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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 192X PAGE TWO "HE GASTONIA DAILY GAZETTE EEQJIIE OF SPENDING IS NOTED AMONG All CUSSES IN NATION Prices are Thought to Have Found New Level Both the ' .Well- to-Do and the Working Class Appear to Have Stop ped Their Extravagance. By William L. Chenery in New York Times.) The days of houeymioii spending seem to be over. The peak of extra vatfU"' baa teen passed. Bankers and merchants and others begin to talk of signs of a sew period. The grotesque inventions de vised to suit the taste of the nouveau xiehe are being superseded by patterns snore sober. Four months ago Miopuieii responded, to quote the words of one of then, "to the demands of Broadway liz ard and longshoremen." The libel was on the longshoremen, who eoul.l never have afforded silk shirts at Jv.n, .-en if their finer sensibilities had not !'" offended by the chromatic butterflies and Other zoological garnishments to whi.-h nch apparel was committed. But the lizards' were there, strangely color! ul as they scuttled about, an. I that other tinny tribe of the war-enriched to whom the Italians have given the admirable title "dogfish," were all devouring. Queer and silly and sinister traits came to the Burfaee during these years and months now gone. Many had and have the money to buy what they secretly de aired, and they set out to get satisfaction. Strange things hapien when people have th means to buy what they want. High and low prosperity is a great revealer of secrets. Give a man a million and by feia purchases, if not by his words, he will tell all he knows, borne fulfill ambii lions cherished since childhood, actually constructing the fantastic castles of their youthful dreams, and others run to horses or yachts or the mere collection of loot. The funniest and at the same time among the most pathetic, sights visible are in fact the precious ejections of men and "women who suddenly have been en abled to gratify their every whim. Be sides them the legendary cow boy who orders $100 worth of ham ami eggs in a metropolitan restaurant is a model of ' restraint. Not even the pirates and pri raters of other ages who sailed the oceans and gathered their prizes the world vex could surpass the pickings of the nddenly rich of this day. And yet those in a position to observe now say that this ' mood of wild spending, of seeking what to consume regardless of the price, is be V' in rapidly succeeded by a more sober : apirit 401 War, 'which some have characterized as an opportunity for the gathering of , '-rieaea ty a few, increased this time the nominal spending capacity of perhaps a " ' majority of the people. Only the tax col v lector knows the full story of who got money and who got none during the years ' " - miu inl Via ia nmrn to SeC- v. reey. Bat the evidence was everywhere overwhelming that the high cost oi living -was ia part the cost of high living and that some classes were buying with a lavislweM unprecedented. The almost two years since , the armistice were the 'worst. Peace, hesitant for a little while, -was soon found to have brought a period of prolific prosperity. Prices and con--. nmption rose rapidly. This time last year everybody was calling for ' ' produc v tioa." That was the keyword to saving lhe world. Much less is heard now, and . what is said begins to be more sophisti . cated. Here, again, is a sign of th ' .", 'After nearly every war which was not completely pauperizing the victorious par ty has bad Us season of prosperity. The British hadt'heir halcyon days after Na ' poleon was transported to bt. Helena and ' 'the northern stsrtes waxed rich after the civil war. The extravagance and the loose expenditure which have characteriz ed the first two or three years were rela tively as common in those other genera -' tiona. After the civil war the l.o.un last--ed well on to seven years, while at least thirty years passed before prices could be eaid to have returned to the pre-war level. Bo far as extravagant buying is concern ed. we seem now to be mining the turn far more quickly. As early as last spring those whose ears were close to the ground leard the announcement of the coming linro Thn nvorall T:ize. the blue- dentin fad, and the paper-suit discussion were evidences of the tucking tide. The great mass of thf people, neither lizards, "dogfish" nor other rarities of the aouvedu riehe, seemed to have reach ed the breaking point. The wicked spiral of ascending prices an. I compensating wages appeared to be intolerable. So it vo that a ww aiirtarfi.'i 1 Y1 in rt 11 n i t V for WAS . US V .IT OHj-l i in " l . relief was seize.). Overalls as