The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-11-05
CONTRASTS IN HousEKEEPINe

English and German Method Graph
 ieally Compared.
 The London Standard finds subject for homiletics in an article by Mrs All fred Sidgwick in Cornhill. contrasting the English and the German modes of housekeeping. It says:
 We may take as an example the class with an income of $500, which roughly corresponds with about $500 here. Suppose that the breadwinner Is married, and has two boys still at school, with daughter just grown up! A German, we are told, will save one tenth of his G50O a year, either for in vestment or insurance-not much, 1t IS true, but if in the latter form, just enough to keep the Wolf from his widow's door How, then, does he make both ends meet with the remain ling income, on which many young peo- ple in this country would hesitate to marry?
 Rents are high in the large German towns, and a flat is chosen for cheap mess, but even that will cost no less ESQ The German income tax is high; municipal and other rates are much the same as the English householder would pay, the whole amounting to nearly ECO --almost 12 per cent Of the income. So far as, indirect taxation goes the Ger Iman, probably, has no advantage, He Hives, however. nearer to hls work of ten in some neighboring street. and Isonetimes over his shop or office. That E Is impossible in our large towns.
 h fairly good business quarter of
 London the rent of even a few rooms thus situated would be prohibitive, The EGerman's daily saving in trains and tomnibuses Is not inconsid derable and he avoids the wear and tear of daily trav- Eeling; but the Englishman, If willing to bay this penalty Is. often better housed on the outskirts of London and at no greater expense.
 The great difference between the two countries is due to the scale of living The Englishman furnishes 8his house Erather luxiriously, and decorates his living rooms with ornamental knick- knacks; the Germans apartments are bare, with much less work for servants
 Where an English family keeps two or. three maids, a German house has only Ione- who, perhaps, is not paid much! more than a 'tweentie gir1'' receives in London. No doubt she is more useful than ornamental but fsfe works hard and is a good-humored creature
 Then the German Hausfrau looks far more closely after domestic details thanisthe custom among Englishladies with the result that '.food is not wasted in Well-managed German kitchen, and the family does not suffer from the abominable cooking which depresses life in this country But it does not demand, either above or below stairs, our three square meals, day. Coffee and rolls are sufficient for break fast the chiefmealis the midday dinner, which is generally plain and, perhaps, little monotonous. Coffee, with rusks, about o'clock, balances our afternoon tea, and the supper is a comparatively simple meal. Clothes are rathersdearer than in England, butsin education the German parents Scores heavily off the Englishman, who often must dis purse, even at day schools. four or five times as much.
 When all the necessary calls have been met. about R16 remains for boli- day expenses. No doubt the German has kept economy always in view: he consumes less meat or fish, fewer gro "ceries, spends less on clothing and holiday Journeys, but he gets some minor luxuries cheaper such as his beer, wine and tobacco, Instead of the barrel-organ and the bowling coster he gets good music either gratis or at small outlay-in fact. the small enjoy- .ments of life cost little. The truth is that English incomes would speedily become more elastic five would be content to live a little more simply. Too many of us make the mistakes of ini- tating the style of those whose incomes are E25 per cent niger. which means the sort of secret pinci1ing that Thackeray depicted in his Book of Snobs."