Southern Baptist Handbook Compares What Americans Spent on Luxuries in 1922 With What They Spent on Uplift of Humanity, June 19, 1924

The Great American Budget

Look over the two budgets below and see what American people are doing with their surplus funds.

These figures, compiled by the highest authorities, reveal a situation from which nothing can rescue us save an enlarged program for the service of humanity and the building of the kingdom of God. If we do not challenge our people with a great task, and call them away from self-indulgence and profligate spending, then what may we expect for the future?

Income of the people of the United States in 1922: $60 trillion.

Surplus (for extravagance or service): $20 trillion.

The Luxury Budget

Twenty-two billion and seven hundred million dollars squandered for luxuries, some of the chief items of which are as follows:

$2.1 billion for tobacco, etc.

$1 billion for movies.

$2.23 billion for candies.

$1.95 billion for cosmetics.

$500 million for jewelry.

$400 million for Easter hats.

$350 million for furs.

$300 million for soft drinks.

$3 billion for races, joy-rides and pleasure resorts.

Over and against the foregoing budget for luxuries, we spend the following for service and uplift of humanity:

For all education, $1 billion, as follows:

--$650 million for grade schools.

--$150 million for colleges and professional schools.

--$100 million for public high schools.

--$20,500,000 for all normal schools.

--$25 million for all church schools and colleges.

For all charitable and relief work (at home and abroad), $365 million.

For all health measures and service, $158 million.

For all recreation, $15 million.

For personal gifts to individuals, $200 million.

For fine arts, $20 million.

For all reform organizations, etc., $10 million.

For all religious purposes, $836 million.

Total for service and uplift of humanity: $2.605 billion.

So our national budget stands $22.7 billion for luxuries and $2.604 billion for service to humanity!

The people of the United States are said to have spent $5 billion on the upkeep of automobiles last year. And the farmers are believed to have spent 55 per cent more for new automobiles last year than for new farming implements.

--Southern Baptist Handbook

From The Chowanian, Chowan University student newspaper, Murfreesboro, N.C., June 19, 1924, page 5