The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-24
COSTS MORE TO LIVE
KEEPING HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNTS
LEADS TO MUCH uNHAP-
PINESS.
so DECLARES A YOUNG
MAN WITH A FAMILY
He Says That the Comparison of the
Expense of Living Now With That
of the Past Two Years Is Enough to
Put Anyone in a Bad Humor.

see, remarked the young man with
the worried look, as he watched the
butcher cut thick when he reached the
bone part of the side of beef, where
one of these strenuous gentlemen who
cannot get enough worry out of figures
during business hours breaks into
print to advise married folks to keep
a check on all household expense"
What's he to do it for?" asked the
meat carver, as he proceeded to re-
move the large portions of the bone
that the young man with the worried
look was paying for.
He says that it saves friction at
home"
Good idea" nodded the butcher.
Good nothing" answered the wor-
ried man in fierce tone" / have tried
the game for a month, and the best
got out of it was an order from the
doctor to go out and buy something
for brain flag.
TT isn't the failure to account for the
money spent that causes the trouble.
Its the spending of the money that
starts it all. The man who pays the
bills does not push up in the crouch
class because his wife buys up to his
limit No, sir!
He is Making Prosperity.
'He joins the GROWERS because he
knows that all the way up and down
Produce row he is helping make the
times better than ever before He
knows it well enough, but when he
starts home study circule and pro-
ceedS to groom mother and daughter
for the capable bookkeeper class, he
just naturally cannot help throwing his
hobnails against the side of the fam
lily cat.
The man who sold that story to the
newspapers is deep-dyed scOundrel.
de is destroyer of homes. Deep
down in his heart he knew that his
story would fall into unsuspecting
hands, and that unsuspecting, poor,
but honest family men would try it
out
Before that man rushed into print
l came into this meat shop and helped
, pay your rent without making a pro-
test. l watched you forget to cut off
my share of the suet before you
weighed my steak, and never said a
word. At the grocery it was the
same thing. ! left the honest old man
up there at the corner spear a potato
with the spout of My oil can and charge
me for the spud without shouting for
help. l have tried to lift the mortgage
for all of you, but it is different now.
Turns Away to Forget.
what do I do now? What,do I do
since 1 started to follow that scoun-
drePS advice? / come into your store
and order a steak. l was happy before
but now l know that back in 1899 I
paid 40 cents for the cut that ydu now
get so for, and 1 catch myself planning
to burn down your plant.
AT the grocery / see a pile of water
melons in the window, and learned to
like WatermelonS when a small boy. I
dash into the store and see a large "35
cents today" sign. Before / looked
up in the 1897 prices that melon would
no hnn
away and try to forget.
Il get it all the way down the row
and back UP the other side. I pay
more rent, l pay more for the clothing,
l pay more for my wife's dressmaking
work, and 1 pay more to the servant.
1t was all easier in 1897 and in '98,
but that does not help me out. have
to pay for it all and cannot see where
1t will help anyone to keep books on
the household expense in order to be
able to check up next year on this.
If the man responsible for the home
study circle advice had stopped to
think 1t all over carefully he, unless
he is genuine destroyer of happy
homes, would never have turSad in
that article.
Family man to family man, have
warned you," concluded the young
man with the worried look, "but if you
want to go ahead and follow this mans
doNIC0 Will I0dN6 CnoSo tables that
show the increase in the cost Of living
since 1900" and handing the butcher
the following figures, he picked up his
brown paper bundle and walked out
into the cold world:
1900.
Rent, Water Tax, Telephone. .s783. 16
Fuel and Light. 1889
House Repairs and Misc. .......... 402 At
servant ages: 10000
Groceries, Provisions and Sun
Clothes, Gifts and Family Sun ''''''
oTleS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1860 03
---
1901.
Rent, Water Tax, Telephone. 49,. $751. 80
fuel ana Light. ..:-............... 211 70
House Repairs and Misc.......... 324O 4
Servants Wages. .................. 480.0
Groceries, Provisions and Sun
Clothes, Gifts and Family Sun ll40''
cries '...'.'............... .1261.72
IoldI ..'....'....-......... $4176.1 Is
Rent, Water. Tax, Telephone. 1911. 16
House Repairs and Misc. ... 289. ~
Servants Wages. 240 90
Groceries, Provisions and Sun
uTIeS ............... 579 60
Clothes. Gifts and Family Sun
ufIeS .......'............ 77464
Total fer Six Months. .s2336. a
Total for year CAST six months es-
mated) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. .$5257 66