LIVING ON £2 A WEEK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2083, 18 May 1907, Page 1

LIVING ON £2 A WEEK.

THEORY AND PRACTICE

Tlio Wellington Evening Post recently published a statement by Miss Kirk," lady visitor on tlie stall of tlio Benovolent Institution Trustees, showing how, in her opinion, a married man with a small family, could live on £2 a week. Sho apportioned the nmount as follows :—Rent 11s, coals and coko Is, milk 2s 4(1, butter Is, candles 4d, newspaper Gd, bread 2s 3d, rice 2d, tea 9d, vegetables 2s, meat ss, soap sd, fruit (bananas) 4d, cornflour 3Jcl, sugar 7d, jam 6d, washing soda Id, bacon sd, salt lid, pepper Id, haricot beans 3d, Quaker oats 4jd, oatina 6d, flour 3d, apples 21d. Total £1 10s 9d, leaving a balance of 9s 3d for the purchase of clothing and other necessary articles.

Miss Kirk’s views are adversely criticised by several writers in tlio correspondence columns of the Post. “A Working Man” declares that ho was astonished to read the statement by Miss Kirk which was laid before the Benevolent Trusteees, showing how it was possible for a married man with a small family to live on £2 per week. Sir, it is all very fine to draw up statements for other people to live by, while we have plenty. Is Miss Kirk prepared, or would she like, to exist on the meagre fare set forth in her statement? There is some excuse, perhaps, for Miss Kirk in that she apparently knows nothing about the care, expense and management of a home in Wellington. Look at a few of her items. Rest 11s. How many houses can you get at that figuro? Coal and coke Is, butter Is, candles and matches 4d, fruit Old. Could anything be more ridiculous than to say that- 2s 10)d would buy firing, light, butter and fruit for a small family? But we are told the' after paying for the salt and pepper etc., there is a balance left of 9s 3d to go to the draper’s shop with. I can imagine the wife’s heart beating with rapture when she sallies forth down to the D.I.C. to spend the lot. But I forgot, the wife must not spend the whole of the 9s 3d, for Miss Kirk’s “statement” says that it (the 9s 3d) is for the purchase of clothing or other necessary articles. This last clause, sir, is the crux of the whole matter. As Miss Kirk has not enumerated those other necessary articles, I will do so for her—Wood, kerosene or gas, trams, church collections. tobacco, blue, starch, blacking, carbonate soda, boracic acid, vaseline, cream of tarter, ink, stationery, stamps, library, lodge, life insurance, noedles, pins, tape, wool, cotton, wear and tear of crockery, floorcloths, furniture, etc., insurance -on hoiisehold effects, and last but not least doctors, nurses, and medicine at certain interesting periods of the family history. Wo are told to keep tlio cradles full, but to do so means a heavy expense, and I notice that people who draw up statements such as Miss* Kirk’s discreetly leave this important item out of the question. And then, sir, we are not to have any amusement,' no recreation. Surely life under Miss Kirk’s regime would be dull indeed. I do not wish this good lady any harm, and I sincerely ■trust that sho may never be compelled to oxist on £2 per week.”

’WRECK OF THE SUEVIC. A PASSENGER’S STATEMENT. Writing to a friend in Wellington, Mr. Guy C. Girdlestone, who was a passenger on board the Specie when she was wrecked, gives the following account of the 1 experiences of thoso on board at the time of the disaster: “We had just finished supper when the ’steamer struck something. Of course, there was a bit of oxcitomont, but the fellows were cool enough, one man sitting next me remarking, “Wait a bit till I finish my wine.” When we got on deck we soon found out the cause of the bump; we had run right fair on the rocks, wliic’ wo could just see through the fog. It was a very queer position to be in —on the rocks with the fog hooter coining from somewhere ahead of us, and the light from the Lizard Lighthouse just flashing through the fog. On our boat they were sending up rockets and lotting off detonators to let the people ashore know of our predicament. Our supper party were some of the first on deck, and we htime to get over the shock before the passengers who were asleep or in bed got on deck. * Such a 1 lot of fellows being up had a good effect on the women, as they all started to cheer them up. The captain came along and told all the passengers that there was no danger, and that everything would- be all right. All the women and children were ordered into 'the library, and coffee was handed round. The boats were swung out, ready to drop into the water when needed, and evoryone was ordered to put on lifebelts,'

“By this time the lifeboats had made their appearance. The women and children were ordered , into boats 1 number 11 and 12, and these, when full, wore lowered into the water,-and with the lifeboats ahead to show j them the way they left us. One of them got' a bit smashed, and the people in the other one had to got out of their boat into the lifeboat. This was dono by bringing the boats together and holding them so,' which was rather heavy work, considering the heavy sea that was running. When they had landed safely they sent up a signal to let the people on board know, the signals being received, with cheers. When the lifeboats came back to the ship they told the captain that it w'as too rough to send the ship’s boats ashore, so the passengers (women and children going first) had to bo got into the lifeboats. This was done by means of a ladder down the side. The passengers had to climb down tl-is, and then a rojie vitli a loop In' the end was slipped over your head : under the arm as a safety rope. When they got to the bottom there was ’ another rope from tho ladder to the lifeboat. Tho ladies had to put one leg over and at tho word ‘lot go’ had to let go the ladder and slide into the boats, being caught by tho lifeboat men just' below. This was no easy task in such a sea, as the lifeboat was bobbing up and down very much, and, as some of the ladies did not let go at the right time, there were one or two knocks received one lady getting rather a bad shaking up. This loading went on all night, the lifeboat men working like Trojans, and so did the sailors, who took it ig

turn to carry;down tlio 1 children and drop them into the arms of tlio boatmen. Most of thoso loft on jbdard, after the first two or throe boats landed, ' had gone downstairs and packed up their belongings, so that should tlio luggage be got ashore there would bo a chance of finding your own. Some of the ladies at first did not like going downstairs, and I had to go down and rescue one lady’s valuables. These when received seein,ed to cheer her up a bit. I did not go ashore till, the last boat. , After leaving the Sucvie we rowed out to one of the tugs, which took us in tow, and then started out to pick up one of the ship’s boats, with one of the crew steering. The boat had broken away from the other tug. Alter picking it up we started again for shore. Then our little troubles commenced. The tug had three of the ship’s boats in tow, besides the lifeboat we were in. The boat we had picked up kept breaking away, and one of the other boats kept running into us. This annoyed the lifeboat men, so they told the tug people to let them go, which they did. The sails were then hoisted in our boat, and away wo went, bobbing up and down just like a big piece of cork. They took us right into Cadgwith, where we landed about half-past 2 in the afternoon—very thankful to be out of the lifeboat, which we bad been in since 11 o'clock

We had nothing to grumble at the way everybody, treated us, thelVliite Star people doing everything they could for our comfort, and every one was delighted with the way' Cornish people had looked after them l when they landed from the wreck.”