substitutes for clothes, of course, did not stand think ing about. Except for the adventure ,few had any serious intentions of going about . ia that garb. It was a mad suggestion to take solemnly, as those foolish' folk who tried to take part in overall parades learned to their dismay. The most em harrassed man in our village was the dele gate to the denim mob. Bravely he , sauntered forth on the day when all the world was expected to walk down Broad- , way in overalls, but he was a sad sight when be discovered the loneliness of his ' Valor. But. even so, the parades and such ' advertised a state of mind. The top of the mountain wa(s then in sijrht. and now we are traveling down the other slope. The producer is cautious, says the fed eral reserve bank of Chicago, "for the - Tery good reason that mistakes cannot be made in high-priced labor and raw ma terials without loss both of prestige and ' profit. Middlemen are cautious liecause retailers compel them to 'be so. And re tailers are taking frequent soundings be cause they have sensed the shoals in the rwpular purchasing power. ' ' The re serve bank goes on to say that the ex travagance fit the, working class is on the wane and that a feeling of caution rales business transactions because of the belief that a drop in prices is inevitable. , This statement finds significant eon- j srmatioB. ia tha New York market, ' . . -1-av:- v ine expens ia women m uwuui( ui- terc.-tiiig testimony. One stoic says that women are not willing to pay as much now as ri.e.v nere a year ago. Last year the u-j.-'I jirice for a woman 's sin! in this es tal'!'hmeiit was 7". This season .oi, $47. "U and .';!. -Vi are the preferred prices, an I one of the authorities has remarked that the lowi-r sums ate buying articles a hi.,.- as K'otel as t tie higher jirices of last i,i;n has resulted from the .! a-:i:ude of the Imying public. .-, i.i i m.oitiiago sjH'nt as free ley It-iiY-l huic become conserva--.me of this restraint comes from y and not from clinicc, but on the it tie pnsciit 'iine the fivling of na ! i'i iy th. ih. ;.i !e is the steading influence. Ivtaihd testimony coneruiiig the pres ent pe; erinations of feminine demand is . . fi". : . -. I li ythe trade daily women's wear, wliicii makes a ch-irt of the buying ten len. ies demonstrated by the activity of shoppers in the retail stores. These charts show marked conservatism. Wo men are Inlying essentials and bargains. Articles such as suits they are purchasing at good prices -t").") was the average figure this week-end and other less nec essary items are bought if the prices seem attnvtive. Seldom before, in fact, has there been such an epidemic of bargain sales. According to these experts, the public response to genuinely low prices is immediate. The situation as viewed bv one of the department stores was stated by Louis Stern of Stern Brothers, as follows: "Hesitancy is characteristic of the present situation. The feeding is general hat the lid is down in the way of purchas ing as heretofore, and that care must be exercised. 1'eople are buying with thought and in smaller quantities. This is due, I think, to bank pressure and to a( general impression that there must be a change. "The fact that some of the mills have shut down indicates what is transpiring. This shows that purchases are fewer and that to some extent prices will be lower. I do think that they can ibe fundamentally lower for some time, however. Neverthe less I think that we shall have to accom modate ourselves to a new level of prices. For example, the American woolen mills shut down for the lack of orders. They have made a great deal of money during the last few years and wages have con tinually gone up. When enough new or ders are in, the mills will reopen as prob ably the same wage Scale. In other words, the labor cost of woolens will not be changed. That being the case, I do noesee how any fundamental reduction in prices is to be quickly attained. "Yet mayiy factors are ten.ling to pro duce lower prices. Among these influ ences is the resumption of work in the European countries. In spite of the dis advantages of European exchange, which render foreign trade so difficult, the pro duction of European factories is having a wholesome effect upon prices. Conserv ative buying in general is also one of the factors which are accomplishing the read- justment. "The change is in part voluntary and in part inevitable. The housing question is also playing a large part in this transi tion, with large increase in rentals. Peo ple in general must economize in other di rections. On the whole, too, extrava gance has been more noticeable among the middle a.nd working elases than among the