Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-21
BY Frederic j. Haskin.


rage?
Although several frivolous answers
to this q .estion will no doubt readily
come to mind. serious one is badly
ae eded. Divorce lawyers tell us that
most marriages fail because they are
adly fh.anced. The family income is
unfairly distributed or insufficient.
Money, declares one of these busy
lawyers rhetorically. ''is the rock up
on which the majority of marriages go
to smash
How then" engaged couples we'll
might ass. can we avoid this eemmoa
reef of matrimonial woe and guide on'
dispositions and bank accounts safely
thru the Storm" They we'll might,
but do they?
The results of ouestionnair, re-
Gently sent out to 900 young men
and y. w. c. A. in New York would
indicate tnat they don't. Suppose you
wanted u marry someone" this aues-
| tionnairc asked What weekly IN
come wouis you consider necessary . 10
+, finance comfortable marriage?
Then, in parentheses, the young things
| were reminded that while comfort
q Bile" might mean the possession vf a
talking machine, It did not incl"de an
eight cylinder car.
The object of the questionnairs WAS
to obtain exact and detailed
figures that could be used as basis
IN makire up standard budgets for
The newIy married What did the
average person expect matrimony 10
cost?
OF the 1000 persons selected only
200 had C.ven the matter sufficient
study to make their suggestions OF
value. They were lowering on the
brink of matrimony ard were intelii-
lens OF the others. the young ladies
seemed t. feel that the consideration of
| family budgets was rather premature.
AS one Of them explained. First
catch your husband" was her motto
In simi!;r vein one Of the young men
replied. Never bother trouble till
trouble bothers you
| Nevertheless. the questionable Sc
cured a great deal Of useful informa-
| tion for the beneEit of those who are
lInatrimony. 1t showed. for one thing,
tlat women are more extravagant
dian men. They require larger
weekly income as the basis for
| "comfo- table ma riage than do men.
| but the men are higher in the'r esii-
mates OF what is necessary in the way
! OF a sav'nP fund. A weekly incorns OF
s'l was ;he minimum upon whicl 'Ne
women thought It safe to get mcrricu
but the rren felt that "comfortabl2"
marriage could be arranged on from
$50 to $50 week.
| budEefs AcCordtuk TO sex
The estimates varied among the
men according to their earnings and
occupations Saiesmen were inclined
20 acres with the women that $40 a
week WAS neces. TO marital bliss.
while professional men felt that $50
would be sufficient, and clerks felt
hat $50 WAS ample. Clerks are re-
a-y. Their estimate was lower than
tNat OF Uorkfuen,
The women. OIL the other hand,
showed no class distinctions whatso-
ever. Hcxnrdless of "srying degrees
/ o, educl ION. refinement and a'..ac-
-iveness, they were all determined 20
I keep houge on exactly the came sca'N
None wa willing to risk her hsppi-
rees for less than sTl per week. while
one out CT every four felt that 400 n
and comfort. II must be remembered.
! ! owevef. that these estimates arc
tased upon New York prices. which
are greatly above those existing in
ether cities. Below are a counle Of
specimen budgets, showing the differ
ent estinates of men and women:
] Shelter, rent. cnrfare-sI3 u. SIS -.
I Per cent men "a. women. 25.
Food-Ii5.Is. SiI.c2. Per cent, men,
%, womer %.
clothlns-ss As; uase. Fer cent.
men. Is. women Is
! operati z tsll services. ice. fuel.
etcj-s55': ,7.7i. Per cent, mSn ..
women II.
savings. dncludes insursnce,-ss ss.
s7.67. Per cent, men II; women 10.
! Advancement. toducation. vaoatior,
lstc)-Hol; s5.55. Per cent, msh :.
women s.
! imuse,uonts-t' II. iioI Per cent,
uen ;. wcmen 5
] go. women. 100.
4 II IL .g.fpreeftuc 'ha, y-ll -
TIE women required n larger weekly
] income than the men. both SEXES dis
,s,buted their incomes practically on
tne sama basis. The only great differ
ences ar, in food and clothing. the
women spending more on adorrmlnt
and the men more on food.
| II rs natural that girls should hhv-
ambitions which men cannot ~ ~
pected to share" explained mou,her
az tho committee which sent out tho
ouestionnaire., and that they shou 4
| set the expenses OF "a comforts ii'c
marriage eomewiat higher. The labor
nrd privations Of bringing up q f,mny
on a small salary fail more on the
wife than on the husband. He cams
the saia:v. but she has to max II
stretch. often magically. to coves the
cert OF groceries and clothes and
household comforts. Then. too. We
must remember trat abstractly anj ss
q matter Of principle. women mr. OK
| trayagant When a general question
OF the financial basis of marr'a<. 10
put befo c men and women. the men
tend TO rnswcr 1t by figure slightly
lower than that on which they them
ireives would he willing marry. and the
women by n some hat high'r We.
All Believe In saving
Both men and women showed a.
gratifying sense of thrift in declaring
saving runds absolutely essential to
/ the comfort of matrimony. The wis-
/ dom Of such a fund to meet unforeseen
emerEen-ies Of sickness. accident. and
unexpected loHs of employment e
only too seldom realized
| Men. The ouestionnsire replies re-
,ealed. place a higher value on this
wisdom than do women. While c per
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