Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-07-25
To Cat Down Family Expenses.

Michael Corday, the French economist.
who frankly admits that one reason of
the diminishing family Is the expense of
rearing many children, offers the follow
ing suggestions for cheapening family eN-
penSse:
He says; There are among the poorer
Glasses many households whore three
children drive away all comfort and
where tive bring misery. The excuse OF
steriiity is the c0StllneSs of the child In
stead of discussing those projects which
pass over peoples heads, we should take
certain practical, easy measures Of imme-
date and sensible effect which would
tighten little by little the cares of patrt-
nifty. and which would prompt us 10 con
cliate the legitimate desire of comfort
with the not less natural desire of raislu..
Il family.
Our legislators would realize the trutb
of this If they put themselves in contact
with real life; the life which is not told
in books. To begin with. | would reduce
the cost of travelling with a family. In
public conveyanceS in our cities Il child
costs as much as Il grown person as soon
as he Is no longer on the parental knee
Our companies, moreover. do not tolerate
two children in this position. although
nature has provided us with two knees
From the age of t a child costs rs mucl
as man in city travelling. The father
of four children, travelling with his little
family IN 4 public conveyance. must
spend six tines as much as if he were a
bachelor.
On our railroads. beyond the age Of :.
a child pays full price. Is it not absurd
that these little ones should be charged
as adults 81 early 1t is true that they
I'LL places. bur the carriage T. rarely full
ON long jorHeyS, which are most cNpen-
slEe 10 the parent II the children were
charged as baggage. they certainly would
not cost as much as grown persons.
Ihey are counted a. gruwn-HpS too
Soon. not only on the railroads and street
cars but in all other business
The railroads should raise the age nj
which children pay full price. and also
o! course. that ut which they pay half
price. In Switzerland. for example, chill
dren only begin to pay half-prico ut 10
years Of age. This is 4 step in the right
direction. y reduction should be allowed
to families Whenever several articles Of
the same kind are sold The state Sbould
set the example in establishments under
its direction or control The reduction
should be SerioIs and appreciate. Our
railway companies only take Il triiiuw
step when they reduce the price for more
than four members of family on certain
routes and at certain times of the year.
This reduction is 50 small and the pos
sibility of using it SO limited that | NAV
Gated the way in which they should 20.
4 progressive and rapid reduction of
prices should be applied to all commerce
and all institutions for the benefit of
large families. Some steps have been
taken in this direction. Our colleges are
allowing increased reductions for two and
three brothers confided TO them
Many of our family restaurants have
introduced the chiId's portion. the ex-
pense of which is much lower than that
of the full meal. They profit very well
by this plan. and are keeping it up. MeI.-
chants in general should introduce re-
duced prices for things sold to "A number
Of members of the same family. One
only needs to carry out the principle of
wholesale and retail commerce to do this.
Does not the merchant pay u lower price
because he buys large quantity of
goods: Why should he not give some
benefit To the overburdened parent who
has 10 purchase wholesale To certain
degree. The problem of repopulaton
would he Largely solved if our merchants
would take this patriotic and sensible
view. To the many who are interested
IN this problem, | say: If you do not
wish to reduce the size of families, re-
dhce the cost Of keeping them"