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Wasteful Habits Of Americans

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Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
August
Year
1880
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A statement of importa nnrl rxpnvts of merchaiiáise for the inuuth af avch, 1880, ainl lor the nine monihs with Hint nionth, hnsjuat boon bnblisheii. Tliere u-p one ov iwo notoworthy poiiils in those Btntistic to which wc ask die onreful at.ien tion of our readers. Our iniporls of forei"ii morchmidisc in March, 1879, bolh free of duty umi dutiablp, aroounted to $41,806.011. In the game montti of the present year tho amomit was nenrly doublcd'. rcaching tho stnn of $70,lJ08,504. TÏiis very ncni-ly equuls the ninonnt expomlod by us on fowtign merchandise in any month of our largest inflation aftci1 tin; war. Nor is 'tbis incieased ontlay a Buddei) outbreafc of traiisient extravaance referablc lo any givcn cause. H has grailnallv grown during tlio last ycar, beginiiing with the first hint of our reviviii'-i prosperity. For the nino piontiis eiiding March, 1879, our exK-iidiiinvs lor ibreisiii lerchandise iinounted io :i-;i,;;t...177. For the: niiw months en .ing with tho March just past, tliü aniount had increasod to 468,'J13,622. The increnaed expewáltere w, of oourse, a gmtifying Lnaication oí a ronewal of prosperity, but tbc l'act that it exists at all ie iudication of sonietliinr clse quite as significant and not so agreeablc. lt niust be reinenibered thflt .Americana less than any other peoplu deyend upon uations lor the necessitie ot life. ïhey are more amply providcd than any otlier with food, clothes, fuol, an I niincniis. Even d u r i lig a civil war which loro the Nfttion into fragmenta, or during the worst scasons of commercial uepression we have ever knówn, ibero lias liever been any hint. of actual want. Wo havo always been wetl-ted, wellcl(,thcd, woll-wariaed. AV'hon we go lo toreiyii uatious lor their Wftres, we go, with but one ov two exceptions, lor luxuries Iliose are dutiuole articles, and. it is in üutiable articles that tlie eiionnous inorease of our inipoits lias oceurred. Il is the cosily silUs, ïorcim v ines, high-class ureas liuoás, bi-ic-a-brac, lioii-e-iuinisbny and equipajes wliicli liave urainea Liie cuunuy of this enormous auditionai su nj. Our wealtliier classes have iorgouen liio losson ot econoiny whicii tue jSatioii sei, ïuelf to jearn in íb J, or ralher tney oever accepied it. During the lowest üepression whicu loiiowea Jay Cooie's lailure Lhere always reiiiaiued iargeelass of saiaried officials and men wno, iiavm íiiconies invt'sted in uiortgages, beneflted inslcau of sulleie.i oy ttie liara timos and lowering of prices. Tliey had more móney to spend than ueloie, smiply beeause nioie cuuid be boliglil "Wim Lhe nioney. il vas a nouce.iuie lactthat the snops wliose traue ineois tlio rcu.uire)noius of Lius class doublod tneir aliraeuons in lliat aeasou and maue In ..nor piuiils Lhan bctore, at Uie linie w non tne aii'reis of our greiit oiuiswoiü croWucd WitU eaor, uu' ■■■ . ■■'':' " .„■k'i.Js.liOJ.. v.t0 ..ui cuoiiiioüs ïucratse in tno iuiporiaaon of luxuriuw, ims ocourred, uut Uie domaiKu-. ox oiabses Wilose incoines uepoiKi on tiie ïiucuiauon of u e in no curre tus ot trade. li uur uiuiionairea cno.e 10 miig tiion Uioiiey wasueailiy mío tliè soa inslead oí lino Uie üaiu.s ol loroign purveyors oi luMints, lbo effect upou Uie coiKU, mu nf Uie country wouia bc bau, uut Sil"ht. 1UI LUO ilnlUilloll 01 UlOlU üy évüry otlier oiass aowii 10 tne very lovvesi, in UauiLs of prouigaliiy una ueaaiwi impruucnw. vUi yctbnug auoucaüocüorcrsnoiruin as u uia uciore, as iiLavy auU uiuie irieuieUiLU.L'. lt is uot Üic absolute fact of our mcréisêd ouL.ay wuidi is üuporuiut, biu tue coiiuiuon oi society 01 Wüwü t is llic iuücx una y;u-iuii.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Argus