O'SHEA — ASPECTS OF MENTAL ECONOMY. 149 



§3. Local Expenses, With Practical Suggestions. — The aver- 

 age expense for table board in our community, as reported by 

 326 students, is $2.74. Some students pay $4.00, a few pay 

 $1.00, the majority come very near $2.50. This is about the 

 figure reached in the experiments made at the Maine State Agri- 

 cultural College. 1 If abundant nutrition were obtained for 

 this amount, it would probably not be excessive; although it is 

 much greater than is necessary if a person finds it desirable 

 to economize rigidly. Atkinson 2 has calculated bills-of-fare 

 which afford ample nutrition and give variety, but which do 

 not exceed in cost $.96 a week. Atwater's dietary lists at ex- 

 ceedingly moderate prices have already been given. 3 At the 

 Battle Creek Sanitarium there are in the neighborhood of one 

 thousand helpers living very well on $.75 a week or less; and 

 there is no body of people to be met anywhere who appear bet- 

 ter nourished, or who manifest greater efficiency in body and 

 mind. It is certainly not overstating the case to say that our 

 students, regarded in the whole, could live very much better 

 than they do for the amount which they expend; and many of 

 them who deprive themselves of social advantages for pecuniary 

 reasons might a great deal better economize in their food with 

 profit to their pockets and their stomachs. Of course it is im- 

 possible in the majority of instances for a single person to inau- 

 gurate reform ; but where a hundred men are banded together 

 in a club, a little planning, a little intelligent study of the prob- 

 lems involved, such as they would expect to do if it were any 

 other matter under the sun, would be of tremendous advantage 

 to them. Perhaps the day may come some time when the man 

 who essays to manage a club or boarding house will bear some 

 credentials testamentary of his fitness for this business other 

 than that he is a "hustler," or is in need of money, or can 

 find nothing else to do. 



If one were to suggest methods of economy, he would first 

 attack the meat which is found in students' dietaries, for this 



1 Jordan, op. cit. 



2 Op. cit., pp. 175 et seq. 



3 Chap. III. 



