The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-18
FROM OTHER PENS

GERMAN HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY.
The American consul at Nuremberg
reports on an interesting statistical
study of household economy in Ger
many. In the report considered the
government took into account $50
families, the heads of which were
asked to keep careful account of
the wage income from all sources and
the outgo for the period covered by
the study. -
Teh total annual income was s444,-
sol, and the total expenditures $453,-
0O5, leaving a deficit of more than
$4,000 at the end of the year. For
skilled Industrial workmen the aver
the families considered, was found to
be $44S. The average income for all
the families in the reckoning was
$521.7O, while average expenditures
amounted to s531.6s. which left each
family owing approximately $40 at
the end of the year.
When it is considered that these
averages may be accepted as the av-
erages for the better class of wage
earners in Germany it would seem
that, so far as the matter of COM
parison is concerned, the average
American wage-earner, whether
skilled or unskilled, has little about
which to complain The showing in
Germany is more remarkable on &C
count of the difference between earn
ings and expenditures, and suggests
the need Of larger incomes or greater
economy in household affairs, else
wage-earners in Germany Will soon
find themselves burdened by grow
ing debt which they can not hope to
overtake.-Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
FREE ALCOHOL'S HANDICAP.
In the fullness of time the people
of this country will probably become
adjusted to the manufacture and pro-
fol free dnnafI1rGd alcohol,
though thus far their progress toward
that desired Industrial goal has been
regretably slow. The Minneapolis
Farm, Stock and Home. an agricul-
tura1 paper, challenges a statement
going the rounds of the press that
farmers show no disposition to buy
stills and that the law is a failure. 1t
declares that farmers in that section
have been not only willing but eager
to buy stills and for three years have
been importuning manufacturers to
supply their needs. either for farm or
cooperative neighborhood purposes.
But one reason why cheap stills have
not been made has been a SIC tax,
under an old revenue law, on every
still or worm sold. This does not
amount to much on the large and
high-priced stills, but interferes with
the profitable manufacture of those
under 500.
Professor Snyder of the Minnesota
SCHOOL OIL Agriculture tiat
beets, as an ordinary root crop. grown
at cost of five or six dollars. and
yielding at conservative estimate 1 5
tons to the acre, would make 200 gal
Ions of alcohol, which at 10 cents
gallon would be a good return on the
land Soft corn, damaged wheat,
windfall apples and other waste prod
ucts of the farm would also possess a
value that is now lacking.-Boston
Transcript.
THE DUST EVIL.
The seemingly overcareful house
wife who has figured in literature
with a dust-cloth always in her hand
has been amply indicated by science,
which has abundantly demonstrated
that dust is a serious menace to
health. In her exhausting warfare
against dust, as in her undying en-
nifty toward flies. the good housewife
has been right as if by instinct. 1t
has been shown by figures easily col
lected that street sweeDers and scav-
engers are peculiarly liable to con-
sumption and several other diseases,
notably those of catarrhal nature,
and SO important has this matter
come to be considered in New York
City that the street sweepers are to
wear sanitary masks of gauze over the
mouth and nostrils. The commission
er says that these employees of the
city are SO frequently laid off with in
fectious diseases, undoubtedly con-
tracted from the germs which abound
in the dust of the streets. that 1t is