The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-15
THE ALLOWANCE QUESTION

A group Of women were discussing
the domestic financial platform the
other day and marveling. as women
always do. at why men. who are
generally generous and often lavish
to women about money. should so
seldom be just to them about it.
They cited as proof of this mascu
line popularity the loathness that
husbands display to making their
wives a definite allowance on which
to run the household, and they re-
married woman achieves pocket
book of her own she has fought over
every inch of the family circle for it.
why men should take this atti-
tude about this question of the per-
sona1 allowance that they do. Heaven
alone knows" said one woman, Ger
tainly nobody can explain it on any
ground of common sense. or economy,
or good business.
you would think that a business
man would be the first to see the adj
vantage of the system, and how 1t
would be bound to make for efficien-
cy. for a woman who was going to
do the buying for family to know
just exactly how much money she had
to spend In that way she would be
able to divide it up to the best adj
vantage. She could cut down in one
place to splurge in another. and get
far better value for her money. But
when she hasn't any idea about what
she can afford and what she can't af-
ford, she's like a man trying to do
business without any knowledge Of
how much capital he's got.
IT know that's my own case. 1 nave
never been able to get my husband to
make me an allowance. I have no
husbands attitude towards the bills
depends a great deal on the state of
his stomach, and whether he has won
a game of golf that afternoon or been
beaten. know that I could manage
ten times as well. and get twice as
good results from the money it costs
US to live if it was given to me in
lump sum at the beginning of the
month SO that I could plan my budget
accordingly"
II should think that men would
prefer to make their wives an allow
ance just for the sake of harmony
and peace said the second woman.
I'm nearly every household there's a
nasty little scene when the wife has
to do her little panhandling stunt and
ask for money. In most families this
is a daily occurrence, and therefore it
logically follows that domestic friction
on the money question would be re-
duced to a minimum If the wife only
had to ask for the wherewithal to run
the household once a month instead of
thirty times a month"
ITS a queer thing" said the third
woman, that a man will trust US with
his name, his honor, his happiness, his
life, and think us good enough and in
telligent enough to rear his children,
but that he doesn't trust us enough,
or think we have enough sense to han
die few dollars"
Il don't think that men get our
point of view on the allowance ques-
ton any more than we get theirs
said the first woman. IT never expect
to understand theirs. Perhaps they
are equally incapable of comprehend
ing ours, because for whatever reason
my husband refuses to give me an all
lowance, it is not stinginess, or a de-
sire to deny me anything that money
buys, or lack Of respect for my finan-
cial judgment. He wants his family
to have the best of everything, and he
never makes a business deal without
talking 1t over with me-"
DOROTHY DIX.