The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-08-10
WHAT LIVING COSTS.
BUREAU OF LABOR WILL DE.
TERMINE THE EXPENSE.
Investigation Covering the Year Of
1904 will Ascertain Retail
Prices Of Neces-
aarfeH

increased or decreased? Has the rate
Of wages been raised or lowered?
These are questions which will be
answered by the bureau Of labor.
which Is now conducting most elab-
crate Investigation of the above eco
nomic interrogatories.
The report will show the entire year
Of 1904. In making the investigation
on which these data are to be based q
great army OF men has been employ
ed. It is an investigation into the cost
of living Of working mems families
and into the retail prices OF staple
articles used by such families. The
object Is to determine the cost OF
housing, Gel. lighting. food. clothing.
etc., of the ordinary family tn the
United States.
There is also an investigation into
retail prices which Is to determine the
changes in the prices of staple articles
of food for a period Of years and there
by determine as nearly as possible the
changes in the cost Of living In 1904,
compared with other years covered.
As showing how the bureau Of labor
works, II may be stated that Its agents,
in gathering material for the report on
the year 1903. canvassed 2.567 families,
and prepared a series Of tables. The
first table showed that these families
consisted Of an average OF 5.31 persons,
z persons above the average Of private
families in the whole country, as shown
by the census of 1900. No effort was
made to select large families, the only
basis Of selection being that the head
Of the family must be wage worker
or salaried man earning not more than
81. 200 a year. The average incomes
for the year Of these families from all
sources was Ss2719. The average ex-
pcnditures for all purposes was $76854,
and the average expenditure for food
was $4,000.
Then followed tables showing the
average quantity and cost to the family
Of various articles Of food and the av-
erage total Of expenditure and the per-
sonal items that entered into the cost
of living.
In taking up its report as to the retail
prices OF food the bureau Of labor had
the investigation cover the entire period
from 1880 to 1903. II took the prices for
each Of those years Of 30 different ar
ticles and It finally worked out the rela.
tive price OF food. weighted according
to the average family consumption. II
then worked out the per cent. Of in
crease or decrease in retail prices Of va
rious articles for 1903. as compared with
previous years. and finally figured out
the average cost Of food for each fam
lily for each Of the years under investi.
cation. based on the relative retail
prices Of food weighted according to
family consumption.
BY this means Col. Wright arrived at
the conclusion that the average cost OF
food per family in 1900 had been $31S.20.
In the year 1896. the year Of lowest
prices. it fell to S296.76; in 1902 IL
reached the highest point Of the period,
$344.61; while in 1908 1t fell slightly, to
$34275.
In making its report on the state of
wages and the hours OF labor the bureau
took probably 5000 different establish
ments throughout the country, which
include 500 or 600 different occupations
The data Of the report for the year
1903 included 3,429 different establish
ments and $40 different occupations.
No reference whatever Is made by the
bureau to wages and hours Of railway
employees. farm laborers or coal miners.
The interstate commerce commission
furnished data as to railway wages and
the agricultural department is supposed
to investigate the compensation Of farm
laborers. II was found to be impossible
to get any accurate data in the coal
regions as 70 wages Of miners: because
most Of the woT:s; In the coal mines Is
done by contract.