El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-11
Luxuries Cost U. S. Millions
Economists Assert that " omen
For Families
Frederic J. Hasl&ln

-
MAJ The prfme object of the study
w of anv line Of economies is TO
secure the greatest value of results
from the least expenditure, be 1t time,
labor or money, or a combination OF
the three In Chicago. FOR the past
year. a number of women economists
have been concentrating their atten-
ton upon the housing problems, with
the result that they now are able 70
show pictures of comfortable quar- te-
which working people may secure Iel
the same price as tle congested- IN
healthy ttuements in which most or
them row live
Distribution Increases Cost
The high cost OF living is subject
interesting economists OF Doth sexes
in all parts OF the country STUDIES
are continually i'm progress as 20 us
causes and the posi- bilirIes OF over
coming them. In Philadclphla- she
women Of the HOusekeepers' league DC
cided that il was due chiefly TO Ine
cost OF distribution as regards io9u
products They OEerCame this TO de-
gree last winter by undertaA-nS tle
distribution Of over 6-Upu-1uv eggs at
the uniform rate or - cents o do1e't
when the dealers We're charging from
8 TO q cents more The league tOeA
the eggs by the carload and by Spe-
cial diSDensaUOn from the may d
opened about 900 stations for their dt@-
tributiOn. An economic study followed
as 10 the cost Of the production OF tte
egg which showed that they could ne
produced at price TO render them
suita bic food Tor the table OF inc
family or average means, ana tlit
league viii eudeavOr to secure them
at that rate Farmers In PennsylFa nl.-,
Delaware. New Jersey, Maryland ana
Virginia nave communicated with tie
league offering TO supply not only
TO them. In this way the economists
in this particular line believe II1t
eventually they viii be able 20 break
the corner now existing in many
Advocates Central Market.
The Womeu-s Progressive Economic
league of New York is advocating
the establishment OF one big, sanitary
market in every large city as a dis
rribUtOr OF all kinds Of food supplies
Mrs. Edwin Black, the president. spent
last summer in Europe studying
number of municipal markets there.
These she reported both succession
and satisfactory because Of the rigid
system Of inspection which prevails
This insures an absolutely pure 1o1d
supply at the proper price 10 the con-
The woman Of the future must be
the economist of the family Mrs
Martha Van Rensselaer,. head of the
department of domestic economy OF
Cornell university. claims that women
40 fully 90 percent of the buying Tor
the American family. At present TIE
following figures are believed to rep
resent the appOrtiOnment OF the aver
age income food. % percent clOLnll5
25 percent rent % percent. and the
balance for incidentGls. including 1uel,
medical attendance, recreation ana
savings.
study Consumption and Values
A few years ago the courses Of do
nestle economy in the educational IN
stituJions included chiefly sewing and
cooking. In modern domestic economy
these receive least attention because
they are largely factory industries II
is consumption and relative Value
which the modern home economist
needs to study. She must learn TO
choose and to use the great resources
of the modern industrial world IN a
manner to give the greatest beneIlt
TO the family dependent upon her ICr
their comfort The most important
Z thing in domestic or home economies
is money sense in expenditure or
several years, the University OF INN
ois has been giving course OF lee
lures upOn this subject to women
students, which the professor, an eN-
pert economist considers OF equal
scientific value to the courses upon
business administration prepared Ior
the men At the University OF m M
cago the proper appOruonment OF tae
family income is one Of the subjects
receiving special consideration
Increase In LuxUries.
The imports Of luXUries into the
United States in last October were the
highest upon record for a single month
/ The department Of commerce estimates
that luxUries coming into this com
try now approximate a value OF 81
O0O. 900 a day. They aggregated over
$3.50. 600. 600 for the last year These
include objects Of foreign art, cloth
ing. embroideries. feathers, decorated
china. jewels, LIQUORS, tobacco, toys
and various other articles To a large
degree these articles were OF feminine
selection so the woman economist MS
constantly before her the question as
to whether or not it is best for her
to give the preference in her eNpend1-
I lures to the production of her own
2 country or TO importations from
abroad. She also must consider the
real value of every purchase. since
James Hill informs US that ENe-y
dollar unprofitabIy expended is a
crime against DOSteTity-
Distinction OF Economy.
Home economy includes a consider
able amount of what is known IN out
side Industrial circles as efficiency
engineering" A fine distinction must
I be drawn between what is necessary
and what is unnecessary and mucn
that is uon-eSsential should be ell-ni-
mated The standard Of living should
be fixed by the family income and
not by that OF the family next door
The woman who OvertaXes her own
strength doing laundry work IN her
; own Kitchen. in order that she may be
Z able to buy a chiffon ruffled cover
I for the ton OF her baby carriage when
she has it upon parade in front OF
her house is not any more foolish than
I the woman who does without ocher
help necessary to the comfort Of the
family I'm order that they NAV nave
an autOmobile TO use upon sunday
and the few holidays her clerk hus-
( band can manage to escape from has
I desk.
Expert Economists
The economic studies Of women are
: not an confined to domestic matters.
even though these may be consider
as of first Importance There are IN
: the employ OF the United States gov
Z eminent. as well as in the the GOV
eminent of many states and cities,
| trained women experts without whose
aid much OF the research which mas
been carried on within the past Few
wears could not have been possible
/ The departments OF commerce and labor
are continually conducting Invest "a
[ lions of the conditions OF women o7u
children who work Most or these
l injuries are under the direction OF
I women who have had economic train
I inS in some OF the COLLEGES or ant
/ versities The results OF their wctII
! tend toward securing shorter hours
q e g.. h1