In Milwaukee

Statistics made public during the past fortnight indicate how widespread is the hygienic use of soap, tooth paste, shaving preparations, and so forth, in a typical U. S. city--Milwaukee. Editors of Milwaukee newspapers sent reporters to the drug stores of the city to learn how extensive is the use of cosmetics.

Soap. They learned that the average family uses 64 bars of soap a year, that is, each person must make one bar last 30 days. There were 214 brands of soap used, five brands getting 93% of the business. Laundry soap was not calculated. This the editors learned, and told.

Face powder comes in so many different shades and in so many different brands that many druggists have to stock with 25 varieties. Over 95% of the women used face powder, averaging 3 1/3 boxes yearly. Four brands sold 62% of the trade.

Hair pomade was used by 10.57% of the women and 14.57% of the men (65 brands; 5 firms did 82% of the trade).

Hair nets 35% of the women used, buying 38 nets a year. This was 30% less than before bobbed hair came in.

Shaves. All but 5.66% of the men shaved themselves. Some safety razors women bought. Most people preferred shaving cream, used 6 tubes yearly. Yet 44% used shaving soap in bars or sticks; 2% shaving powders; 3% the recent beard softeners that require no water or brush.

Teeth cleansers 97% used--tooth paste 90%. A drug store had to carry at least 17 brands of the 83 exploited to him--Colgates's, Pepsodent, Iodent, and so on. Only 7% of the population used tooth powder; 12% mouth washes, of which there were 39 different kinds.

Verily, noted the country, Milwaukee people look after their health. In 1924 only 72 of them committed suicide. Men can expect to live for 58.77 years, women for 60.70 years. The 1923 death rate was 10.8 per 1,000 of population.