2 8o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



York City. The people represented the leading trades and occupations 

 of city workmen under the usual city conditions. Her conclusion was 

 that a well-nourished family of five needs at least $6 a week for food in 

 households where there is good management, and she says further that 

 what is done with the weekly income and the amount of comfort it will 

 bring depends almost entirely upon the character and ability of the 

 wife. 



Professor Chapin in his book entitled " The Standard of Living in 

 New York " presents the schedule of expenses of 391 families on an 

 income ranging from $500 to $1,000 per year. The average expendi- 

 ture for food was $400 a year per family, but in the families whose in- 

 come fell below $800 or $900 he found them often under-fed because 

 rent must consume so large a part of their income. Dr. F. P. Underhill 

 in commenting upon the nutrition of people of these incomes says that 

 results show that when less than 22 cents per man a day is spent for 

 food the nourishment derived is insufficient. But he adds that it does 

 not necessarily follow that in every family where 22 cents per man a 

 day is spent the people are well nourished, for not all families 

 spend their money wisely, i. e., one report showing that out of $6.17 a 

 week spent for food $1.83 was spent for beer, wine and pickles. 



Dr. Irving Fisher, professor of political science at Yale University, 

 has published the results of two series of investigations as to the effect 

 of diet on endurance. He finds endurance much increased by thorough 

 mastication of food, which unconsciously leads to a much lower protein 

 intake than is usually considered necessary in the so-called dietary 

 . standards. 10 



These authorities are mentioned only to show something of the im- 

 portance which the sociologist to-day is attaching to the phenomena of 

 vitality in the development of efficient social personality. 



For the harmonious development of efficient social personality cer- 

 tain general conditions of well-being are essential in which all the 

 members of the community share or may share and, even though these 

 are external to the individuality, they are still necessary to its perfec- 

 tion and happiness. " These external conditions include the security 

 of life and possessions which is maintained by the political system; the 

 liberty and justice which are maintained by the legal system; the 

 material well-being which is created by the economic system; the 

 knowledge and the command over nature which are created by the cul- 

 tural system. These proximate ends collectively we may call public 

 utilities." 1X 



These public utilities are means to an ultimate end. They are of 



10 Fisher, "Influence of Flesh Eating on Endurance," Yale Medical Journal, 

 March, 1907; Fisher, "The Effects of Diet on Endurance," The Transactions 

 of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences. 



11 Giddings, ' ' Inductive Sociology, ' ' part 4, The Social Welfare. 



