The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-19

Fuel ......... 1888
Oil ................. $50
House rent .... 1900
House labor ....., $500
$14713
Compared with the figures obtained
by similar surveys OF areas in New
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin,
Kansas, Iowa. North Carolina, Georg-
ia. and Texas, made in the course of
the investigations this is so small that
it apparently implies a low standard
OF living The average cost OF main
tenance a person for all areas studied
was Sta notable increase over the
Vermont figure Of s147. The differ
ence, agricultural authorities say. is
largely TO be accounted for by the
fact that comparatively little was
raised on the Vermont farms for
home consumption much of what the
family used had to be bought and in
consequence it used as little as pos
sible.
Food is the great factor in the cost
of maintaining life OF this the aver
age family in the Vermont area con
symed each year 1861 CO. OF which 53.2
per cent came directly from the
farm The corresponding averages
for all the areas were S412.09 and 60
per cent respectively. In the Georgia
area the averages were S4S045 and
1873. From these figures it would APP
pear that If the farm family is to 1.-Two
well it must raise much OF what II
consumes itself and further analy-
sis strengthens this conclusion.
Few fruits and vegetables we're
raised on the Vermont farms and in
consequence these formed a smaller
part of the total food supply than in
any other area except Ohio The
Vermont family made for this lack
by the use OF groceries, 92.S per cent
OF which were purchased As re-
suit the average bill for groceries
was approximately S1O9S4 as compar-
ed with an average for all the areas
OF $500 And yet. if we judge by
| the total value of the food consumed
by each person in the family. the Yer
mont family in its standard OF liv
| ing. ranked last In North Carolina
the average family spent only SIPS
on food of all kinds and lived better
than in Vermont In this connection
il is noteworthy that in dairy sec
tion half of the families bought but
ter and that only 1925 OF milk and
| S6.Sl Of eggs person were consum
ed The milk. of course, was reserv
ed for sale, the supply of eggs, how
ever, could have been greatly increas
ed for the family's benefit at a trih
ing outlay of trouble and expense II
Iowa the average consumption a per
son was dozen, in Vermont II.
For much of this failure to make
the farm contribute directly to the
support OF the family, climate anC
other local conditions may be held
responsible. The investigation afford,
conclusive evidence, however. that IN
Vermont as in many other areas the
farm is regarded too much from the
point of view OF cash returns and
that the possibility OF making il
Yield revenue of another but equal
~ valuable kind is too much neglect
ed and If we turn from food to other
factors in the cost of living. the i'm
portance of this revenue is equally
striking
Each Vermont farm supported an
average OF AS persons so that in one
way or another a revenue from i
| Of $70j was necessary in order to sup
| port the family with necessities. But
only 4 small part of this total expend
| ituro took the form OF cash outlay
or the labor, for example, about one
per cent was paid for, the rest being
performed by members of the family
Had they done this work for some
| body else, however, they would have
| been paid for it, and If 1t had beer
performed by somebody else they
would have had to pay In other
words, their labor has a cash value
and since it adds to the comfort OF
| the family, must be included in the
| revenue from the farm.
The charge for rent must be con
sidered in much the same way The
value of the farm house is usually in
cluded in the value of the land, and
the whole regarded as the capital
which the farmer has invested in his
business. If this is DONE however il
is only fair to credit the farm with
having furnished its occupants with
| shelter, which, as every city worker
knows has a high cash value. On the
Vermont farms included in the inves
tigation, the average annual value OF
| this shelter, in other words, the house
rent was estimated at 1913 year, a
figure which included interest, depre