The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-21
MEN OF GREATEST
 STATION PRACTICE
 WAR ECONOMIES
Members of English Parlia- ment and Peers Talk of Expenditures in Their
 Own Households

London, January 1o.-(Correspond- Ience of the Associated Press s)-How
 the members of Parliament are carry ing out wartime economy in their
 own households, is revealed in series
 of letters obtained by the war savings
 committee from wives of members of
 both houses.
 1 "We are cutting down indoors and
 out by putting an end to all luxury
 writes a peeress. My husband and [
 are doing without maid or valet, to-
 bacco spirits, sweets, chocolates, the
 atres, motoring, travelling, holidays, visiting, entertaining, shooting, horses, and are economizing to the utmost in the matter of clothing and evening dress
 | Another letter, also from the wife of a member of the House of Lords, says: The castle has been closed and only a few rooms in one corner ars occupied. We have ourselves moved into small rooms, having dismissed all the staff except four of the older wom- CT servants thus making drastic re- auctions in every possible direction. The fire-places have been rearranged and coal savers put in. Out of doors no man eligible for the army has been retained. Our cottages are all given rent free and in addition the cottages are provided with coal and wood free The wages of our work people have had to be raised to meet the cost of living. Only girls are now employed in the gardens, where potatoes are grown in the flower beds and the lawns used for hay. The stock of deer in the park is being systematically reduced for food supply. Keepers have gone, and at the estate office the bailff's work is being done by a lady"
 The wife of a member of the Com mons writes: Personally I have econo- mixed in every way I can. I now do with only three servants. I have given up my motor car and I never eat meat more than one day. I have no bed room fire, and I buy practically no clothes. I have put every penny I can spare into the war loan. have sold all my American securities. But I don't find that my example has had the slightest effect upon the people around me. I have held several meetings in the constituency to urge war economy,
 but people hate these meetings as they are having the time of their lives"
 The wife of another member of the Commons writes: My pin-money has been reduced to a minimum as I am devoting all l have to maintaining a Red Cross convalescent hospital In my own household no sugared or iced cakes have been allowed for sometime, except at Christmas. No desserl sweets have been allowed since the war, and cream only on Sundays. Cakes have been reduced in the din ing room and in the servants hall. No wine and after-dinner coffee is served except to guests; fires have been cut down and wood logs used instead of coal where possible. Dinner has been cut down and meat is served only once day, except for an occasional rasher of bacon a breakfast"
 The committee has received replies to their questions regarding war econ omies from the wives of nearly 200 members of the two houses of Parlia- ment The replies are 10 be circulated throughout the country during the next two months in connection with a cam paign for obtaining pledges of house. hold economy from housewives.