Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-31
POPULAR ECONOMICS SERIES
B, Bank of the mnnhqaon Company Neo York City
Ee'The Greatest, Family in the World"

When you think this thing through
it looks like as good a system OF
self-help as the world contains. But
beyond this it helps other ;Esdivid-
uals and classes and groups through
out the nation. It is a perfect eX-
ample Of ideal cooperation.
This simple statement of facts.
which anyone can easily verify,
throws a good deal of light on what
some earnest, well-meaning folks
among Us call the menace. of capt
tai.
Let It's consider, for a moment,
what capital actually is. Before
man emerged from the earliest saw
age state there was probably no cap
itaL Our first ancestors lived as
best they could "by the day" If a
man killed a bird he ate it; if he
found nothing for a week he could
starve. After a while he learned to
preserve food, and at a later day to
cultivate grain, so he could put some
thing aside for future needs. If
everybody saved the same things,
there was no chance to exchange
goods, for everybody would have a
surplus of what nobody else wanted.
As civilization advanced and wants
multiplied, barter became possible.
One man could exchange some. ex-
ira corn for another'S piece of pot
terry or bit Of woven cloth. Those
who had nothing to offer but the la
Dor of their hands were in a bad
way; at best they could get food and
shelter for the day. Slavery was
one institution where the worker
needed no capital, and without cap
ital, that is what these workers be-
came-Just slaves.
AS soon as the worker could be
paid in something he could exchange
for other things-he began to taste
the JOY of independence. 1t made
no difference whether he was paid in
copper or silver or in paper-pro-
yided people would accept it at
stable value.
If this worker spent every cent he
received for his daily needs or COM.
forts, he was little better off than be-
fore, except that, as he could bar
gain, he could get food or shelter Of
better quality. The first man who
did not spend all he made, who put
aside ever. so little for another dav,
was free He had learned to save,
Becomes a Capitalist
When he put these savings to
some ether use, so that instead of be-
ing eaten or worn they were in
vested, he became a capitalist. He
might have bought an acre of
ground, or the grain to seed it. He
might have paid neighbor to drain
lis land, or he might have loaned q
little to another for an extra con-
sideration. In any case, his savings
began to work for him just as be-
fore he had worked for his savings
Capital, therefore, is today's sur
plus. 1t is what gives us a better
start. tomorrow than we had today.
Ii we don't save it, we don't have i.
and when we have it, it is useless TN
til it is put to work
If thrift is right, then it is right
that people should acquire funds as
the result of their industry and self
denial. } But money that is merely
boarded is like water that becomes
stagnant; it is harmful, not helpful
When money is put to work, it i
like water power it turns the wheel
of industry, increases employment
ard raises the general level of com
fort.
Where every producer can Great,
a surplus and that surplus can b,
gathered into a common fund an,
put to work for the common goo,
we shall have reached an ideal con
dition. Towards this goal the fort
million who have cooperated il
building up life insurance funds ar
showing the way These million
already are Capitalists in princi
pie and in fact
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