Toast-eaters
I was skimming through a 1916 natural gas trade journal, looking for a technical illustration, when my eyes were snagged by a mention of Kansas. The article turned out to be interesting for a much broader reason. The author is comparing upper-middle and working-class households in terms of gas usage, and proposing a new rate structure that would make life easier for the lower class. You'd never hear that from an industry spokesman in an industry trade journal today.

This first bit shows that upper-middle families have changed their habits since 1916:



These are not Carnegies; these are lawyers and managers and such. Would modern members of that class 'summer' and 'winter' in other places? Not on your life. They're too far in debt and too insecure.

Second bit is a more numerical comparison:



Simplifying and modernizing the numbers in the last paragraph: Working-class families in $500 apartments were paying $500 a year for gas. Upper-middle couples in $1200 apartments were paying $250 a year for gas. The author didn't like this situation and was proposing a more balanced rate structure.

Note first the EMPATHY for both sides. The author ACCURATELY UNDERSTANDS how both live. Then note the SYMPATHY for the poor and CONTEMPT for the rich. The rich have poodle dogs and eat toast.

You'd never hear a modern economist making fun of his own Tribe. Modern economists misuse numbers to convince us that everyone is rich. Globalism lifts all yachts. What, you don't have a yacht? Well then, globalism will lift your 200-foot solar powered hydrofoil trimaran.

= = = = =

Immediate update: As I was hitting the 'Publish' button, an ad came on Bloomberg.... "You know how, when you're having a lively conversation at brunch, it's easy to burn the toast?" Summering and wintering may have changed in 100 years, but toast-eating hasn't changed!

Labels: skill-estate

  ¶ 4:23 AM