Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-05-30


i i lea. is quoted as saying that she
never orders anything from
store by telephone except in case OF
emergency, because by personal atten-
ton to her shopping she is certain of
getting 100 cents worth for each dol
lar she spends. Mrs. Green is busy
woman with plenty of money. but she
is not so busy making money that she
permits herself to waste that which
she already has.
"a lack of knowledge of the value
of money on the part of women is the
most powerful enemy to domestic hap
piness that exists" declared Judge
Arthur Lacy. of the Domestic Rela-
tions Court, in Detroit recently when
he made public figures showing that
26 per cent. of the cases that come
before his court are due to extrava-
gance on the part of wives and that in
another 40 per cent. Of the cases in
which faults of both man and wife are
responsible extravaganza of the wife
is the principal trouble.
We are proud of the American
woman, her intelligence, her charm
and her achievements. but it must be
admitted that in too many instances
she is far from a careful saver or a
wise spender.
In most cases, probably, this is due
to faulty training in early life as to the
value of money and the Importance of
spending it wisely and saving por-
ton of income Systematically.
1t is not entirely a love of ease and
luxury that lays our women open to
the charge of extrevagance, although
that is an important factor in the
case. Perhaps a more frequent cause
is inefficiency on the business side of
housekeeping.
Mrs. Julian Heath, president of the
National Housewives League, endorses
this declaration of one housekeeper:
1 believe that my husband could
run our home better than l If he
were compelled to do IT, because he
would run it as he runs his busl-
ness.
Charge accounts at the stores, or
dering goods over the telephone and
free delivery of even the smallest
packages are all fruitful causes of
extravaganza and higher cost of living.
Alfred d. Woodruff. of the New
York City Bureau of Food Supply,
gives a startling account of what hap
pens when the grocer Charges 1t.
I'VE have found" says Mr.. Woodruff,
that only about so per cent pay
their bills promptly in thirty days;
2S per cent. take from one to three
months to pay; 40 per cent. never pay
in full, and per cent. never pay at
ALL" With such drawbacks to the
credit system. it is not astonishing that
nominal profits. MIR. Woodruff thinks
that if women will pay as much atten.
tion to domestic economy as to dress,
bridge parties and tango teas" if they
will pay cash, buy in large quantities
and test short weights, mot less than
25 per cent. might be deducted from
the gross profits" with corresponding
benefit to the consumer and his saw
ings bank account.
This matter of commonsense thrift
does not apply only to the city house
keeper. 1t is of Importance to the
farmers wife as well. AS James ].
Hill put it in a speech to agriculturists:
When I am talking to the farmer
l remember that the farmers wife
is one-half of the family, and she
is the bigger half, too. The farm
er's success or failure, his going up
or down in his scale of accomplish
ment depends upon her.
A helpful, thrifty wife, who is
conserving his capital, his health,
his earning ability, not to mention
the pocketbook, closing the ave-
nues of waste, will make him sue
ceed. He can't help succeeding,
while with a wasteful, careless
wife, he might as well give up.
These are facts. Make the test
take two men, one with the right
kind of wife and one who has the
wasteful, careless kind, and see how
real it is in the actual progress of
that family.
The new domestic science course in
the high school should be designed
quite as much to teach household
economy as to instruct pupils in mod
ern methods of food preparation and
home conduct.