Arizona republican., 1922-01-13

(This is in response to the sugges-
ton made by The Republican re-
Gently for symposium of the girls
among The Republicans readers on
the subject OF the income on which
young people should marry)
Phoenix. Ariz.. Jan. 3. 1922.
Dear Editor:
could marry a man who's income
was 5000 a year and out of this
amount pay for the furniture we
would have to have TO start house
keeping, although have always felt
that a young man and woman should
have that much between them at the
time of marriage so they need not
start under the handicap of debt, at
least a debt that was incurred for
furniture or anything of that kind
that would not earn or save any
money and decrease in value each
year. A debt on a home that would
save rent and increase in value with
planting of ii and careful upkeep
would be an ell ely different matter.
When 1 say l would be willing to
marry a young man whose income
was $500 a year by that / do not
mean that / would be willing to al
ways live on that amount. If his
position did not offer anything bet
ter in the future / would not under
take it for there would be children
later on who would have to be con-
sidered. But then if he was the kind
of man who would be willing to have
such position / would not.-could
not, in fact--love him in the first
place. I would marry one on even
less than that if the position had fu
ture to it, rather than marry one on
twice that amount who was at the
top of where his job would lead.
/ would not expect to hire any OF
my housework done on this income,
but / would consider myself unpre-
pared for the position of any man s
wife unless l knew how to bake. cook.
wash, iron, mend, sew, sweep ana
dust. These are all a necessary part
of home making and a man has as
much right to expect a girl to know
how to do them as girl has to eX-
pect the man to earn the income. A
girl is no more prepared for the
"big job of making home and
raising children, without knowing
how to do these things or capable Of
learning them, than she is prepared
to do nursing. stenographic work,
teaching, ETC., without any training.
that am a stenographer. My father
is a farmer-m maybe that is why l
know how to live on less than some
girls!
There could be q few amusements
on 5000 a year; q good concert oc-
casionally, movie or picnic and
few magazines; (there is always the
public library for books) no dances
or parties they always mean party
dresses and keeping UP appearances
and expenses they could not afford
and anyway they ought to be pretty
well fed up on dances before their
marriage, and it doesn't go well with
the mans part of advancing in his
position nor the girls of doing her
own work.
l will have TO admit thouFh that
I am already past the age where 1t
seems like a great loss to miss
dance. maybe that's why 1t wouldn't
seem so hard TO give that up as some
girls think. although l always was
able to enjoy a garden. flowers. trees
and grass and all the outdoors and
anyone can have some of these if
they are willing to work for them
and do not feel 1t necessary 20 live
within the downtown district in
order to be convenient to the shop
ping districts, shows. etc.
AS for a girl working away from
home after marriage, l think they
could both get about as much out of
it by the girl simply being his mis-
tress and not bother TO go to the ex-
pense OF marriage license and
probably a divorce later on. II they
love each other and are Wiling TO
make the necessary sacrifices at the
beginning of their life together, there
is no reason why the wife should
work. She cannot work down town
all day and make a real nome Tor
man; she can't have chlldren' ana
can't help or inspire him to do his
hest TO get to the top She gives all
that TO her work away from home
and only makes the home sort OF a
service station--a place to chance
clothes. to sleep and eat out of tin
cans.
would consider an automobile
absolutely out of the question until
we owned a home. l would consider
II necessary TO do without manv
things that are pleasant to have. /
know nv parents started. with much
less than could have on $500 wear
and If we all had to start out where
our parents left off we would soon
run out of people to do the work.
The simplest of homes with the
man ono loved would be so far above
woriSing. no matter how well one
liked the work. or what the salarv
that there is no comparison between
them Pesi|es, how many girls who
work are able to huv everything
tbev would like? They all do a hit
of washing and ironing on the s'v
eat less lunch than thew should
eonoetirnes IN order TO buy silk efocit-
ings. live in ugly bedrooms and put