Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-04-05
Copyright. 1870. by American Press
AasQeiAtion.

TT was Ruskin who said. Sure good
Is first in feeding people. then III
dressing people. then in lodging
people and last in rightly pleasing
people with arts or science or any 9TH
er subject of thought
II Ruskin is right. and we know he
Is. then 1t behooves all those who are
interested In hOmemaking and house
keeping to see to 1t that their duty is
we'll performed; that the results OF
their labor are not only bringing good
to people. but also making good people.
This means improving their physical
conditions. training them to higher
ideals and truer standards Of living.
The standard Of life will determine
the character of the home. and when
ever homes and family life are not
what civilization and Christianity
teach they should be the cause will
Invariably be found to be wrong stand
ards.
The cost Of living depends on the
ideas and standards of the persons
spending the money. or else it depends
on the total disregard for them. The
question of how much our living
shall cost Is more of education than OF
| location, SO a scale OF expenditures
cannot be given that will be suitable
in every particular to any locality.
Local conditions must be taken into
consideration to some extent, though
it is generally found that large expend-
iture In one department OF housekeep
ing can be readily balanced by various
economies in another.
Any woman who has right stand
ard of life will not be satisfied to spend
all the income for physical needs. She
will want balance for those things
which are termed higher life, educa-
ton and all those advantages which
develop the mental and moral side of
the family. 1t has been repeatedly
proved that when the family income
is adjusted so as to leave at least 70
per cent Of 1t for matters not connect
ed with material living there Is con-
tentment in the family circle and
desire among the individual members
to reach the highest attainments OF
true manhood and. womanhood. 1t Is
not my purpose in this article to at
tempt to do more than show what pro-
portion Of the income should be re-
served for food and how that amount
can be spent in order to keep within
the margin and to satisfy the physical
needs of the family.
1t has been said that one-haif the
cost of living is the cost of food. and
It has been shown over and over again
that it is not the food actually eaten
which costs so excessively as 1t Is
what is wasted by poor cooking. pre-
pairing too large quantities and buying
out Of season.
Meals at 1s Cents Day.
An income Of from $1,000 to $500
should allow no more than IL to 20
cents day for each person for food,
or not more than % per cent OF the
total incomes. TO feed family OF
Eve persons on 90 cents day. or IS
cents each. requires thought and con-
siderable planning on the part Of the
housekeeper But on that amount 1t
is possible to provide good nourishing
meals every day and in amount sufti-
Gent for all the needs Of the body.
This is not mere theoretical state
ment. for in many homes In this coun-
try less than 81 a day Is being spent
on the table.
To buy wisely on a small margin
requires some knowledge OF food val
ues, because it is necessary to have
the daily meals represent given
amount of proteid. fat, sugar and
starch, mineral matter and water.
These food constituents must be pro-
vided every day n the body is to be
kept in normal condition.
AMOUNT FOOD MATERIAL THAT Will Il.
FURNISH REQUIRED EOURiSHMENT
FOX ONE DAY FOR MAN AT AVERAGE
WORK.