Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-18
LIVING COST PROBLEMS.
Some of the Follies of the Present
Excitement.

To the Editor of The Star:
It is fortunate that with the serious
problems before the American people
we note now and again very amusing
suggestions made by people lacking
in experience and knowledge OF all
practical economy.
1t was very amusing to nave ehe
papers announce that the most prom
inent women of Washington had de-
cided that strict economy must be practic-
ed nv society in their entertainments. For
Instance. a menu of dinner was given
to show that these ladies were IN
earnest in their suggestions ior rlslu
economy and that no longer dinners OF
MANY courses should be given, and 10
nrove their earnestness they submitted
the menu of a dinner. recently secured
which had cream of oysters, met
of beef, mushrooms, asparagus san
ice cream and STRAWBERRIES. Any
experienced housekeeper would readiiy
see that these special articles OF 1000
are the most expensive that can De
procured.
give their personal attention TO the
details of their housekeeping. There
are very few housewives In Washing,
ton who do not give their personal
attention to their Housekeeping ana
have been doing so. Many sleepiess
nights are spent trying TO M make so Inc
of Washington cover the actual ex-
penses of families
Potatoes, an article of food on every
American table, \have also reached such
a price that they are unaVai!auie
that there are few persons who can
have them even once a week S.~ar'
tea, coffee, and everything IN Mne
of necessities of life have tseor Va
~
people were told that we should have
low prices and abundant money after
the Inauguration of that date;
Flour is now so high that the poor
days salary will be obliged to pay
from twelve to fifteen dollars a barrel
for -four and seven cents loaf Tor
bread. I do not see that the United
States, with its abundant harvests in
all lines of agricultural products, is In
any different condition nov. under the
present administration, than that OF
any European country. where they are
in actual sanguinary warfare.
1t is probably a blessing in disguise
is to be hoped that recklessly ex-
travagant and fault-finding people vii!
come to look seriously upon the actual
conditions and that they will adopt
more practical methods in their every.
day life. If the wives and mothers OF
the wealthy people would go into
their kitchens and know what was
necessary for the family and how to
provide it most economically they
would discover that through their
attention. they are feeding greater
number of persons than there are in
their own Immediate families.
Now. Indifferent housekeepers. would
great change in their own kitchens by
looking into every order from the
grocery and market and write down
for the cook explicit directions for
each meal for the house and for the
kitchen. They would find il they would
Flock into their cook books that there
are many suggestions how the poorer
cuts of meats. etc, can be converted
into very delicious and palatable
dishes. The garbage can would not
been allowed to mold and left over
foods would not be thrown into the
garbage.
1t is useless to convert the gardens
producing ground if after the food
is produced it is not to be carefully
and economically used. This is no
time for the pretender and advocates
of absurdities. We have the same
climate, the same rich SOIL and if we
applied the same conscientious labor
to the cultivation of our soil there is
no reason why the same abundance
should not be enjoyed by the people
of the United States ever more. To
my mind, the one thing we need is the
more practical use of the knowledge
and opportunities that are within the
reach of every person and the better
training of domestic servants by ex-
ample and precept by the employer.
Some of the rules and regulations
laid down by theorists are perfectly
absurd and are written from super
fetal knowledge. The menus furnished
in the daily papers are very often
absolutely comical and could not pos
sibly be adopted at the prices given.
Personal attention and effort to ac-
auire practical experience would go
a long ways toward solving these
problems. MRS. JOHN A. LOGAN