Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-01-06


The cost OF living interests everyone the
woman in the home who has never been
an Garner, but who has spent thousands Of
dollars, the woman wage-earner, and per-
haps, more than anyone else, the man
wage-earner. We are told that the cost Of
living viii never decrease, but will in
crease, 80 that 1t is policy mot to spend
any time in rebelling against the fact, but
to spend thought and time on the best ex-
penditure Of money. We hkve to study
economy, which 10 not, ~ seems commonly
to be believed, the spending Of as little
money - possible, but spending money to
the best advantage to live efficient lives.
We are told that seventy-five per cent.
OF the males OF the United States earn less
than 600 annually, which il manifestly
too small sum for the rearing Of . family.
This fact il due to maladjustment which
is, We are happy to say, remediabie. In
vestigators who have worked on the
problem cay that 300 to q, 900 dollars il
the minimum sum on which Q man can
bring mp . family, while Mrs. Bruere
places the figure at q 40.
Then what about the seventy-five per
cent. who receive less than e-half OF
thisf We must conclude that the family
10 ineficient. Many Indignantly protest
ct being placed in the inefficient class,
but let Ms see what the problem OF the ef-
ficient home il. According to Mrs. Bruere
"It must keep the members Of the family
In state of body and mind and happiness
that will make 1t possible for them to
work 1t their highest capacity for the
greatest number OF years; it must give to
the community children that are well
fitted for citizenship and equipped to
push civilization along; and It must turn
out this product on an economical expen-
diture, not Of money only, but of brain
and muscle ~ weil.n
Then the home where thers ere no
children, the homo where there Il sick
ness or inharmony, 10 ineficisnt, and so-
ciety pays the price, and it pays too high :
price when the work Of women and chill
dren bss to supplement that Of man; II
pays too high = price whom large portion
Of il il housed, clothed, warmed and ted
below the standard.
1t l. IN encouraging fact that employers
are awakening 70 their responsibility, for
Il not an employer responsibIe II he pays
bel0x living wagef
But let NJ consider the expenditure
Of what We have - that our homes may
b - sufIcisnt = possible with tbs means
1t hand. Devins rays, There Il no highsr
economic function than that Of dstermin-
ing how wealth shah b used" And the
woman y thu chief factor in this considsr-
alton.
In order that tbs business Of housekeep-
ing b carried ON, il i necessary that the
family accspf standard Of living and al
unite to preserve that standard. Tho
standard must, Of course, vary with the
individual. II W classify our wants and
the means Of nesting them, we provide
ourselves with . standard which may b.
studied snd improved.
The establishuoent Of : budget q made
easier By the researches that have been
carried on in Thousands Of families, and il
one y considering the adoption Of bud
ct plan Of living, one Of thsss typical
budgets may b used until ones own il
estsblished.
The majority Of people know whore each
dollar has gone-aftsr 1t has gone. When
incomes we're more elastic than they are