Woekingman's Model Home. 407 



Window shades and hall curtain |15 90 



Kitchen utensils '62 43 



Pictures 5 59 



Books 5 80 



Bric-a-brac 3 00 



Clock 3 50 



Table cover 2 00 



Total 1291 38 



The Clothing. 



In the report on the cost of the production of iron and steel Mr. 

 "Wright shows that in the 2,490 families investigated eighteen and three- 

 tentlis per cent of the income is spent for clothing. As he gives the 

 amoiint expended for the man, the woman and the children separately, 

 it is easily calculated that of the total expenditure the husband gets 

 thirty-one per cent, the wife twenty-one per cent, and the children 

 forty-seven per cent, omitting fractions. The amount spent by the 

 husband is disproportionately large compared with that spent by the 

 wife. 



In our exhibit we set aside $100, or twenty per cent of the income, 

 as the sum to be spent annually for clothing, and the expenditure was 

 in the following proportions : Man. twenty-nine per cent ; woman, 

 twenty-seven per cent ; children, forty-four per cent. The mother of 

 a family is too often prone to sacrifice her own comfort, and the family 

 too apt to take it as a matter of course, where clothes are concerned. 

 It is poor economy for her to wear thin flannels or none at all, a light 

 coat in the winter and no rubbers in the rain, that the children may 

 make a better appearance on Sunday. Our apportionment aims at 

 doing away with tlii.« injustice. 



Before attempting to itemize the expenses in this line, women in 

 various station-s in life, as school teachers, clerks, servant girls and 

 washwomen, were asked to furnish as complete lists as possible of what 

 they considered necessary for a year's supply of clothes for themselves 

 and families. They were also asked as to the length of time the dif- 

 ferent garments were worn. Of course, judgment in buying, quality 

 of goods purchased, taste and ability in making, and care in mending 

 and remaking, are the qualities which make it possible to dress neatly 

 on a very small sum. These will vary with the individual and her 

 training, and it is sad to know that those who need it most are too apt 

 to be those who possess the least ability to make a little go a good way. 



The criticisms made by visitors during the fair leave the matter about 

 where it was in the beginning, so far as confirming the judgment of 

 those planning the exhibit is concerned. " Three pairs of shoes a year 

 is altogether more than is necessary," says one. " I can wear one pair 

 for a year." " So can I," replies the exhibitor ; " " but just this 

 moment a lady told me that she wore out a pair a month, and that the 

 estimate was altogether too low." And so it was through all the arti- 

 cles on the lists. The women in poorer circumstances, who criticised 

 generally, considered it possible to do with less. 



Many families of laboring men depend largely on the cast-oii clothing 



