The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-22
Family Expenses.

An interesting computation as to tho OK
penditure by famille, Of working people In
France has recently been made by NJ. AR
MANaAuD. His statistics were obtained from
only sixteen families In tho town Of Null
house In Alsace. but their expenses may be
accepted as fair average for France. These
families represented different classes Of
workmen, and their expenditure varied from
from 1920 to 5000.
Oftheir total annual expenditure, house ac-
commodation as rule. swallowed up Is per
cent, clothing 10 per cont, and food OF per
cent; 8 per cent. being reserved for miscel-
laneous expenses. In the matter OF food the
highest expenditure registered was "a per
cent, thus distributed: For bread, SO per
cent; for meat, IA per cent; milk, 10 per
cent; groceries, "a per cent; miscellaneous,
10 per cent. Tho average expenditure for
bread was little over one-flfth Of their total
expenditure.
It will be seen, therefore, that the bread
bill Is not by any means tho chief item OF
expense In French working family. Yet
the French are great consumers OF bread, as
compared with US, for instance; and hence
the cost Of bread must BIO In even smaller
proportion here, while that OF butchers
meat undoubtedly consumes q much larger
share OF tho expenses OF living.
Last winter when tho Tariff bill was un-
der discussion In the Senate table was pre-
scented to show that the sugar and molasses
OF a family OF working people cost more
than tho bread Tho statistics were OBJ
tanned from tho large boarding houses for
operatives In Maine manufacturing town,
and OF course they would have wide appll-
cation. Sugar Is consumed not only directly,
but is used for so many swectening purposes
in cooking that 1t has become ono OF the
principal items OF food expenditure in an
ordinary family in this country.
The fifteen per cent. OF his annual expendi-
ture the French workingman spends for
house accommodation seems small here. In
oil classes OF European society house rent
consumes much less proportion OF tho out
goes OF n family than here. There 1t Is not
regarded as prudent to let 1t exceed sixth,
perhaps even tenth, OF the income OF o
family. With us 1t is common enough to pay
third OF the income for house room alone,
and sometimes the proportion is larger than
that. A family which keeps Its rent down to
a fifth is rather exceptional in New York.
though formerly that was the common pro-
portion, or. ut least, the highest which was
deemed safe.
A mechanic living In q tenement house
may have to pay as high as $lS month for
a fOur-room apartment In crowded district
That is S2l6 year. To get decently COM
Portable place he has to give that, or nearly
that, though II he goes into smaller, poorer
and meaner quarters he may hire an apart
ment for good deal less.
At any rate, the house rent OF tho work.
ingman, be he mechanic or daily laborer,
draws SO heavily on his purse that he must
not only economic closely in his living to
meet that first necessary expense. but also be
able to get steady work to sustain the bur-
den. 1t takes too large share OF his in
come. and the rent is extravagantly high in
proportion to that charged for whole houses
occupied by families In better circumstances.
His apartment Is made up Of small rooms,
with comparatively low ceilings, and the
house In which 1t Is may contain twenty fam
lilies and more and be in part OF the city
where landed property would yield n fair in
terest on its value at much lower rents.
In proportion to their incomes, the people
Of New York generally pay too much for
house accommodations; but the poorer
among them are tho worst sufferers in
| that respect Tho we'll to do burden them
selves with too much rent oftentmcs for the
sake OF appearances, and to make show,
but tie others are forced to give it even for
mean quarters. They have no choice