rich. '"But there were good as well as had aspects to the situation. In the first place, people bought a better class of merchandise. That, in the long run, is an economy. It may mean a greater initial outlay, but certainly no greater cost. Now, while it is true that si long as the labor cost is high as it is prices cannot be sharply reduced, it is also true that wajtes will never return to anything like the pre war basis. And they ought not to. "The readjustment that is coming will be gradual. I think it is wholesome and it will he generally beneficial. Everybody wants to sec the adjustment come normal ly. In my judgment the more restrained spending of the present will contribute strongly to that end. ' ' The conditions which have been observ ed in New York seem to be general. Not only have lier" lie. n reduction in price, but there hnvo even heen changes in the .bid of things people choose. 'Conserva tism" in tastp i the word most frequent ly used just now hy those in whose hands res' the fashion of anankin.l. ' Sub dued "'is a favorite adjective w lu re a few months ago flamboyant or florid would have been the more precise term. Anoth er staJp of mind which is as obvious i the uncertainty of manufacturers and merchants as to just what the puhlie does want. Extravagance is taboo arid quiet seems to be in order, but producers are not sure of their guesses. They are try ing to risk a little as possible until they are better able to interpret the omen. When Coffee begins to play pranks with your nerves or diges tion. Quit coffee tea days, drinking in its place. REPUBLICANS PLAYING THE GAME ' - SAFE; HARDING SPEECHES CENSORED League of Nations Issue is Causing Some Worry and Candi dates Utterances are Passed on by Board of Strategy Democrats Realizing They Will Have' to Work. New York World. Surface indications have much to do wit lit he supreme confidence of the Repub lican managers that the Presidential con test is "all over but the shouting" and have compelled the admission by their Democratic rivals that only the most vig orous righting wi;h a lot of good luck will elect iov. CoX over Senator Harding. The Republican leaders have reached the stage of prophecy, the lemoraiS an appreciation of the tremendous task con fronting them by review of recent devel opments that seem to favor the opposition. The Republican plan of s'rategy, which always has lieen suscep! i ' ' to change, now calls for the ni.i.niiuuiu of caution to prevent any "had hreaKs ley the can didate himself or the leaders who are di recting his cainpa ign. As Oov. ox is comlu -ting his own campaign in a most aggressive manner, he is not hampered by the embarrassments that attend the operations of the syndicate manipulating the movements of his oppo nent. Caution is written all over the Re publican campaign. While probably not reduced to written terms, there seems to be a very definite understanding that the Republican presidential candidate is not to venture into uncertain territory, physi cal or verbal, until the party managers huve thoroughly prospected the ground and made lavish use of the proper acids. Harding's Speeches Censored. A casual scrutiny of the ' ' front porch ' ' San. I contiguous terrain by the writer one lay last week justified the imprcssaion that the Republican managers are deter mined not to take advantage of losing any of the advantages that existing conditions seem to indicate has been won by them. The most trivial undertaking of the presi dential candidate is subjected to search ing scrutiny. He is surrounded liy more advisory and technical experts than Mr. Wilson or any other president ever had while actually administering the affairs of the government. There is a specialist for every conceivable issue, for each project suggested. Last minute revision of speeches by ex perts, who seek for douole meanings and possible misinterpretations are the rule. Progliosticators who search (he land, air and water for signs and portents check each other and obtain the approval of the Republican board of strategy which is "handling" Senator Harding before a speech is delivered or a plan announced. The board is composed of National Chairman Hays, Harry M. Daygherty. former Senator Weeks of tyassdiehusetts and Alvin T. Hart of Kentucky. ft usually sits in New York, but maintains a most competent corps of observers at both the right and left elbows ami above the shoulders of the Republican Presidential candidate. All plans for the future movements and utterances of the senator are submitted to and either approved or rejected by these men. The senator himself is seemingly con tent to play the game with the cards they have provided; shuffled and