HOW FRITZ LIVES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 9

HOW FRITZ LIVES

THE GERMAN. FiSHLY BUDGET. Tho German War. Coramittco for Consumers' Interests, lias instituted an inquiry into, tho conditions of life among. the. wage-earning classes in tho various occupations and trades of Germany. The report of tho committee isa most interesting summary of tho cost of .living among tho artisan, salaried, and small official classes of Germany, in which tho average standard of living before- tho war was comparatively high. Tho average family; is : taken to include four members (children under eleven aro counted as half), and tho total expenses of living for a month- per head work' out on the average at £3 145., 'or for the total family at £13 Cs. Of this sum forty, marks ;per Head, or more than half, was spent, on food, and ten shillings a week on fctod.is not a large amount at:present prices. Rent comes to eight marks per lieiad, firing, wood', coal, and lighting to, 2s. 7d.,- taking tho mark as the equivalent of < our shilling, which it can harclly ho said to be at the present timo. Clothes, footwear, and repairs coino to' only ss. 7d., and other exppnsies under the headings of washiiig eo;«.p and soda to Is. 6d. Tho very small item of 2s. 3d. was. spent on wages ano\ tips, and all that was left foijamusemonts per head, which no doubt include an occasional glass of beer, was Is. Bd. , Rent at Bs. a week works out for tho family of four at £1 125., and from this, assuming that the rout has not risen since- the war,; wo are ablo to pet a fair idea of the status of such a family:. Their income-', in- nonnal times would be about £4 a; week, for no prudent German would spend more than ,i't«ith of .hie earnings on rent: — . ■ ■ . : !• Of the total .expenses 52;14 per cent, are for food, 10.67 per cent, for rent, 7.61 per cent, for clothinq:, etc., 3.60 per cent, for heating and lighting, 3.00 per cent, for taxes. Of the 52.14 per cent, for food, 21.77 per cent, is for meat, sausage, and preserved meats, 11.71 per cent, for butter aad fat, 12.08 per eent. for bread and pastry, 5.8] per cent, for potatoes. . !t\s regards, quantity, tho consumption of potatoes is highest; bread and rolls coming next. Significant points arc tho relatively largo part played; both with' respect to cost and quantity, by preserves of meat and fish, and tho large consumption, of marmalade and. artificial honey, as Wiell as that of fish,, which seems far in excess of the consumption in peace time.