Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-24
A Quantity Budget Is Possible ,

tNtcN 40 OJcibiC
However, economists agree that
while there probably always will be
differences of opinion and fact as to
what it should cost or actually does
cost an individual OF a family to live
it should be possible to ascertain
approximately how much food, how
much clothing and what housing fac
ilities will be required to maintain
the average family. By this they
mean that a quantity budget is pos
sible although a cost budget may be
debatable. In other words, In order
to live and keep in good health every
individual requires a certain amount
of food, certain articles of clothing
and a home that meets at Least GER
tain minimum standards.
Government experts in the De
partment of Labor nave worked out
his quantity budget for a family con-
sisting of a man, his wife and three
children boy of IL years. a girl
of 5. and another boy of 2. In a gen.
eral way the budget includes the fol-
lowing provisions:
A sufficiency of nourishing food
for the maintenance of health, par
ticularly the children's heath.
Housing in low-rent neighborhoods
and within the smallest number of
rooms possible consistent with de-
cency, but with sufficient light, heat
and toilet facilities.
The up-keep of household equip
ment, such as kitchen utensils, bed
ding and linen, necessary FOR health,
but with no provision for the pur-
chase of additional furniture.
Clothing sufficient for warmth, of
a sufficiently good quality to be eco
nomical, but with no further regard
for appearance and style than is
necessary to permit the family men,
| bers to appear in public and within
their rather narrow social circle
| without slovenliness or loss of self
respect.
Street a fares to and from work
and necessary rides to stores ard
markets; premiums on = small
amount of insurance: medical and
dental care: contributions to church
and labor or beneficial organizations;
simple amusements such as the mo-
ton pictures occasionally, and a
daily newspaper.
Science Sets Food Standard
The method of ascertaining the
food requirements of a family such
as has been described is said to he
absolutely scientific. Food experts
| agree that a man engaged in moder-
ately hard work needs $500 Galleries
q day. A woman and a boy of eleven
require each nine-tenths of the
| amount that suffices a man; a g7rl
of five requires four-tenths the
amount of a man and a boy of two,
i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Thus the allot-
ment for the entire family should
1 be 3.35 times the amount for the
man.
The average dietary of $500 cal
cries consists of meat, milk, vege-
tables, ct cetera. in such proportions
as to furnish the body in a general
way with the necessary quantities Of
! proteins, fats, carbohydrates. min
eral constituents, acids and other
substances. This calls for four to
five ounces of meat, two ounces OF
fish, sixteen ounces of dairy pro-
ducts, eleven to twelve ounces OF
milk, twelve ounce of cereals, six
teen to twenty ounces of vegetables,
sixteen to twenty ounces of fruits,
two ounces of fats, and two ounces
of sugar, or their equivalents, each
day. On this basis the family
would require a total meat and fish
equivalent of $50 pounds per week,
$50 quarts of milk, 9.66 pounds
loaves Of bread, 1877 pounds of bat
ter and oIeomargarine, 3.13 pounds
of sugar, $50 pounds of -four, q
peck of potatoes, about IL pounds
Of other vegetables, and so on.
/ At the time this quantity budget
was prepared it was found that ii
would cost s773.93 per year to pur-
chase the food for the family IN
Washington markets, prices being
considerably higher than at the pres
ent time. 1t is an interesting check
on the accuracy of these estimates
to know that the daily allowance
for food for men in the navy at that
time when multiplied by 3.35 to get
the family basis and then by 365 te
obtain an annual sum, worked out
to within a few dollars of the total
arrived at by the Department of La
Dor experts.
Clothing requirements for th'
family are figured with the exact
ness and detail that characterizes the
food budget, including every carmen
that husband, wife and children
must have in order to keep warn
and respectable in appearance. ant
the length of time each carmen
should last is also computed. Fo
Instance, the mans suits must Las