possibly mark 'ed. He is in thenr hands in every sense of the word. He will go where they di rest, say only things that will win their, cause, for they are much more concerned with that phase of the campaign than in any genuine interest in his own personal fortune. League Worries Republicans. An observer has only to talk with the leaders at Chicago and New York and their representatives assigned to looking after the candidate to be convinced that these men attach much more importance to what they describe as the " psychology of the campaign" than to any definite in formation upon 'which to base their com lete confidence of success. As a matter oi fact, the leaders of the Republican as well as the Democratic par ty are very much at sea' regarding the pos sible effect of the many conflicting cross currents of popular opinion for which there are no precedents and the probable distribution of the 7,(100,0(10 votes ex pected among the Republi.an, Democratic. Socialist, the Non-Partisan League, the Earmer Labor and the Prohibition Presi dential candidates. The chief concern of the Republicans is based upon speculation as to the degree of influence that the League of Nations issue will exercise mi the popular mind. The Democrats, with a few unimportant exception, have accepted that great docu ment of peace as the paramount issue of the campaign. The position (5ov. Cox has assumed regarding it is clear cut and defi nite. The enthusiasm of President Wilson whenever the leagne is mentioned by the Democratic candidate is a source of great perturbation to the Republican leaders. The division of sentiment in the Republi can party regarding it is causing both the Republican candidate and his managers a great deal of embarrassment. The recent revelation that Elihu Root, the patriarch of the Republican party, opeaiy ha- assisted in the promotion of the lea-gne project is more disturbing to b. tc Mr. Harding and his managers. The Republican candidate ha gone too far to lia.-k away from his positive declaration thf.' he is opposed to the league, probably not because he entertain any sincere con viction about it but rather to hold the suppnr; of the .lohrson Borah Bran. lagee gr.uip, wro are opposed to it. Cox Arouses League Sentiment Consistently there is a tendency among the Republican leaders to ignore both Mr. Rot and President Taft, or at leagt to appeal to them to "pussyfoot" on the Issue until after the election. Some offhe more candid of Republican leaders pre dict that Mr. Root, who is en route home, will do nothing to stultify the position he has taken. In this event it is not iniprob ble that the Republican presidential can didate will make another stab at solving two irreconcilable elements the lost of pit judicial to the Ke- publican cause. While the Repu the attitude of tl ly on the Leag.i. pretty clearly in.li. a .ins assert thut . oiintry general f Nations was v tne rtu of the Maine sla. e ei ' i. ' s. the best inform el of theni really w'.s!, that they could think s . Lack of detiaite information as to the attitude of women voters generally and of the communicants of all of the Christian chur. la s of the counlry is not encouraging to the Republican view that 'he altitude of the country at large al rea.ly iias been decided by one state elec ' ion. Despite the assertion of Mr. Harding's managers to the cuiitrary, Governor Cox unquestionably has succeeded in arousing popular sentiment to the support of the League in the West. Democratic, managers believe he will be equally effective in this section of the country. They have reason to justify their statement that President Wilson will devote his intellect and politicaJ pre science to aiding the clear understanding of the benefits of the League covenant in a manner thftt will attract many thou sands of votes to the Democratic candi date. It is not improbable that the President will supply valuable aid to Gov. Cox when the latter opens up his campaign in the East. Realization of the extent to which the Democratic candidate will use the League issue has convinced his man agers that it will be the decisive factor in the election. Wiih this conviction in mind they assert that the apparent ad vantage now enjoyed by the Republicans will be overcome. Plan Panic Smoke Screen. That the Republicans themselves fear the ultimate supremacy of the League issue is pretty cleanly indicated by the instructions given to spellbinders by the Speakers' Bureau of the National Com mittee and the Senate and Congressional Committees of the Republican organiza tion. These instructions are substantial ly to keep as far away from discussion of the League a possible and to centre the full force of their