Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-10-17
cosr OF KEEPING a Wan.
Eliminated That the Average Briton lives
on $50 a Year

on $50 a Year.
An active man, comfortably fed
and clothed, writes William Muir.
consumes about three pounds of SOL
ids and four pounds of fluids per
day and wears out about two snjts
of clothes in a year.
The value of agricultural produce
garnered in the United Kingdom and
consumed by its human beings,
taken at present farm prices, is (per
annum) about $3.50, 900, 600. The val
ueof agricultural products imported
from abroad and similarly consum-
ed, taken at similar prices, is (per
arnum) about 1900, 600, 600. This
includes cotton and wool The value
of coal similarly consumed-burned
for domestic purposes-taken at the
full mine value of shillings per
ton, is (per annum) about 916, 600,
600. The sum spent in keeping
dwelling houses in repair is (per an
numl about 10000, 600.
The total of these sums is a456,
600, 900 and is the cost of the nation
for a years food, clothing, firing
and shelter. In other words, it is
the sum paid by the total population
to those who have direct access to
nature, who labor and garner her
products for all. Manufacturing,
distributing and retailing add about
80 per cent to these values, but the
addition does not concern us.
Four hundred and fifty-six million
pounds divided by the population,
5000, 900, gives f12 per head, which,
therefore, is the value of the prod
ucts of nature annually consumed
in TAO United Kingdom by one hu-
man being, taking both sexes and
all ages and ranks together In other
words, this sum is the annual aver
age cost of person. Expenditure
in the United Kingdom averages 930
per head, but. Els of this pays for
services, not products-services such
as the manufacturing, distrib1 ting
and retailing referred to above and
other services, all of which support
persons who have no direct access
to the soil and who therefore must
pay others for their share of its
products.
Rich and poor men are of the same
size. A millionaire stomach and
back are anatomically identical with
those of laboring man. Therefore
equal numbers of rich and poor con-
sumo equal weights of produce III
equal times. But this is rot the
same thing as equal values. We
have just seen that the average an.
nual value is f12, and we may fair
ly take it that the case of the agri.
cultural laborer will give us the
minimum value. An average Brit
ish family is husband, wife and
three children.
The income of an agricultural la.
borer's family (cash and perquisites,
can fairly be taken at ESQ a year.
Of this they will pay about half for
services (not products) to nonagri
cultural workers, who may be sum.
med up as grocer, draper. school
master, builder and policeman, sc
that we have f25 left as the cost OF
the food, clothing, firing and shelter
of such a family valued as above
Say husband e.. wife s6, three chill
dren e4 each. This is minimum
Much consideration has led me t.
decide that as a maximum we may
fairly take the imaginary case of {
man who lives entirely on the mos
costly agricultural produce that is
garnered in quantity-namely, beef
steaks at sixpence per pound, farm
value. AT three pounds per day
such a mans annual cost for food
will be f27; 913 more, which would
make 940 in all, will cover every.
thing else he personally consumes,
for he shares his big house with
scores of other people and parts with
his clothes to others while they are
as good as new.
We may therefore fairly conclude
that the cost of a man in Great Brit
ain is about:
Per annum
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