Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-01-10
How Our NeighDors Live.

Editors Table, Sunday Afternoon for Jauuary.l
One of the daily papers took pains the 9th
or day to show the meaning Of "a dollar "A
day" ms the wages of IL widow with three chill
dren depending on her labor The showing
was an instructive one, but it by 10 mouns
cxhausts the subject. Let us follow in the
same line with an illustration, Of which facts
viii furnish parallels in every community.
Here is q man, the father Of six children,
who hn, regular work at one dollar aud twon-
ty-fye cents n day The oldest of these chill
dr,n is a boy Of thirteen, who is in his last
year in the Grammar school, and whom the
father, with commcndahle regard for his sons
future welfare, wishes to keep in school until
the Grammar school course is completed
The only brcad-vnuer Of the family is, there
fore the father; and for these eight persons
his dollar and quarter a day is the entire
subsistence Ont Of the thirty-two dollars Of
his monthly earnings, six dollars must go for
rent The coal for one fire will cost on the
average not less than four dollars a month
more. 1t is difficult to see how the common
est and coarscst clothing, including shoes for
the winter. can b. obtained for this family for
less than an average of seventy-fve cents a
month for each person. Subtracting now the
cost Of rent, fuel aud clothing from the month
~ wages and making no allowance for furni-
turc or doctors bill, or sundries, we have
remainder Of sixteen dollars "A month with
which to purchase food for eight persons
exactly two dollars month for each, or for
tho whole family little less than four dollars
% week.
Now the fact is that there are a great many
families in all our eastern cities that are living
on an income as small as this living too, up
right and honorable lives making no com
plants and asking no favors. They are not
paupers and they never will be they would
rather die than beg out Of some of the
homes where these straightened conditions
prevail some Of our best citizens will come
But we wish to ask all well-to-do people who
think that they are living economically to
sum up their groccr's and butchers bills for
month and then consider what sixteen dollars
would do toward providing family of eight
with food for the same length of time. 1t is
perfectly plain that such a family can have
but little meat, and only the coarsest bread it
is not quite plain that they will always have
as much rs they want of that Some of the
children born into these households will prob
ably die for want of proper nourishment
those of strong vitality will pull through. and
may live to be industrious and worthy men
and women. The courage and patience of
some Of the fathers aud mothers that are
making this brave fight with starvation is it.
self an inspiration the children that have
grit ought to turn out we'll.
For many Of these families it ought also to
be said, the pinching times do not always last.
The older children begin TO earn "A little by
and by, aud thus the revenues of the house
hold are slightly augmented, and little ad-
dtion makes vast difference i'll the comfort
of the family. For a few years. however, the
lot Of a good many of our industrious and
self-respecung families is hard one, and we
have simply sought to show our kind-hearted
readers Just how hard it is, and exactly what
it signifies for laborer with a large family to
subsist on dollar and quarter a day.
What can be done about it?
In the first place We would suggest to the
employees of labor that they ought not TO be
living sumptuously, nor to be pocketing large
profits or dividends while men with families
are working for them at a dollar and a quar-
ter day. OF course if there are no profits,
or if their business Is carried on ut loss, the
employer is absolved from the duty of increas-
ing the wages Of his workmen but when
there are profits to divide, simple humanity
demands that the laborer should have a larger
share Of them. The railroad company or
manufacturing corporation that cuts down the
wages Of its employees to a dollar and quar-
ter day iii order that it may keep up its div
idend5 to eight or ten per cent, is probably
guilty Of the sin Of Cain and though the
popular belief is that corporations have no
souls, the stain Of this sin will surely be found
on somebody's soul at the judgment day.
In the second place, such "A family as we
have described ought to have a little help dur
ing the time of their hardest struggle, while
their children are all young and in school Mr.
Joseph Cook suggests that it ought to come
from the oyorseers Of the poor Le argues
that if the state compels parents to send chill
dren to school while they need the childreu's
earnings, the state ought to make up this loss
to the parents. We do not like the sugges-
ton. Above all things let us guard all our
households from every appearance Of pauper-
ism. Neither do We think it well rs general
rule that such families as these should be help
ed by local charitable societies or relief asso-
Citations 1t ought to be done in such a way
as 10 preserve and stimulate their self respect;
and to this end it is better that it should be
done by kind hearted individuals, who will
take personal interest i'll them, and admins
ter their material aid with good VIII and good
Judgment. There are worthy families con
nected with many of our churches that de-
serve such aid aud the church relation ought
to make it easy to find them out and help
them. There is wealth enough, and good
will enough in the land to protect all such in
dustrious and self-respecting people from dis
tress all that is needed is that those who
have the ability and the generosity should
take a little pains TO put themselves in person
al communication with their lOwlier neigh
bors.