''We have heard a great deal about the conservation of national resources. The war 

 has proved the possibility of a wiser conservation of our individual resources, and we 

 have realized our social responsibilities at this time of national crisis. We must now 

 realize that we are the trustees of our own incomes and owe it as part of our contribution 

 to the building-up of a greater Canada that useless extravagances be abandoned. This 

 needs most careful consideration." — Department of Public Health, Toronto. 



On every hand one sees evidences of waste throughout the country as well as in 

 the cities. The farm home, the country hotel, the school child, the youth and maiden, 

 all show the same disposition to regard food, clothing, furniture and books with care- 

 lessness and prodigality. A general thrift campaign, such as some of the speakers of 

 the Women's Emergency Corps advocate, should be of inestimable value. 



Thrift will help us to win the war, and the lessons we are receiving in thrift will 

 do us no harm when the war is over. But there must be thrift all round. Thrift means 

 a system under which all can thrive — not a system of senseless luxury and ostentation 

 for some, and of grinding poverty and hardship for others. 



Economy in Canada, to be effective, must divert labour and capital from catering 

 to indulgence in luxuries to the production of food, clothing, munitions, and other 

 essentials of national strength. Retrenchment in foreign-produced luxuries is most 

 likely to meet this requirement. Under normal conditions imports make foreign 

 markets. But we have in the consumption of war a market for all we can produce and 

 more. f 



Economy that renders labour or capital idle is worse than useless. Only such 

 economy as diverts labour and capital to more productive uses or to the production of 

 more permanent results can be regarded as beneficial. Where results of that nature 

 are not virtually assured it is better to avoid all disturbing departures from the ordinary 

 patronage on which commerce and industry depend. 



Thrift is not cheese-paring, but an intelligent use of food and other resources, the 

 habit of sacrificing personal interests to the nation's. 



Produce more and consume or destroy less is a simple, effective, and unassailable 

 formula, but economies that cause unemployment without the certainty of resultant 

 greater production should be avoided as worse than useless. 



If you want to have some one working for you, put some money in the bank. 



191 



