Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-11
EARNINGS OF THE POOR,
New Bedford Standard. !

New BeuIOfu Stanudfu.I
School teachers earning six hundred
q year call themselves poor. Young
men engaged in a variety of occupa-
tions getting a thousand dollars a year
feel poor. Men in the professions o!
engaged in business for themselves
are Cramped on twenty-five hundred a
year. other men whose efforts and in
vestments bring them in five thou
sand scheme to make both ends meet
But II is not such poor as these that
Robert +. Ely, secretary of the League
for Political Education in New York
referred when he spoke recently on
the earnings of the poor. He had ref
erence TO the fifteen million persons in
the United States, men and women
boys and girls, who are employed in
manufacturing and mechanical indus
tries and whose average earnings are
four hundred dollars year. This ia
not so much as some other million Of
workers in this country average in
earnings, but it Is more than many
other millions of workers secure by
their personal efforts. 1t Is estimated
that every worker has about two
other persons dependent for support
upon him, so that three persons get
their living out of each four hundred
dollars earned. This means that the
average income of forty-tiye million
people is About Sl33 year, or $2.77 a
week each.
Mr.. Ely analyses the expenditure OF
this imposing sum. In the cities it is
fair to say that one quarter of the
earnings go for rent and half for
fuel and food. SO these wage earners
in the manufacturing and mechanical
industries of the United States have
left, after paying for shelter and food
for themselves and the average two
dependent upon them, an average OF
$3.50 a month, or one hundred dollars
year, for the clothing and other
necessary expenses, the inCldentals Of
living, and for recreation and pleas
ure, for the three. II $50 apiece II
reckoned for clothing, $40, or $l3 each
is left for every other use except food
rent fuel and clothing.
The gospel of thrift Is often preach
ed to the poor, and it is indeed a ne
cessary gospel" says Mr.. Ely, but h
adds that the terms of our eConOmi
problem cannot be solved by thrift
alone" He does not attempt to sa.
how it shall be solved. His statistics
based ON census reports, suggest
gloomy picture, but to tighten it W
can recall that very many Of the IF
teen million workers are far better OF
than the average, even though som
may have less to do with than tn
average. Averaging the earning
presents a dead level of dreariness
while the actual facts Of life shOy
among the workers in manufacturing
and mechanical Industries many fami
lies with a surplus for enjoyment an,
ease, many Others living in comfort
many more who get along fairly well
and many who are barely able to exist
The least well off think they would b.
satisfied with plenty to eat and com
| Portable rooms. Those having these
find that something more is require
before satisfaction is attained. The
cannot, with Paul, having food an
raiment be content herewith What
ever the situation, the life Is NOR
than meat and the body than raj
| ment, and this is as true with tn
| twenty-five hundred dollar salarie
man as it is with the four hundre,