News of the Week
The Country and the Crisis SO far as we can judge, the country is meeting the crisis well. There has been no sign whatever of panic ; possibly there is still more apathy than there should be. If so, it is due to ignorance, which is only gradually being dispelled. Those in authority are rising to the call of economy. His Majesty has given a fine lead, as he did during the War, when he gave £100,000 from his Privy Purse. In those days "F. S. T." followed his example grandly, and not many others. To-day people are not making money as in the War, but they can economize even if they cannot make direct con- tributions of cash. The King decides to reduce his Civil List by £50,000, and other grants to the Royal Family will be reduced at their request. The Prince of Wales, who has no Civil List, has made a contribution of £10,000. Local authorities are studying schemes for economy in the right spirit throughout the country. Unfortunately, since most money circulated goes directly or indirectly upon labour, the first obvious results of economies include putting men out of work. But this is only the first symptom, and we hope that soon an improvement will begin that will permanently wipe out that first effect. There was a good letter on this subject from Mr. Francis Hurst in last Saturday's Times.
