the United States!
1t is estimated that, since the arm
istice, $8,500,000,O0O has been thrown
away" by Americans. A very large
4 percentage has gone for good times"
/ During 1918, we paid $263,573,388 to
attend theatres, estimated from fed
eral tax on theatre tickets. It does
not include amount paid to ticket
'scalpers" and law-evading specula-
tors. During 1919 this expenditure
was doubted! In 1919, the theatres
took in $50I792,45S. In last half of
the fiscal year this expenditure aver
baged over $57000,000 a month.
Own Two-thirds Of All Precious
Stones.
4 Customs collections at New York
for March, broke all records. at $22,-
/ 28I878, exceeding by 100000 the best
month. hitherto known, in 1910.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS q
fancy Iaces, silks, jeweIry and rare
articles Of chinaware, as well as
/ precious stones, are being brought
into the country" a customs house
official told me. A careful check kept
\ by New York Customs House indi-
caes this country now owns more
than two-thirds OF Ill the precious
stones il the world! This despite the
feet that diamonds are 5000 above
pre-war values.
Dealers in diamonds inform me
they have a market among the labor
/ ing. classes and middle west farmers
4 never dreamed Of by the widest i'm
! aginatons.
The daughter of an eastern million
aire recently spent $4,000 for her
wedding trousseau.
A California lady recently pur-
chased q Russian,sabla coat for $l20,-
GOO, made to order of 100 selected
: skins, and weighing 20 pounds. 1t
cost more than any coat manufac-
tured since the beginning of the
world.
The American people are now con
suming candy at the rate of $8O,OOO,-
600 year We spent nearly $15,000,-
600 for sporting goods. We brought
4 nearly $42,0Oo,0O0 worth Of chewing
sum. w spent for all kinds of jewel
ry $275,000000 Our bill for per
fumes amounted to $175 900 900. We
purchased $1393. 100000 worth Of new
motor cars.
n 1913, the sum paid for railroad
fares was $8O3, 3,829,378. The following
year showed 1912, 1884, 72O-practicalIy
'l' w IAAi4O0 do niuCu. CudlI-caf ana
sleeping-car accommodations brought,
in 1913, $22,366,s97 and. in 1919, $37,-
71o,413. While the increase in rail
road travel was 219aa, and Pullman
revenue was at the rate of 1919
more than this-showing an increased
desire for luxury, no matter what it
cost even though the added travel
may nave been essential.
Recovering Sanity?
1 October, 1919, saw the peak of our
qqaaderins mania. There are signs
jbat people are beginning to ask
! themselves whether they are getting
their moneys worth and can really
afford all the things they have been
buyiug so Tecx1psSIV