Evening star., 1896-01-11


recreation -. 10 Is 35
SO 100 $50
Total ...l 1000 1000 1000
'The seventh annual report of the depart
| ment of labor, dealing with facts of the
cost of living obtained from 2,562 families
Europe, as they relate to expenditures Of
incomes grading from $500 to $1,200, con-
firms the rule Of percentages laid down by
DR.. Eagel."
Woman's Duty.
The two pertinent facts of this rule bear
ing on domestic science and the duty of
Numan in the home are these:
Half the struggle for life is mere strug-
gle for food.
The excessive expenditure for food is
| made at the sacrifice of the "sundres'' of
living, which tend to raise us above the
| animal, ard insure or greatest happiness
The fixed percentage Of outlay for rent,
fuel and light, aid the approximately fixed
percentage of outlay in the clothing, neces-
states that, in the instance of small in
come, the grind of making ends meet" or
in the instance cf a greater income, of
getting something ahead" come in the
kitchen, and on the housewife In the strug-
gle of selecting and preparing food and
Of providing for all those details of do
mestc labor IL cidental to this-cleaning,
washing nursing-at the least possible
cost. Edward Atkinson has pointed out
that If this work of woman were taken into
account in estimating the cost of living, 1T
would be found that a very much greater
part of life is devoted to the production
and the preparation of food than is repre-
sented by the measure even of one-half.
Actual Experience.
Illustrative Of how a woman actually pro.
ceeds in this struggle, I have the letter
from the wife of wcrkinsman addressed
to an agent Of the department of labor.
Expenses for One Year.
She gives tabulated statement Of the cx-
penses for one year, which includes the
number of pounds used of each item in the
grocery account, and the cost per pound.
The total sum expended for groceries is put
down at 0.62; house rent, at s. per month,
amounting to $S4; fuel, at 81 per ton, s24;
shoes -four pairs at s.. six pairs at $1-5O, six
pairs at 81, cost $27. For the item of bar
bering. which, including hair cutting once
month, at twenty-five cents; shaving, once
week, at ten cents, and twice a week half
the time, with an occasional shampoo. SO.
represents the annual expenditure. Seven
dollars and eighty cents was paid for tobac-
CO, a five-cent package and two cigars
week. For reading, $3.50, which includes
the cost of a daily paper. The total of these
different items, which represented the ex-
penses of the family for one year, was
$SS1 %
|. The income, represented by wages averag-
ing s4S per month, was $516, leaving sur
plus, after deducting the expenses as above
given, of s1947S The number in this family
was seven, and the number of children four,
their ages being two four, six and Seven.
Some Economics.
The writer further explained that four
pounds week of white flour was saved by
using graham, land that the flour, lard,
baking powder and sugar on my list are
sufficient If we keep light bread most of the
time and make the pies and cakes few and
very far between. use "A sugar because
there is less shrnkage than in other brands
l make fresh coffee once day. Butter and
eggs are more frequently used as substitutes
for meat than otherwise Crackers, milk,
rice, wheat, cheese, pickles and spices are
substitutes for articles of kindred value All
prepared meats prepared and tropical fruits
are bits of extravaganza in which We may
indulge to the cost of something more indis-
pensable"
The writer further states that the ex-
perience is not uncommon which she faced
one Monday morning when she found that
she had just $S35 with which to feed seven
until Saturday night. In an emergency of
this kind she says that she always uses
coarser meats. and SO she arranged to have
fresh meat once a day. Continuing, she
adds:
How It Was Done.
twice, at 6A cents per pound; a soup bone,
at 10 cents: 15-cent boil at cents per
pound; a 15-cent roast, at 10 cents per
POUND. and two pounds Of bacon. all of
which cost me S5 cents. Then 1 bought as
follows: Sugar, 25 cents; tea, 10; coffee,
80; baking powder, Is; soap, 10; coal oil Is:
cabbage, 10; potatoes. 35; pickles, 10;
onions, 10: dried peaches, Is; crackers. 10;
teans, 10; eggs, 15, and butter, 20. 1 have
teen asked why buy pickles and onions
when the same amount of money would
buy rice and wheat, which surely is cheap
er because SO wholcsome?' My experience
with my children is that rice and wheat re-
quire butter or sugar, or both, to make
them palatable, and as butter and sugar
are luxuries with US We must use them
sparingly.
with dimes worth of onions a peck of
potatoes will last us a week, at a cost of
45 cents. Without them a half bushel of
potatoes are used, at IS cents, difference
you see, of enough money to buy beefsteak
twice. As for pickles, dozen at a cost of
10 cents will last us a week, and make salt
meat endurable, and they last longer than
peck of apples at 25 or 30 cents a peck.
just place peck of apples, no matter how
hard and green, where four or five children
have access to them. In addition to all this
why and wherewith visitor adds to the
expense - per week, and the living is no
better than before. This, think, is due to
the disadvantage of buying in small guam
titles. If count the cost for a single meal,
ro more than cents extra for meat, and
the same for vegetables 0he smallest guam
uty l could buy). the cost in one week is
$21O. Two visitors a single meal at diff
ferent times. cost more than both at the
same meal"
The Incidcntals.
The writer, in discussing the disposition
of the s194.7S. which, as shown above is a
surplus, states that amount is left to buy
clothing and for household incidentals. She
says that these items are hosts in them
selves. If the amount named is divided
among seven persons for clothing alone it
averages but $232 each per month She
adds that # it were possible to use a years
earnings as she has divided them it might
be possible to get through, but bills made
when the children were sick or the hus-
band out Of employment the year previous
cut into the present years earnings.
In conclusion, the writer says: IAN item
lied account of the expenditures of the
$194.7S compared with an itemized account
of what we must and do have on credit L
suppose, will reveal the Illustration of our
efforts. 1 think sometimes in our efforts to
make both ends meet We are like kitten /
once had who tried with all his little