Newark post., 1915-02-17

gested, Miss Caudell declared, that

gested, Miss Caudell declared, that
the expression High cost of liv-
ing," should be reworded "The
cost Of living high" Some people
think they must live on porter
house steak with only a beef stew
purse to pay for it. Various causes
are given for the advanced prices
that prevail in the markets today.
The real reason, however, seems
to be that the population has
doubled, and that there has been no
comparable increase in production.
The solution would seem to lie in
the turning of the minds of more
young men to the problems Of pro-
duction; and in applying better
methods to the management Of our
farms. Only one per cent Of the
foreigners who come to America
reach the farms; SO per cent are
massed in the cities, where they
create demand for food, but do
practically nothing increasing the
supply.
The housewife, therefore, cannot
hope for any immediate change.
She must meet the present situa-
ton. She must learn to get an ade-
quate return for the money in
vested. She must buy wisely. She
must learn to figure upon the living
expenses in percentages as does the
business man, who has to fight
against tide of competition. There
are definite seasons for buying
when one can save without hunt
ing the bargain counter. In Jan
uary there are the sales of white
goods; in the spring coal and eggs
are cheaper. Early fall is the eco
nomical time to buy canned goods,
when there is practically a glut on
the market. In winter the family s
supply of nuts and dried fruits
should be laid in. In this way the
housewife may figure on a discount
in the living expenses. 1t is very
necessary to use the best and
cheapest form Of fuel available.
Realize that in this instance one is
burning money, and must therefore
make some use of it while burning.
Use of the fireless cooker will be
found wonderful economy.
The housewife should study to
introduce the most nutritious forms
OF food. Some of the most nutri-
tious, it will be found, are the
cheapest. The consumption of meat
is the greatest extravaganza in the
American home. This may per-
haps be traced to the fact that it is
more plentiful than in Europe or
Asia. Because of this the advanc-
ing price Of meat may prove
blessing in disguise, for our bodies
ale better with less meat.
We find that meat furnishes 16
per cent Of the total food of Amer
lean homes; 30 per cent of the It's
sue building foods, and SO per cent
OF the fat. Let us glance at the
habits Of other nations. The Scotch
man, noted for his Drawn and
strength, uses for fuel quantities
OF oatmeal porridge and milk; the
Swiss peasants, milk and milk pro-
ducts; the Germans, black bread
and legumes; the Italians, macaroni
and cheese; the Chinese, lentils and
rice. All these substitutes are
cheaper than meat. Why should
n t we as a cosmopolitan people ac-
cept some Of these suggestions9
i A recent investigation in New
York covering an area of two
blocks in which there lived 10000
people, showed the Italians to be
the best fed and the Russian Jew
and American the most poorly fed
on an expenditure of S .23 per day.
The Italian lived largely on maca-
ronl and bread, with for favoring
one bushel Of onions per week. This
merely illustrates the emphasis
that should be placed upon the diff
ferent cereals. Like the Italian we
must find a way to flavor them to
please our palate. There is wisdom
IN cutting down the use of meat to
once a day, with an occasional en-
tire day without it. Some of the
substitutes are eggs, milk, cheese,
cereal grains, legumes, and nuts.
Another way to reduce the cost
of living is by the careful selection
Of cuts Of meat. The buyer must
consider the actual cost of meat
compared with the apparent cost;
she must consider that 1-S of Dor