Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1918 — THINKING IT THROUGH. [ARTICLE]

THINKING IT THROUGH.

Indiana cities and counties should not lose sight of the primary purpose of the War-Savings campaign in their endeavor to reach the established quota by selling stamps in large amounts and using accumulated funds for .thq, pujrchpse; but if that method is depended upon entirely to reach the, quota, the fundamental object of the campaign, namely, to encourage thrift and to lessen competition between the public and the government for the product of labor, will be nullified. If there" were plenty of labor in the country, or if the labor were adjusted to war conditions, the oply criticism that could be made by using the Liberty loan plan or organizations for the sale of WarSaviings and Thrift Stamps would be that the lesson in Thrift would not be quite so wide-spread. But the fact remains that there is a mad adjustment of labor in the country. The wpr is the biggest thing before us right now. We have got to win the war, to save the country and to save the government and to save business? If we don’t win the war we won’t have any business and we won’t have any country. In order to win the war we not only must have soldiers bpt we must have guns and ammunition and food and clothing. In order to have guns and food and clothing and ammunition we must have men to produce them. And every time we buy-some-thing which we do not need or when we buy .more than the necessary supply of what we do need, we are creating a demand for labor and competing with the government for that labor. We create a demand not only for the labor which. transports it and stores it in warehouses and warerooms. We cannot build a bridge of ships to Pershing and keep on buying things which we cAn well do without.

It is very natural that business men should at first look askance at an undertaking which proposes a reduction in the volume of their business, but when they think the thing through and realize that if we do not win the war they won’t have any business; when they realize that unless we get into this thing as a nation there is a very good chance that we will not win the war, then both self-interest and patriotism will dictate their cordial endorsement of the War-Savings campaign. In other words most of them would rather t-ake a little black bread in their business now than to have white bread now and slavery if we don’t win.

Upon thinking the thing through further they will realize that they profit most when men do not spent all they have the moment they get it, but save something for the rainy day. When men, as soon as they get a dollar, blow it in, they have nothing but the charity of the merchants to tide them over the rough weather. They are not good customers in the long run. Then there is another phase of this matter Reserves consideration: It is not easy for any one person to say that such and such an article is nonessential to the health or efficiency of anyone. The government itself cannot say that without doing injustice to some person or persons, some business or businesses. Some of the experiences resulting from the recent fuel order amply illustrate that fact. Therefore the government, through the War-Savings campaign, puts it up to each individual to say for himself what is essential to his own efficiency and health. If this optional plan of reduction of our competition with the government for labor should by any reason not happen to be successful, the last resource the government would have would be to conscript all labor and use it where it thought best in the conduct of the war. It is not surprising, the further one considers the matter that the War-Savings campaign plan grows in the appreciation and esteem of the general public and particularly of the business men.

The slogan “No profiteering” in intended for little and medium sized businesses as well as big business. Farmers with maple groves have an opportunity this year to do a double, patriotic service: Help fur? nish the country with sugar from the trees and put the profits in War-Sav-ings Stamps.