Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-12-09

STEADY, NOW!

Sl1Qe downward, LABOR ana wages
included, in fact there are ominous
signs that our good times have gone
for good and that we are to expert
ence a period Of depression. In our
own state up at Menasha, $500 are
thrown out Of work, just at the ap
proach Of winter too, by the complete
shutting down Of the wOodenWare
plant, owing to the lack of orders.
The truth Of the matter is that peo-
pie are just finding out how eXtrav
agant and foolish they have been in
living so high and a great many Of
them will be mighty sorry when hard
times come, that they did not save
more. The cIamor fer the eight hour
day will, under the circumstances
subside also.-Fennimor Times.
The above article is too
gloomy, too pessimistic. 1t seems
to presuppose that most people
are wasteful and eXtravagant;
and it carries a false philosophy
which is current in some quar-
ters-that the chief aim in life
should be to get hold of money
and grip it hard. Not all of the
large incomes Of the last few
bounte0us years has been was
ted by the earners thereof.
Much Of it has been wisely ex-
pended. A good deal of it has
gone into government bonds,
contributions for worthy objects
and to pay for education and
training for future usefulness.
And besides large sums had to
be paid out for fuel and clothing
and for food, or go poorly nour-
ished. Prevailing export high
prices for agricultural and other
products brought a great stream
of gold into this country; and
all of it is not lost by any means.
1t is unwise to predict panicky
times ahead. 1t will do no good;
and besides you cannot tell with
any degree of certainty what
business conditions the future
has in store. Not many years
ago Lyman J. Gage, high fnan--
cial authority said that the max
imum interest rate in this coun-
try would be four per cent.
In the summer of 1912 The
Dodgeville Chronicle predicted
that if Woodrow Wilson should
be elected President milk would
sell at fifty cents per hundred
pounds; and that Iowa County
lands would sell at fifty dollars
per acre. To this prophecy The
Mineral Point Democrat made
reply more forcible than courte-
Gus. We are not referring to
the incident at this time to re-
fleet on the editor of the Chron-
icle; but only to show how un-
safe it is even for men of excep-
tional good business Judgment
to discount the future industrial
conditions.
The morning after election
day 1912 a bright boy Of 9 or
10 years looked into The Demo-
crat Office and shouted "Hurrah
for Wilson, A man who was
delivering us an express package
turned to him and said, "You lit
tie know what you are shouting
for. Why | worked under a
Democratic administration for a
dollar and a quarter a day."
Since 1912 wages have largely
advanced, and not declined.
From compilations of sales
an assessments compiled by the
Wisconsin State Tax Commits
sion it is shown that the valua-
tion of Iowa County lands has
increased from S59.25 per acre
in 1910 to $115.50 per acre in
1920; or very nearly doubled in
the last ten years.
Don't spread abroad any gloo-
my predictions. For more than
likely things will come out all
right yet. In this section lower
ing prices have struck the beef