HOUSE ALLOWANCE TO WIVES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14408, 16 July 1912, Page 9

HOUSE ALLOWANCE TO WIVES.

TO THE BOITORC-? --THE FKES3-*'

Sir, —Mrs Lane's e«sav hereon in y° ur issue of 12th instant calls attention once again to what is, I am satisfied, a real nnd genuine grievance on tho part ot the fire.it majority of wives. For sonic years-after marriage I used t<> P a >' . household including tlic vifc ' s for dress, etc. It then dawned upon nic that my -,vif 0 -was -muitlcd to substantial remuneration for her very good work, bo far as my income would allow; and that this could best be done by allotting to her a monthly house allowance, that should liberally cover this, together with tho tradesmen's accounts and sen-ants' wages. This has accordingly been clone for upwards of a quarter of a century, with results mutually satisfactory. In skilled and careful hands housekeeping lends itself to many small economies, and these all have due attention under tlio allowance system. As a consequence the wife has now and again a balance for tho savings bank; and tho accumulations herein aro from time to timo put into safo investments. I must not omit to mention that a vcrv considerable accretion is derived from our being occasionally iservantloss, which means substantial gain to tho wifo iv respect of wages and board. Her reaping this benefit silences her as to the hardship of being without help, and this is great gain, whilst, further,' she buckles too. cheerfully at the extra work, recognising that it brinps its reward. I beg heartily to commend this system to tbo many who I fear neglect to reward the excellent work dono by their wives, passing jt all by as mere routine. For example, I was lately standing by when a friend, here on a visit to tho seaside, pressed his wife to accompany him on a day's fishing. Being a poor sailor, she was much averse to it, but "suddenly offered to undergo a day's discomfort for fivo shillings! From her bargaining for.so small a sum, it was clear that she was habitually kept very short of money; vet her "husband's income must have been about £700. and with no olivo branches to maintain. Married lifo has many trials at best, and it is well, therefore, to shunt as many a« possible. I would, therefore, ask all interested to symnatheticallv read Mrs Lane's article ('"The Press," July 12th), feeling assured as I do that increased domestic happiness is to bo found in following out her recommen-dations.—-Yours, etc., JUSTICE.