Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-12-08

does most of her own work and care
fully selects the food and clothing.
They have invested in a radio which
gives them much enjoyment besides
keeping the family home together
many evenings when otherwise they
may be spending money on useless
amusements. So the Browns get
more material return and enjoyment
from a $4,000 year income than
does the Jones family with an in
Jones buys all her clothes ready
made at the first of the season, and
in other ways they waste their time
and money.
i In other words, the Brown family
enjoys a real income besides Mr..
Browns salary, and this is due
chiefly to the ability of his wife.
This income is earned in the home
by household labor, household man
agement and household capital
The household labor income is Sc
cured in many ways Consider the
money saved when the housewife
does her own work instead Of hiring
it done. One family may keep poul-
try, and raise garden produce which
furnishes the most wholesome of
food and at the same time cuts the
food bill by one-third. When each
member of the family takes the
responsibility for his personal prop
erty, as clothing, books and toys, so
that by care, order and storage they
are made to last long period OF
time, considerable money is saved.
Again, money is earned when dam
aged articles are repaired at once;
for instance, the tear in the best
table cloth. Another way by which
the housewife by her labor earns
her board is in the making at home
of many of the garments which the
family wears.
The real income from household
management depends to great ex-
tent upon the industry, intelligence
and experience Of the housewife.
Let us compare Mrs. Brown with
Mrs. Green, both of whom do their
own work. Mrs. Brown plans her
meals two days in advance, carefully
selects her food and arranges her
time 80 that she has no afternoon
work. Thus she lowers her food
bill, has plenty of time to follow her
pet hobby and is ever ready for
good time with her husband and
children On the other hand, Mrs.
Green decides upon the family din
ner at four O'Clock in the afternoon,
then rushes out to the butcher for
porterhouse steak which does net
take much time or energy to prepare
for the table, In the morning she
wastes two or three hours making
a rich layer cake and biscuit for the
children's lunch. Then she wonders
why her food bill is high, why her
children have indigestion, and why
her work is never done. Therefore,
the household needs efficient man
agement as much as any business
concern, and the housewife should at
least be given credit for the extra
money she contributes to the house
hold finances by her good judgment.
The household capital consists of
such things as the owned nome,
furniture or automobile. The in
come from these things is mostly in
the form of the pleasure derived
from their beauty and usefulness. II
the home is owned there is feeling
of security, common interest In the
family for improving conditions, and
an incentive for saving. These
things are not often thought of as
real income, yet think of how much
more they mean to the individual
than a package of bills which might
represent their money value.
The housewife should consider
these matters, and when her hus-
band hesitates to open joint bank
account with her because he de-