Evening star., 1943-03-10
(Second OF q Series.)
BY CARL w. McCARDLE.

| >HAAh W. 4htSEhNDLLs
MONTREAL, March 1o.-The gov
eminent people over in Ottawa had
been telling me In indexes clear
how the cost of living in Canada
was going down and on the charts
the fact looked true and impressive.
But before I wrote about it wanted
to talk to typical Canadian house
wife, and 7 came here to do 1t.
I went to the president OF de-
partment store in Montreal and
asked him to name a typical house
wife. And in that way I met Mrs.
John Ellis.
Mrs. Ellis is AZ. Her husband,
who saw action overseas in the
World War all through 1914-1919, is
| 46. They have a son, 20, who will
be graduated from college in June
and who then will go into the army.
Mr.. Ellis makes $50 week as an
| accountant in an accounting firm.
| In Canada when the cost of living
goes up a point an employer has to
pay his employees a bonus Of Is cents
a week. Mr.. Ellis cost of living
bonuses amount to 1925 week. His
pay check should be $6325 q week,
| then. But it isn't. 1t is S48 and
some cents. That's what is left
after his income tax Is taken out,
| plus deductions for war bonds and
stamps, Mr.. Ellis is buying 500
bond at the rate Of 81 a week. and
he IS buying stamps at the rate Of
81 a week. A SIS stamp sells for 81.
All Salaries Frozen.
In 1899 Mr.. Ellis salary was $50 q
week. In 1910 it was $50. And in
l941 he was raised to $50, and
there he stopped because in that
year all wages and salaries were
frozen in Canada.
The Ellises have managed to put
aside substantially for the future.
They have bought altogether $3.50
worth of bonds and $110 worth OF
stamps.
Mrs. Ellis, tall and red-haired,
who speaks with a rather throaty,
family British accent, talked to me
in the living room Of the duplex
apartment which the Fllises rent
for s48 a month. 1--WE got a break"
she said. I'VE moved in Just before
rents were pegged by the govern
ment." They don't have to worry
about fuel oil. They heat the place
with coke-four and half tons
a year at s12 ton.
Mrs. Ellis said suddenly: do
you know that all Canadian house
wives are absolutely envious OF
American housewives because they
are rationed now on canned goods?"
said that would be very interest
ing to American women, who, at
the last report, were not exactly
throwing their can openers into
the air with joy over the new re-
strictions.
No Canned Fruit Available.
mo, I mean" said Mrs. Ellis.
"If canned goods were rationed in
Canada, then we would be sure of
getting three cans month, or what
ever it Is you're allowed. AS it is
now there's no canned fruit to be
had here. and practically no canned
vegetables.
''Rationing is wonderful and we'd
like to see more of it in Canada.
For two or three weeks before
Christmas we couldn't get any but
ter at all. AS soon as we were
rationed we had no trouble getting
our allotment, a little less than
u a pound week. The same was
true Of coffee, tea and sugar. Coffee
is rationed at "a Of a pound a week,
tea at az ounces every two weeks
and sugar at 4 a pound q week"
Canadians have had one ration
book so far. They get a second one
next month.
Mrs. Ellis budget for running the
table was $3.50 a week before the
war. Now it Is $40.
Il used to have something left out
OF the $3.50" she said, but I never
nave a dime out of the SO"
remarked that American house