COST OF LIVING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7913, 29 September 1909, Page 1

COST OF LIVING.

BUDGETS OF GERMAN HOUSEHOLDS.

How people of small means have to struggle for existence m modern Germany is illustrated by remarkable figures just published by the Imperial Statistical Office (stated the Berlin correspondent of the London Daily Mail on 20th July). A year ago the office caused 800 families m different parts of the Empire to begin keeping a systematic account of their incomes and disbursements. Every family received an account book, m which it was requested to keep an itemised record of money spent on food, clothing, fuel, medical attention, presents, education, amusements, etc. A teacher and his wife, without children, whose income was £145, contrived to save £6. Another teacher and his wife, also childless, earned £160, and spent £171. Their deficit was caused by them spending £25 more for food and £8 more for entertainment than the other teacher. ■[ ■'

A cabinetmaker and his wifs, with one child nine years of age, earned £98, and lived on £94. A painter's apprentice and his wife, also with a child of nine, earned £76, and spent £89.

A married policeman with two children of ten and sixteen, had an income of £118, and saved £19; while a married clerk with two children, aged four and five, earned £86, and ended the year with a deficit of £11 10s. A widower with two children and ; one servant girl earned £160, and spent £62 more than his income. Thi» family * spent over £30 on sports, amusements, and entertainment. A married couple with three children, the father being a brewery workman, earned £88, and saved £7 10s. The family spent only £33 10s on food. The account-books sent m by the various families revealed that m order to accomplish the above results the most spartan economy was required. In most cases not a single farthing was spent unnecessarily. The statistics attract especial interest m view of the new internal revenue t&xes on various commodities which will shortly come into effect, making articles such as tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, coffee, tea, sugar, matches, beer, cognac, and gas mantles dearer.