174 THE NEW COTTAGE 



In these war days and as we look ahead toward 

 the difficult years that must inevitably follow, it 

 seems incredible that the labourer and his family 

 can continue to live as they now are forced to do, 

 unless they seek other work. Food prices have 

 risen, and, although wages are better than they were, 

 yet what a struggle it is when there are hungry, 

 growing boys and girls to be kept clothed and fed ! 



Those who are interested in this subject would 

 find much information accurately given in the 

 tables that have been compiled by M. F. Davies 

 in Life in an English Village." 1 It is there 

 shown, amongst other examples, that the very 

 lowest, necessary, weekly income for a family of 

 two adults and three children is 165. lod. per 

 week, and when we realise that out of this 45. id. 

 is all that is allowed for dress, fuel, and household 

 sundries, we know that this sum has indeed been 

 carefully portioned out so that as many pennies 

 as possible may be put by for future wants if the 

 weekly wage-earnings exceed the total. These 

 tables profess only to show that " efficiency is 

 possible " if this 165. lod. is spent, and we can 

 well imagine the far more thorough work and 

 greater mental capability that would be shown 

 by the whole family if food and clothing allowances 

 were raised above this minimum sum. Another 

 important fact is that nothing is left for clubs, 

 insurance, or any provision for old age and, more- 

 over, that the book was written before the war 

 began when food was considerably cheaper than it 

 is now. 



1 Published by T. Fisher Unwin in 1909. 



