The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-26
COST Of COURTSH|P
A SERIOUS PROBLEM
Girl Of the Present Day Hates 20
Have People Think Her
Fiance Is Cheap.
YOUTH GIVES UP THE CHASE
Rv Leased Wire to The Tribune.

BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-Tbe cost Of
living is not the only reflection of
general advance in all commodities,
according TO Arthur T. Vance, editor
Of the Pictorial Review, but the cost
of courtship has shown a like SYM
pathy, and now the gallantry of the
Lochinvar must yield to cruel pressure
of the dollar.
"'The cost of courting," says Mr..
Vance, ''has gone up along with the
price of eggs and carrots and porter
house steak A girl today hates TO have
people think her fance is cheap, There
are hundreds whose pride stands. be-
tween them and inexpensive attentions.
Yet courting is really not matter of
cost--but of the girl"
This is the gist of an article by Mr.,
Vance, which has called out an ex-
planation, for there are some who are
not willing to accept the idea that
Cunid. who knows no creed but the
virtue of love, has fallen before the
march of commercialism.
Disturbing Social Problem.
Personally" says Mr.. Vance, "I
am inclined to be of the opinion that
while the cost Of courting is greater
here in New York than elsewhere, it
has nevertheless ascended by leaps and
bounds all over America, except in the
remote rural districts. And it is one
of the most disturbing of all our So
cial problems, One hears much about
economic hardship of marriage and Of
family life.
''It is said young men shrink appre-
hensively from the increased cost Of
maintaining a home, with the general
rise in price of various necessities. /
think there is truth in the assertion.
When man marrles girl he binds
himself to support her for life, to say
nothing of the children that may come.
On even as small a salary as $25
week he can maintain a bachelor ex-
istence comfortably. With wife and
family he must scrimp and contrive
and deny himself not only the lux
uries but comforts, if he lives in large
city at least.
|'But there is many young man
who never gets as far as considera-
tion Of the cost of matrimony. He is
staggered by the mere prelude to the
going with one or two girls and
draws back in panic. He simply can
not afford the acquaintance of the
class of young women In which he
would care to marry
Mr.. Vance believes that the spirit
of romance wanes when young lovers
are forced to go in public in a style
below that of some of their associates.
'Don't you think 1t rather takes
the bloom off romance7' added Mr.
Vance, ''to delegate it to the parquet
circle nnd the taxicab.' A great many
girls, he thinks, would be perfectly
willing to have less money spent on
them should they know how to speak
about it.
You sees he says, "the trouble
is it game Of bluff on both sides.
The young man wants to pretend lie
has bigger salary than he is really
making. The girl desires to convey
the impression that she is used to all
the luxuries of life. On the one hand
it's the bluff of business position and
on the other that Of social position.
And between the two bluffs the pocket
book falls by the wayside.'
Mr.. Vance believes that the greater
responsibility rests upon the girls. The
business woman, he says, might solve
the problem, only she is often situated
somewhat in the position Of the bach
elor, with no one but herself on which
to spend her income Therefore she
dresses smartly, and rather expects a
she buys. On the other hnnd, she is in
fair way to cultivate certain frank
comradeship "that will do much to.
ward solving the money troubles of
the modern Cupid, ~