Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-26

tires.
MR.. PICKERING But the
war. i'll wind that II IS, blows
good 10 some. For instance,
when we arrived in Detroit, in
the blac kearly morning, the cab
driver had something 10 say.
He'd recently been discharged
from the army FOR physical rea-
sons, he said. and driving a hack
was the first job he could find.
Il don't want to he cab
driver always" he said.
THAT so:~ ! said. a lot Of
good men drive cabs"
"Yesh, kn~s." he said. I'm
not really sneering at 1t. Only
sometimes when a girl takes you
10 meet her folks, and you say
you drive cab, they look at
you as though-you know
- Trying 10 cheer him, ! said:
81 know drivers that used TO
make a. much as SIS week
driving cabs back in 1927 and
%. You may he getting business
like that again one OF these
DAYS"
MAY get It," he said Its a
bad week right nowrtf ! don't
make at least $50"
So il looks as though boom
times had arrived in full force.
Although taximeters never earn
a mention in the financial pages,
they seem TO be one of the most
sensitive and accurate guages OF
general prosperity.
The chances are that Detroit
IS going 10 see some boon-tIme
spending thus fan. and that II
VIII surpaSs anything that the
city has seen for the last IS
years or so.
II will. however. be different.
As my informative cab driver
SAID.
"My gosh. d'you know that i
get some of the best business
from factory workers: That's
right. I've had A bunch of them.
They get up little bit late,
maybe. or miss a bus. and hop
cab clear across town TO get TO
work on time"
T. looks as though tho cabaretS
and cav spots were gong 10 do
some rush business, TOO. The
Wonder Bar seems, for some
reason. 10 be n good barometer
for night club business. This
last Monday night Monday
night IS supposed 10 be the dull.
est Of the week they started
turning patrons away AT half
EaSt eight. Besides that, Sam
Obofferin told me. there were
three champagne parties going
at once
Good sized parties" Sofferin
said. Not Just people ordering
single bottle. II looked like
New Years Eve"
But don't think that this
year whoopce Is going 20 be
the same kind that made Texas
Guinan famous IN the 2Os. It's
no longer luxury reserved for
socially-correct young bond
statesmen and playboys who have
inherited fortunes.
Champagne" according 10
one OF the citys big wine mer-
chants. "is being drunk by peo-
pie who never have tasked II
before. It's the working class,
men who are getting $40 or SIS
a day and want to find out what
IL tastes like"
Naturally champagne prices
arc going up. but this seems 10
be because OF general rises IN
costs and taxes. and not because
Of shortages. At least, that's
what this dealer told me.
Although the supply OF inn
ported champagne was cut off
when France fell. you can still
get your 1926 Pol Roger. or
Mumm's. or HeidSeick Monopole
If you have the SIS TO spend
for bottle. cor $50 in the New
York glamour Spots)
That type OF stuff, the fine
vintageS, is still being appreci-
ated by people like the Standish
BackuSes or {. Henry Bulls or
Gordon MendelSSohn. although
probably they are drinking less
of il rather than more.
The increase is among the
working people.
"Tts like this" the dealer told
me. They don't know anything
about yintages. Champagne Is
champagne as far as they are
concerned. and they buy do
nestle champagne at 81 or IS in
stead OF imported at Sle or SIS
Where we used 10 sell hundred
cases of IL. now We sell 800.
But even NJ that. it's eN-
prnsive. You Just can't put on =
good champagne party for less