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Newspaper Page Text
ppppppipmaiiijii iwjyiiii which would require $2.50 a month, or $30 a year. Suppose we allow the iusband 10 cents a day carfare for six days a week; that would be$31:20. Now for the clothing for the family: First take shoes. We will purchase the man two pair of shoes a year at $4 each; that is $8. The wife, two pairs of shoes at $3.50 a pair and one pair of rubbers at $1; that is $8 more. We will allow the children three pairs of shoes at $1.50 a pair, or $13.50. Now we will allow the man $50 forclothes of course, he cannot get broadcloth or wear a silk hat at that figure, but that is all we will allow him. Then we will allow the wife $35 for her clothes. That won't buy silk dresses or sealskin coats, but just plain hand-me-downs. Then we will allow the children $12 each for their clothes' per year, or $36 more. Then there comes the household furniture, and many other things too numerous to mention 'about the house to be kept up, tyhich would make another $100. But we whTnot go into that,., for this already amounts to over $1,300 for a year. Remember, we have allowed noth ing for sickness, for saving, for in surance, for amusements, for daily papers or periodicals, for tobacco or for "any other luxuries. Nothing whatever has been allowed for these, and if you will place the estimate for those which should be made you will find from the faddist's figures, that the family should have about about $1,000 per year to lire on. Now let us see -just what the wife of the average wage-earner has to keep the family-on.- Suppose the husband receives $3 per day for ev ery day in the year except Sundays, not stopping for holidays or any thing of that kind. The man would earn a-total of $939 per year. Now tjhere are hundreds of men who earn, only $2, or, at the most, $2.50 per day. The man eafning-.50 per day and working every day in the year .except Sundays would 'make a total! of $782.50 just about enough to provide the 40 :ents a day, not each, for the entire family for food, with nothing for clothes or anything else. The above figures do not lie. They are not the work of fiction. They are actual figures that are only too well known to the average workingman and to his wife. They know it by ex perience, and they know, too, by ex perience, that the only way to meet the increased cost of living is to re ceive a substantial raise in wages, and the above-mentioned demon-, strator might just as well spend his time at something that would be" more profitable to him, and of more service to society, than trying to teach the false economy of how to live- on nothing and grow fat and rich 'at the same time-. If you care to publish the facts and figures that I have set forth you are at liberty to do so without any restrictions whatever. The big scab daily papers are doing their best to influence, public opinion in favor of their advertisers (the food-price boosters) by shooting the same old bull only they have changed the "tag" so that it now reads: "High Cost of Living." M. J. O'Brien, 1554 Highland Av. RELIGIOUS TEACHING. In read ing your estimable paper I take great interestin some of the letters pub lished therein. I noticed a number of disputes car ried on in this ietter colum on re ligious topics. These seems to be a very decided lack of knowledge on. things pertaining to 'the' Catholic church on the part 6f 'correspond ents. May I suggest to such sincere dis putants the need of acquiring their information from correct sources and proper authorities? It is particularly opportune just now for anyone who wishes to know really what the Catholic church teaches'to visit old St. Mary's church at Ninth and Wabash av., where the ,i