The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-01
OUR SPREE OF SPENDING.

While there has been general be-
moaning of the recent riot of extrav-
agant spending in this country, it re-
National bank of New York to find
unsupported values in it,
For many of us, says the bank, the
period was one of revelation. 1t I'M
folded new possibilities for enjoyment,
opened a new era of comfort, devel-
oped new appetites and measurably
refined our tastes. The value of this
it gives to increased productive effort
The automobile industry has a slo-
gan, "Once car owner always a car
owner" In a general sense that
aphorism is applicable to anything for
which mankind acquires a taste. Pin
nacles become necessities to some
types of mind and even to some COM
munities. Piano statesmen know that
if they establish one instrument in a
neighborhood they may finally put in
a hundred. 1t is the idea of keeping
up with the Joneses" that does it.
Where a new experience develops a
personal bodily or spiritual appetite
the incentive to repeat the experience
i'd greater than the incentive to con-
dards of the community. and the indf-
vidual cannot long resist the urge that
is in him. From this point of view, it
holds, our period of extravaganza was
distinctly valuable. A material incen-
tive to work that we may enjoy is as
much needed as a spiritual incentive
and that is true whether we accept
the pain and pleasure theory of eco
Monies or not. The Promised Land
was land that flowed with milk and
honey and was an important factor in
maintaining the morale of the Israel
ties in their march to Canaan.
1t is possible, of course-as the
growth of Socialism shows-to paint
alluring pictures of future well-being
but community which has had n
taste for the thing itself will not need
orators to keep it up to the pitch
For the purposes of incentive, a taste
is better than a full meal, and that is
what we have had-a taste of the fu-
ture under the present system of pro-
duction. More than a taste might
have been disastrous. Mans appetite
cloyed or dulled-but a taste merely
whets it. Fortunately, a taste of flu
ture comforts and Injuries was all
that was possible. But for the war
many of us would not have gotten
even a taste of such luxuries for many
years.
The displacements of the war trans
ferred the saved wealth of the world
to the multitude, which proceeded to
blow it i'm on things it believed it
wanted. Under normal conditions
the saved wealth of the world would
have remained in the hands of those
who use it for creating more wealth,
and years would perhaps have elapsed
before the average workman could
have. afforded an automobile or an
$1S silk shirt. The war changed all
that, 1t diverted the saved wealth
from its usual channels into the pro-
duction of munitions for which the
demand was compelling and to be met
without regard for cost. Thus in a
few months the bulk of the saved
wealth which would otherwise have
gone on producing automobiles and
pianos, as well as food and clothes,
was thrown into the laps of the work
ers as an inducement for the produc-
ton of the sorely needed munitions
This transfer of wealth from the
hands of savers to those of spenders
developed a new tribe of makers of,
and caterers to, new appetities, and
shortly the labor energy that was not
being expended upon the war was be-
ing expended upon the production of
luxury goods for the consumption of
the workers in munitions. Then the
workers in luxury goods discovered
that the demand for their products
from the new spenders was almost as
urgent as that created by the war, and
they in turn demanded and received a
share of the saved wealth in the
hands of the war workers In their
turn the luxury workers became
spenders, and the thing seemed as if
it would go on unfortunately. But
that was merely an appearance, for
the condition was self-destructive.
We were living on our capital-our
savings-and only a spree was posi-
ble-our money was bound to give
out. Like all sprees, this one de-
stroyed the morale upon which pro-
duction depends and we were about to
quit work so as to have more time to
spend our money.
There is continuing complaint that
the farmer is not getting his due
share of the products of his toll A