For this reason it is a part of sound education to give a certain amount of attention to living conditions in the high-school curriculum.  It is as important as book-keeping; for of what avail are money and business, if the home life is perilled?  Besides, some of the pupils may have attention called to deficiencies which they may show talent in overcoming.

Courses in Home Economics and Household Administration in colleges and universities should be directed to careful study of this branch of sociology.

There is a great opportunity before women’s clubs and civic-improvement associations to arouse an interest in the provision of suitable shelter for the young families in their several neighborhoods.  Concerted movement by the Federation could revolutionize public opinion within a decade.

The student of social science may well say that the first effort should be directed to a rise in the pay of these educated young men; that no family should be expected to live on the sums here considered; that it is not right even to consider a way out on the present basis.  Possibly so.  Much agitation is abroad in relation to the pay of teachers, clerks, and skilled workmen, but that is another question which cannot be considered here.

The salaried class has so enormously increased of late years because of the great consolidation of business interests that the final adjustment has not been made.  The one fact of uncertain tenure of position and uncertain promotion has profoundly affected living conditions, ownership of the family abode, and, incidentally, marriage.

There are prizes enough, however, to keep the young people on the alert for advancement, and they feel it more likely to come if they establish themselves as if it had arrived.

There is no denying that in the estimation of a large number of the groups we are considering, the question of neat and orderly service, the capped and aproned maid, the liveried bell-boy and butler, express—­like the smoothly shaven lawn—­a certain social convention; and because it means expense, the house in working order means more than shelter:  it sets forth pecuniary standing in the community.  So long as this means social standing also, so long will the professional and business family on $2000 a year be shut out, because these adjuncts to a luxurious living are impossible.  Can society afford to shut out the intellectual and mentally progressive element, or must it accept as normal these salaries and make it respectable to begin on them?  It is the strain which unessential social conventions give to the young families that leads the business father to speculate in order to get into the $10,000-a-year class, and that leads the young scientific and literary man to take extra work outside of his normal duties.  This sort of thing cannot go on without serious danger to the Republic.  Cleanliness and good manners should be insisted upon, but they may be secured on $3000 a year if too much else is not required.  How to secure them on $1500 is a problem to be solved, for cleanliness costs more each decade.