oratory against the Wilson administration in other words, to make the record of the retiring President rather than the record of Gov. Cox the target for their attack. v Further instructions are to prophesy ths greatest economic disturbances in the event of Democratic success. The admin istrations of the postoffice department and attorney general's office affecting indi vidual privileges are also to be starred in the Republican attacks on the Wilson ad ministration. But the greatest attention is to be paid to the disastrous conse quences of a Democratic victory as viewed by the Republicans. All sorts of indus trial, agricultural and social disorders are to be predicted. I talked with a man in Chicago last week who furnished an insight into the Republican plan to furnish the country with an "object lesson" that the Repub lican spell-binders will predict as the re sult of a Democrats victory. What he told me tallied exactly with information given me by one of the Republican leaders in New York yesterday. The substance is that during the six weeks intervening be fore fhe election, Republican sympathizers controlling the operations of some of the big industrial plants will reflect their ap prehension of what will follow the election of Gov. Cox by "laying off as many em ployes as possible and in some cases shut ting down their plants." Republican propaganda already is pene trating some of the great industrial estab lishments of the country. Sympathetic operators are passing the word around among their employes that the election of Gov. Cox will cause a tremendous slump in business and compel the reduction of operating forces. This warning already has been sounded in some of the steel con cerns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, in the auto mobile industry in Detroit, in soft coal mining regions of Illinois and textile in dustries in some parts of New England. Predictions of panics to come are cer tain to find echo in every hall and from every stump where the great army of spellbinders sent out by the Republican National and -Congressional organizations will perform. Cox Has Won Many Votes, The Democratic managers are confident that the business career of Gov. Cox and the soundness of his views on economic and industrial subjects will not only head off any stampede of legitimate business interests from him but will hold the sup port of labor as well. The Democratic leaders, while conceding that present conditions favor the opposi tion, point to the fact that Gov. Cox has not lost any of the Wilson following, and has. in fact, attracted to himself some of the President's critics. They believe he will attract many Republicans as well as independents who dissent from the Hard ing view of the League of Nations, and that the resentments of Irish and Italian voters against the present administration will not result in the loss of anything like the number of voters that will leave Mr. Harding on the international issue. It is asserted by the Democratic mana gers "that while somewhat discouraging the results of the Maine election will not prove of any permanent importance. More disturbing to them than the loss of Maine in a state contest is the dissatisfaction expressed by the wets in the East over the tendency of the Democratic candidate to ' ' straddle ' ' or the liquor issue. The Democratic leaders declare, however, that when the voters realize that the modifica tion of the oppressive restrictions in the Volstead Enforcement Law depends en tirely on Congress and not on the Presi ident, the wet vote will come back solidly to the Democratic candidate as the lesser of two evils. The Democrats also were disappointed which might be DESERVES W 1111 Mrs. Mkude Miller Says Tanlac Has Made Her a Perfectly Well Woman Once More. "Tanlac acted altogether different from other medicines I have taken, for it went right afterjny troubles at onee, and now after taking only three bottles I am a well woman." declared Mrs. Maud H. Miller, 641 Dempster street, New South Memphis, Tenn. "About three years ago I began suf fering from stomach troubles, which con tinued to grow worse until at times it seemed like I could not live. I had in digestion so bad I couldn't eat a single thing without its hurting me, and my liver' was very active. After every meal I would bloat up with gas until I could hardly breathe, and my heart acted so queerly that at times I was actually frightened. I was extremely nervous couW not stand the least noise around me, and it was simply impossible for me to get over the confiscation of their party by Watson in Georgia and by the Non-Partisan League in Colorado. The Georgia re sult will affect the Congressional situa