The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-22

on Easter Sunday. If that does not
bring the annulment of these laws then
all sorts of persons who violate
them will be called before mag
istrates. Philadelphia is promised
something that will cause a stir
throughout that city.
THE AVERAGE COST OF LIVING.
A Denver investigator, Prof. Garvin.
spent three months making inquiries
respecting the. average cost of living
in that city. AS a result of his labors
he finds that, taking 100 cases, the
average cost per year is $2,4O5.54. For
the purposes of his inquiry, however,
it appears that Prof. Garvin selected
persons having above the average in
come. He took lawyers, doctors, civil
engineers, ministers, photographers,
real estate agents. insurance agents,
architects and heads of departments
in factories and stores. 1t may be
doubted that such persons represent
the average of the Denver citizenship
in earning capacity. They may be
said to represent a we'll to-do class,
since their earnings ranged from $1,000
to $1,000 a year and averaged some
thing more than $4,000. If the clerks,
stenographers, telegraphers, street rail-
way employees, carpenters, blacksmiths
and other workers had been included
in the list, both the average of in
come and of expenditure would have
been cut down.
One important fact developed was
that only a few of the families, rela-
lively, lived we'll within their income
and laid aside a fund for the proverbial
rainy day. Most of them spent all
they received for their current wants.
The matter of household bookkeeping
was generally neglected. Few of the
heads of the families could tell what
their expenses were, except to say
that ut takes all make to pay the
bills" However, a few persons were
found who kept strict accounts. Aver
aging their figures, it was found that
more money was spent for provisions
than anything else, amounting to about
one-fifth of the income. The next
largest item was rents, being almost
one-fifth of the income. Domestic help
and insurance came next in amounts,
in the order named, followed by the
cost of smoking, the wife's clothing
and the husbands clothing. In the
past ten years, Prof. Garvin thinks,
the cost of living has been materially
increased, while earning capacity has
not increased proportionately.
1t is probable that, taking the same
classes as those investigated by Prof.
Garvin, the cost of living in Savan-
nah is about the same as in Denver.
Making an estimate on the local white
population, however, we would say
that the average cost of living in this
city for a family of five persons
the basis of the Denver calculations
is from 81 900 to $1,000. Living is not
so expensive here as there. Not so
much fuel is needed in winter in this
climate, nor such extensive coldweath-
er wardrobes. However. it is pretty
safe to assume that the majority of
persons in this city, Denver and else
where, spend pretty nearly everything
they make as fast as they make it.
Improvidence is a great American
fault The minority are savers, and
a minority of the minority become
rich through thrift and economy. But
the majority are spenders. To find
the average cost of living, therefore,
ascertain the average of incomes, and
the average cost of living will be a
figure just a bit under the incomes,
to allow for the saving propensities of
tho yoiu0ritv