Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-04-02
R|GH-uIVINC BOC
IS NOW LOCATED
CRAZE Toa VARIETY, SAYS BoS-
TON WOMAN, is CAUSE OF IT.
AND She Quotes FIGURE
Tear OF NJ, n6.ony and Cultivated
Taste for Luxury Contributing
Fnc'ors.

Boston Macs, Aprll Ito a craze
for variety, coupled with a dread OF
monotony, ard to modern Innovations
Mrs, Ellen II. Richards, an instructor
In chemistry at the Massachusetts In
stitution Of Technology lays the
blamo for The high cost Of living.
Her observations are made IN answer
20 tho question, Does the increased
cost Of living mark a social advance ="
When / went to housekeeping
thlrty-fiv0 years ago. she says, ION
the same spot and under tho same
general conditions as now, our run
ming expenses were about one-half ms
much. From what direction has the
increase Gomez The snow plow no
longer cleans our sidewalks; IL must
De shovelled to the gutter, The post
man comes live times a day instead
Of twice. The telphone bill not only
costs $50 year but doubtless the
grocers delivery, and hence his
charge for IT, II certainly doubles
tho steps taken and the stairs ascend
ed by some enc.
Hardwood floors mean twice tho
work OF carpets. The cost Of guests
Is double, not because the food we
used to set before them was not good
and sufficient, but because we have
not the moral courage to give simpler
entertainment.
I'VE couil give the same thing ot
the same cost but we pay 80 cents for
ice cream Instead Of 40 cents, and we
have six courses instead of three,
with the corresponding number Of
dishes TO handle and double time to
serve and prepare and clear away.
The more elaborate service, the
greater number OF things is In one
sense social advance, as II is sup
posed to mean gain In standing.
"A perfect craze for variety has
take possession OF the world. Moth
ing Is 30 much dreaded as monotony.
This means a restless dlssa satisfaction
with life. The daily work Is not mo-
notony so long as one does not wish
TO do something else.
1T is this craving for variety which
has doubled the livig expenses OF
most families. We all go In town two
or three times n day. We all go to
moving pict Ire shows. to theaters, TO
concerts; we go motoring, instead OF
quietly reading, re-arranging the pie
lures or the furniture, mendlng the
curtains or the broken china As for
sewing and carpentering, who does
It.?
as II because OF the comic supple
met that tho man who sets up his
own stove or hoes his own garden is
made ridiculous?
What d. we gain by Il? Any
.hing valuable to mans real advance ?
Is society, or the individual wiser I'm
what counts or more learned, happier,
better In any way? Does not each
dollar I'm excess moan greater strain
on some nerve, n greater chance of
mental collapse?
What Is the poor American TO do
in his present fever and with his
present nerves, but with five-fold
greater powers placed in his hands,
and fiye-fold greater attention and
capacity demanded for their control ?
If sixty years ago the free forces and
rushing advance OF the republic ur-
gently needed the regulation Of q pow
erful and learned conservative body,
who can overestmatc the necessity
for such sc vice now?
Life is a confused rush for us;
we do not stop 20 take account OF
stock and balance accounts, The
various unnotlcod causes OF greater
expenditure are to be ferreted out
and exposed, closer balance between
time and money results found,
What should be today the guiding
principle Of large-hearted and intelli-
gent women in the use Of personal
and family income DO we believe
that It must lean between ascotlclsm
and luxury Luxury everything not
necessary to fun efficiency is the
besettng modern danger, physical
mental and moral.
"The determining prIclple In fix
ing the standard Of life should then
be the discovery OF the minimum
needed to maintain full efficiency"