New Britain herald., 1920-12-11

ducted by local banks are enjoying the fruits of their thrift as the season of giIt-buying arrives. An idea of what can be saved by regularly depositing small sums in the hands of the Christ mas club officials is gained from the fact that s300,00O representing pen nies wisely set to hatch big eggs, will be distributed t-is year among nine thousand dcpositors.
 Putting a few pennies or dollars away at stated intervals and cultivat- ing a habit of thrift brings surpris- ing results. The spasmcdic saver very seldom achieves his dreams; it is the person who decides that, come what may, he wll set aside a certain sum of his weekly income every week not once in while, who learns how money can grow.
 When Christmas clubs were first formed in this city they were regard ed as a freak idea as ;lo doubt, they were so looked upon in other com minus. But the people quickly graspcd the underlying principle of thrift and men, women and children now find it to their advantage to join the clubs and escape the worry of their pocketbooks when the season of Eiftgiving arrives.
 
 Christmas club checks as legal tender. sometimes allowing a discount to those who have showed their deter imitation to be savers, rather than spenders. Bank officials encourage the habit and form a good opinion of the character Of those who make regular deposits.
 It has been said that employers favor workers who have proved their ability to save on the ground that man who can save his own money will not bc apt to waste that of his em- ployer. Many of the richest men in the country began with what would be considered today as pitiful capital, but by dint of energy and saving an allotted amount of their income they were enabled to impress others who had money 70 lend. or succeeded in saving enough to stast ;n business with their own capital. The philanthropists of today were the poor boys of yester- day but their poverty was in money alone not in ambition.
 New Britain Christmas clubs are divided into classes. usually on the basis of .25, 50, S1.0O, $2.00 and $500 weekly although there are still some which accept initial deposits as low as a penny, the depositor being expect ed to double the money on each and every week thereafter until the end of the club period.
 All the profiteers are not extinct. if the story that has come to the ears Of the Observer can be relied upon. The statements concern =. Church street restaurant which caters to the popu- lar trade and whose proprietor does not intend to emulate Andrew Carne- gie and die a poor mNn.
 An example of his avarice was given this week when he appealed to the ap- petites of his customers by announce ing an especially succu1ent pastry cranberry pie. Opposite the item on tho menu was tho charge, fifteen cents, and many paid, although grumbling at the small portion served. An investigation showed that the pie had been cut into ten pieces. bringing the total receipts for one pie up to $50.
 Another instance of the proprietor's love of money is cited in his charge for a slice of layer cake, fifteen cents. The board of strategJ which usually holds post mortems on all suspicious subjects investigated and learned that the cake was originally cut into ten slices bEinging in $1.5O for the whole cake. .
 Restaurant patrons who find condi- tions as described in the foregoing should hesitate to eat at such places. The charges are exorbitant and thu proprietor should be taught a lesson until he decides to moderate his de- mands. During the var New Britain suffered from high prices in res staurants Restaurant owners who continue to overcharge should be shown in the only way possible that the war is over and that food prices must come down.
 Principal Louis P. Slade of New Britain High school is to be con- gratulated on the stand he has taken regarding improper dancing. Un- fortunately the growing generation is taking more and more liberty and we need men of Principal Shades prestige to put his foot down on practices that tend to weaken the moral fibre of the young.
 Parents should understand that all the warnings of educators will be of no avail unless they, the parents, CO., operate Fathers and mothers are lax with respect to protecting their children's morals, but strong charac ter begins in the home and the les son of uprightness must first be taught there.
 It is unfortunate for the respect able young ladies who attend the school that it has been necessary for the head master to call attention to the situation. The warning reflects on the whole student body. unjustly of course. and the innocent will suf- fer to some degree with the guilty. AC ha of