Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-02-15
A STATED ALLOWANCE FOR THE
WIFE.

\, One of the first steps toward the
Il maintenance of perpetual peace in
&ae household and the establishment
ssfrelations that will be pleasant
ttAoU gEsss,+t. the marital life, insist re-
cent W 81 rte8.g.n the subject, is the
granting ct is4'gflaaatad weekly or
monthly alloWsae eSgs4the wife in
recognition of the JsS partnership
character of her union 49, the hus-
band. One of the most calling fea-
lures of married life to many women
is the failure of husbands to recog-
nize the right Of the wife to a GER
tain allowance every month, the ex-
penditure of which is entirely mat
ter Of her own business. The de-
vices some women are put to to get
a little spending money, the petty
economies in their household ex-
penses to squeeze a few dollars that
they may call their own, does more
at least that is what the experts
insist-to ruffle their tempers and
lay the way to discord and divorce
than almost any other cause, save
that of absolute infdelity on the
part of the husband
Here is how current writer, a
woman, of course, and perhaps one
speaking from the sad depths of ex-
perience, vents her opinions on this
problem of married life in strong
plea for a personal allowance, 10
matter how small, for every woman
who takes upon herself the response
bilities and labors of the marital
state Says she:
The financial side of the matrimon-
tal problem is receiving an attention
nowadays never awarded it in times
past. What many a wife has suffer
ed from having to ask her husband for
every penny no one will ever know.
But that was the problem When a
husband was generous, 0 rthe wife
the spronger spirit, possibly there
was no feeling of humiliation. But
to judge by the confessions of many
pride to be compelled to ask for
money she needed, and to have it
doled out to her grudingly as if a
favor.
Today, however, the business wo-
man who is accustomed to earning
and spending her own money without
question from any one will not stand
for the old time money arrangement
wants her own income definitely set
tied as to the amount and the method
OF getting it. She doesn't believe in
its being left to chance or to her
husbands generosity. or her ability
allowance without the family know
ing it
1t is not only a matter of justice
% his wife to make such an ar
rangement, but it is far more econom-
ical. The woman who knows exact
ly how much she has for dress and
other personal expenses can plan her
expenditures much more wisely than
the woman who must go it blind
Knowing, for instance, that she has
$4,000 for a seasons wardrobe she
can plan out definitely how much
10 allow Tor eacn part OF 1t. She
can pick up bargains when she runs
across them and otherwise buy like
a sane and economical woman. The
wife who doesn't know whether she
will have $500 or $4,000 must buy
haphazard what she needs most when
she has the money. A man may think
it is economy not to give his wife
an allowance, but it is far from it,
to say nothing of the justice in
volyed. Whatever he allows himself
for personal expenses and dress, bar
ring possibly car fare and lunches
which are part of his necessary
business expense, should be allowed
her Most women would be satisfied
with this arrangement, despite the
fact that it costs a woman more to
| take my life within my hand,