Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1918 — OVERDONE THRIFT. [ARTICLE]

OVERDONE THRIFT.

Have we heard too much talk of duty of Thrift? It would almost seem so. Not of legitimate, bona fide thrift, the kind that “makls two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before,” but of the spurious brand that seeks to transfer the dollar from your neighbor’s i G'"ket to your own without adequate compensation to the neighbor. We have before said that higii prices was a mania. Higa prices is also a convenient cloak tor all sorts of petty meannesses and graft. It is doubtful if

the prevailing prices ill half the different lines of trade in this country could bb justified by war conditions. Yet they exist, and not only exist but keep on climbing. We have no sympathy whatever for the capitalistic profiteer who is caught in his efforts to mulch his government and the public in these times. He deserves all that he gets and then some. But the big fellows are not the ones most responsible for the present chaotic condition of prices. The blame for this condition rests closer home to the people themselves. In many lines the government has done much to stabilize prices, yet there .seem to be many more lines in which its efforts cannot bring 'results. I ' There seems to be a mania prevalent among all classes to get just a little more .for any article disposed of than such article is worth. The least seeming scarcity

of an article ia promptly taken advantage of—and that by all classes. The great trouble is we _havo confused the two terms —thrift and greed. Genuine thrift has the foundation of production or saving. One must either increase production or save from waste in order to practice thrift. The piling on of extra costs to an article with every conceiveble pretext is not thrift—this is greed, pure and simple, and as such is the most contemptible kind of profiteering. Let’s not let up on the big profiteers, but while rounding them up let’s not overlook the contemptible little fellows closer home. We should make their road a rocky one.

An accurte prediction as to which side will win this war could have been made from the beginning. The Hun’s sense of humor is limited to laughing at the predicament of the other fellow. The French and the American, on the other hand can and do find humor in their own troubles. While the Englishman is supposed to take himself pretty seriously, he is known the world over as a good sportsman, which if not identical with the American sense of humor, is closely allied with it. The German does not play games and is a poor sportsman, hence has not the staying qualities to survive a long and adverse campaign, nor the ability to see around the immediate circumstances to the final goal. The German wants something, lays his detailed plans and goes after it, with his head down. The allied spirit is different. It sees the end to be gained, has several alternate plans for its accomplishment and then on the field, in the midst of the game or battle, selects the one most apt to succeed, pushing it till its service is done and then, if necessary seizes on another, often unexpected by the enemy and thus, though often weaker, wins the game or the battle. It* is the healthier attitude of the two and most deserves to win.