New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-17
ITS COST OF HIGH LIVING
Food Dealers Tell How Women IN
America Waste Money.
POOR INSIST ON THE BEST
Even in Way of Funerals Some
Like to Have Neighbors Stare,
Says Shop Man,

/ lnp trOuDle WIN lIltSt lOlNS NAl'''
! painin' about 1t bein' hard to get enough
wages to live on" said the big man in the
white apron, "is that they're 600 perucuIer'
! They've got to have the very best in mar
ket regardless o what their husbands earn
Yes. it's women I'm talkn' about, because
it's the women that does the markctin. a
heap Of things goes on folks tables that
they'd be just as well off without
Take meat, butter, eggs and cheese W
said the big man, argumentatively. Meat
butter eggs and cheese Is what l class as
table luxurles. They amt necessary. |
don't eat much Of any Of 'em, and I'm
healthy In the old country | hardly ever
had 'em. But over hereford who thinks
they can do without meat, butter, eggs and
cheese
The person on the other side OF the coun-
ter gazed at the big man with fascinated
eyes The big mans business was selling
meat. butter. eggs and cheese, for he ran
butcher shop with dairy products on the
side and here he was advising against their
consumption. But this shopkeeper was also
philosopher It's a not uncommon com
bination, for there is something in the life
of a shopkeeper, whether it is the spells
OF leisure Wlltll II dut - hull VI il'o NONN'''
platon of the stream of human life flowing
In and out Of his shop, hat conduces to
philosophizing. And having got listener
to his theories, he couldn't resist airing
them, though several customers were that
minute in the shop.
"Tom" said the big man, crooking his
finger at one Of his assistants.
How many times a week did you have
meat in the old country"
"Once week" replied the assistant.
And over here folks thinks they got
to have It once a day. If not twice" said
the big man. That's the way mans
wages goes. Look at them Italian laborers
that comes here. Back i'm italy they
live on cornmeal an maccaroni an stuff
like that And, strong,-don't they dig our
bitches? Don't that show that meat amt
necessary? But folks will have it, no mat
ter how high It IS"
Must Have Costly Butter.
And. butter-say, know a family Of
seven laborin' people that buys seven
pounds OF butter every week. Butter at 80
cents pound, And they amt no healthier
loollln' than we was I'm the old country
hardly ever seem butter" said the big
man, as he weighed out pound Of butter
for a woman with a net bag on her arm.
curious to know II there were other shop
keepers with these disIntercsted Views re-
gardug the things they had 10 sell the
person on the other side OF the counter
wandered out and along Third avenue in
search Of more emporiums OF foodstuns
with conversational bosses.
The next was delicatessen shop, the
worn looking little proprietor Of which
was 80 glad OF a chance to talk that he
left his luncheon Of bread and beer in
the back room to do It,
Not much money I'm this business he
said In discouraged tone. Profits are
small. and by the time I've paid my rent
and gas bills and so on they'r" all ct up.
These times are hard. too on working
men and clerks and 80 on" remarked the
person on the outside Of the counter. with
a purpose Everything has gone mp but
wages How workingman manages TO
feed his family these days
We'll. az 10 that" said the little delica-
lessen man, II isn't the high cost Of living
that's tho trouble IN this country It's the
cost ~ high living Not one woman in
ten markets. carefully. They won't take
the trouble to find ont where commoncr
grades'u answer Just az well as the fancy
grades.
See this egg Observe. now, take II
Al random from among the others in this
tray" lie picked up an egg from 'he
tray marked Twelve for "A quarter Tie
broke II in q wooden butter dish, tilted the
dish Mp and let the egg slip down his
throat The person on the other side #
the counter hreathcd hard, expecting he'd
invite her to have one on him. But he
didn't
That egg" he observed, is good
enough FOR me But most OF my customers
and they're women whose husbands earn
none too much-wouldn't buy these eggs
keep en-. but they don't go half as fast
as the higher priced grades. No. it's Give
me half dozen Of those fancy white eggs
Funny how tho women like white eggs,
ELI? TO my mind. brown ones much
mcHtier.
Yes" the little delicatesscn man went
on. the American public's liyin' beyond
its means. An dyin' beyond 'cm, too.
There's family upstairs in the house here
that's practically starving TO death 10 pay
up FOR fine funeral they had. They
wanted TO make the n"ighbors stare. And
,J0 for a requiem mass
Women Dreadful Wasteful."
Another dclicatcssen man two or three
blocks away gave It as his opinion that the
American woman was dreadful waste
ful" Of her husbands money.