tion more than the. presidential because there is not the slightest chance of the Democrats losing the electoral cote of that state. The result of the Colorado primary merely adds another state to the long list of those which both sides concede to the uncertain. The other states are New York, Ohio, Indiana, Oregon, Kentucky, Oklahoma an dMissour Fights in Doubtful States. The Republicans already have mapped out their fight in these uncertain states, paying particular attention to New York. Ohio and Indiana, and the Democrats are preparing to accept the challenge in each of them. That is, as far as the extent of their limited resources will permit. The best information obtainable regard ing the two parties is that. the Republi cans will have al lthe money that they can find use for in each of the uncertain states and' that the Democrats will have to make, up in energy what they lack in cash. Here in New York the Republicans already are organizing the counties up the state. Financial aid already has gone to soma of the local organizations north of the Bronx to bring out the full Republican vote. A special drive is also to be made in Brooklyn. But most of the money and a great deal of the other resources of the Republican party are to be dumped into the rural districts which are depended on to roll up a big enough majority to over come the very large Democratic vote ex pected for Gov. Cox and Gov. Smith in the the metropolitan district. ITp to date most of fhe action in pre paring for the conquest of New York City has been provided by the Republicans, Tammany Hal) and the other Democratic organizations in the state appear' to be Toko Grove's CHILL Tonic The Old Standard Remedy of Recognized Merit and Reliability 75c. ! Avoid TBie Rush At The Season tickets are now on sale at the offices of the Chamber of Commerce. These tickets are good for the entire five days of the fair, night and day. Only a limited number wHl be placed on sale. PRICE $1.50 A special season ticket will be sold the members of 7 theAmerican Legion, the men who went into the ser vice in the Great War. TKese will be specially priced at A $1.00 i li I THE BIG GASTON COUNTY FAIR October 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ' I 1 IS I a good night's sleep. I' felt tired ancl j worn out all the time, and was so badly constipated l nao; to continually take something for this as well as my other troubles. "Some of my friends and relatives had taken Tanlac with such fine results I de cided to try it myself. Well, sir. I now have a splendid appetite, can eat just anything I want and never have a sign of: indigestion. My. liver ia active, my nerves in fine shape, I sleep well and have regained my strength so that I can do my housework with greater ease than la years. To tell the truth, thee has beerjV such an improvement in wy condition I am actually surprised at it, and as Tan lac deserves all the credit I can never say enough for it." t anlac is sold in uastonia by M irrow Drug Company; in Dallas oy D. P. Sum mey; in Alexis by C. P. Abernthy ft Sons; in Mount Holly by the Holland Drug Company; and in Lowell by the Kobinson Company. holding back until Gov. Cox brings hist fight to the Atlantic seaboard. Tammany leaders assert that they will seize upon the event to inaugurate a fight that will win the state for him and Gov. Smith.' Some day the business man will be rec ognized as the most valuable servant j a democracy, and his calling will rank among the noblest because it is the most useful. More Power with Less Gasoline, LUBRICANT CAfiBOH SSUOVES SOLVES THS PASSON PROBLEM Whea your motor loses powar, when It knocks, buck and over bests, don't tnonkey with the carburetor. Send for a can of Lubri cant Carbon Remover and pour two to foor tabletpoonsfnt into each spark plug hole. Fol low directions and the motor will do the resU It works like a cathartic. You will see th proof in the cleaned spark pines, aad ym witt. set more power and more miles eat of gallon of ssoUn. Every can guaniitced. Trie, $2, prepaid. AgtnU wanted. C K. MARSHALL Exclusive Agent BE AN OPERATOR OF A LINOTYPE, INTERTYPE OS MONOTYPE MACHINE: Good pay, educational, pleasant work, for men and women. Course is short and least expensive schooling you can obtain (Typewriter operators excel at once.) Address Typesetting Department, Georgia-Alabama Business College, Macoi Ga., for full information' about Ameri can and Southern Newspaper Publishers Typesetting School. tf Taotielle if Fair it Sr- o I; iS -"i s- - )
Gastonia Daily Gazette (Gastonia, N.C.)
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Sept. 27, 1920, edition 1
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