The Washington herald., 1918-04-29

An English paper has recently been
dtEotng much space to a discussion
of the question whether woman ia
stingy or not, and unfortunately, the
general consensus OF opinion seems TO
be that whatever her other and mani
fest virtues. when it comes to money
matters she is decidedly close md
mean.
Various things were brought forth
in support of this theory-woman s
passion for the bargain counter, her
inability to buy anything without first
trying to beat down the price, the
adamantine and unshakable attitude
she takes towards the giving of tips,
and so on.
Every woman who reads this will
feel like entering a vigorous protest
against such an unjust accusation,
and will deny the charge in toto. We
are not stingy, and If. as sex, we
are less free with our money, and
more given TO a cheese pairing policy
than men, it is for the very sufficient
reason that We have less money TO
spend.
Man. as a general thing, Is the
money Garner. He carries the pocket
book. and may do as he pleases with
his own, without giving an account
to anyone. Woman seldom has any
money OF which she has absolute con-
troll. What is given her for house
keeping, for clothes and necessary eN-
penses. is the very least with which
the desired and expected results can
be accomplished. and she must needs
look well to every cent and see hat
she gets the worth of her money.
Il IL
the victim of the bargain Courter, the
trading stamp, and the fakirs vino
sell make-beieve goods where you get
something for nothing. She mas liter
ally nothing to blow in on things
that are a mere temporary gratifica-
ton of the moment.
AS n matter of fact women are not
expected to spend much on purely per-
sonal indulgences and so it seems
doubly hard for them TO he accused
of stinginess. A man thinks nothing
of ordering a lunch that will cost a
dollar or two. lis wife may he Just
as hungry. and would enjoy it just as
much as he, but she hesitates before
she treats herself to glass of :j-cent
soda. No intelligent female stomach
bankers for cream pufrs and pie, as
70 many seem to suppose.
Women simply order them because
they arc satisfying and cheap. and
that not because of stinginess, but be-
cause it was all they felt they could
afford. II any woman spent as much
money on the qualification Of a purely
individual taste as a man does on ci-
Ears, she would be held up as a warn
ing to young men about to commit
matrimony. Nobody would speak OF
her as a liberal woman. They would
say she was recklessly, ruinously ex-
travagant.
1t cannot be denied that mon and
women look At money from different
points of view. and that men do spend
more freely than women. Take the
matter of treating, for instance. 4
man feels that he must treat his
friends and set up the drinks or the
cigars, even though he is behind with
his rent and OWES the butcher. baker
and candlestick maker. He must do II
to maintain his character of Hberality,
and so it often happens that ne is gem
erous before he is just or honest He
VIII give though he will never pay.
a woman reverses the process. She
Will pay, even If she never gives. Col.
Bluster always heads the published
subscription list of all the BooribooIa
Cha charities in town; he filings a s.
bill down on the bar and invites all
the loafers present to come up and
take drink; he contributes to the
campaign fund and spends money like
water to elect his candidate from the
'steenth ward. even IL his family have