Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-06-03
WHAT ARE NECESSITIES

| To those people who manage to worry
along on incomes ranging between 5000
and $1,000 year, rearing families and
providing a certain education as well
| as mechanical training for their boys
and household ECONOMY for the girls,
the petition of a young New York wo-
man who has been receiving $12,5OO
annually from her fathers estate for
| an Increased allowance, may appear
rather unreasonable. But is it, really
unreasonable, in view of the increased
cost of everything, including notions
as to what constitute the necessities of
life. Let's see.
The young woman in question, rep
| resents herself as the victim of a
higher cost of living, which includes
everything from ice-cream soda to lin
CUISINE cars, and appeals to the court
to increase her allowance to $20,850
The question of funds available, appar-
emily does not enter into the consider
alton. The young lady merely asks
that she be permitted to spend more
of the money which is undeniably her
own, but she being minor, her estate
remains within the custody of the
courts.
Her notion of what constitutes COM
Portable living appears to have been
formed as the result of years of indul-
gence, for among other things she
asks the court to allow her $4,000 to
maintain a car and pay club dues,
5000 for party gowns and lingerie and
iewelry, $4,000 for travel, hotel bills
and theatre parties, and $4,000 for ed
ucation, including tuition in French.
Many young women of her age are
getting free tuition in French in hos
pitfalls, canteens and other centers of
war work in the rear of the firing line
and it would be possible, of course, to
save the $4,000 for new car by not
buying it; while Red Cross or other
far service uniform would alleviate
the necessity of party gowns. Num- :
bers of her sex are proftab1y econo-
MIXING in the latter way.
Are living conditions in America
abroad? 1t would be interesting to
know how many French and English
girls of eighteen, and of similar sta
ton in life as the young lady referred
to, require anything like this income
to keep up appearances. We wonder
if there is one girl of eighteen in
Americas who enjoys such a really
handsome income as $12,500 annually,
the sum the petitioning young lady al
ready receives from her fathers es-
tate. And again, if such an income is
enjoyed by any Americas girl still in
her teens. it would be interesting to
know just how much of this amount
she is able to spend upon her own
and pleasure.
But such considerations, while inter
esting, are beside the point An in
come of $20,S5O in the hands of an I'M
married woman of society proclivities |
may help maintain many essential
industries, bat could it not be better
applied than in the manner indicated
in the petition under analysis. 1t might
better be used for Liberty Loan sub
scriptions and Red Cross donations, al
though neither of these highly essen
tial war activities are mentioned in the
petition for an increased allowance.
While many women are meeting
wartime cost of living by personal
economies and the surrender of their
surplus income to the needs of the
country, it appears to us $20,S50 is
good deal of money for any one to
spend in living expenses Few men
earn such an income, and it should be
said to their credit that few of those
who do are foolish enough to spend
all of it during such times as these.
Only one who enjoys such an income