New-York tribune., 1906-11-19
Of Interest ~
" TO Women.
WHAT IT COSTS TO LIVE
statistics To Be Gathered IN Princi-
pal american Cities.

''N--N'NS anu CORRECTION, neIO IN ttocneSter last
week. VIII be an investigation the first OF it's kind
in the United States The object of the investiga-
tion which will all the principal cities OF
the Union. Is TO find out how much it costs for a
FAMILY to live decent. comfortable life. and ulti-
nately. TO compel by law the payment OF wages
pased upon the figures thus obtained.
For the selfish exploiter OF the dire needs of
men and women there is nothing but the stern
arm or the law said Frank Tucker. president
OF the New York Provident Loan Society. But
laws HXlhg minimum daily wage must be based
on knowledge OF the requisites OF a normal stand
ara OF hving and their cost in definite localities
The idea Of this investigation gerrninated at a
iuhcheon given a few months ago in New York
by the former president of the state conference
Nathan Blur Five social workers were present
and the above question coming up, they made our
Ast OF the essentials for normal standard Of
life These were shelter. food and drink. clothing.
light and fuel. furniture and furnishings carfares.
incidental expenses recreation. provision for sick
ness. accident and dental care. savings and in
surance. AL five had than ordinary knowl-
edge OF the cost OF these things in New York City:
but, when the total figured they gazed
each other In astonishment, and concluded that
something must be wrong with the figures They
took as the social unit man. wife and three chill
dren under working age. and found that the neces-
sary living expenses OF such family amounted
TO 1891 year, which requires wage OF So 10 day
for the three hundred working days Of the year.
Distrusting these figures. they submitted the
question, without stating their own findings, TO
sixteen OF the ablest social workers IN New York.
Six of these workers sent in estimate OF ss42
year. One each sent in 1449, sl.403 slS9f, SLOTS
$685. 1901, $500 and 1878. and two sent s76s The
last two made no allowance for medical services.
furniture. furnishings savings or insurance
LIVING AL POVERTY LINE.
II found that information existed on
this subject No government tables exist which
are based given units and definite localities. No
/ charitable society fre
Miss Caroline Goodyear, Of the New York Charity
Organization Society, was detailed TO make as ade-
Quate an investigation possible. the results OF
which were presented at the Rochester meeting
Her investigation among families who
ceivtng charity whose mode OF life is under the in
spection and criticism OF charity agents. and who
are. therefore. living at the lowest possible notch
She visited hundred such families. itenized their
actual expenses and then made estimates OF what
these expenses sheqld be in order to preserve a
For instance. she found Mrs n. widow with
aid Mrs actually spent 81 SO week for food
Tor four 70 i persons This s., allowed no tea coffee but
grade Miss Goodyear estimated that 70 keep her
woman Should have spent at least 81 = week for
food This would allow the following menu: Meat.
10 cereals r. milk 81 05: butter l. tea or coffee,
other Segeta6e So e1'S f or 25 The dPompes eI
pendiures foc this family for year Miss Good
thinks @ should be At Least ths 1 tOowns Rent
s2Si ice cents day for four months. So: clothing.
sSk for he %age ssl sS
To get this estimate Miss Goodyear examined
all sorts of prices in New York. Rent she found
less This allows no heat Bath or private hall.
and necessitates careful choice TO get rooms that
repair. She considers that decent standard OF
one room besides the kitchen which is not used as
As to Clothing. when everything Is bought new
and ready made de at sweatshop prices she considers
that it costs SIS "A year 70 dress a boy IN knee
eri short dresses and I So 70 @ ADDITIONAL on for for
| clothing, bargain sharply and mend diligently the
6S e0 can a De reduced perhaps s per cent for girls
sioie when the mother herself is wage Garner.
CHILDRENs SHOES A PROBLEM
She found some families IN which the younger
children never have new garment aIl being made
over by the mother from the clothing OF adults
but the poor quality OF the material In the first
The greatest clothing problem is the shoes. The
common price for chlldren's school shoes is 81 Is
Miss Goodyear considers that with mending, Il
costs $40 year TO keep each child shOd
She made her estimate OF SO a year for Incl
this line OF French family Of i've living care
fully and decently on SIS a week For the means
10 10 Keep clean soap bluing and SO on, they spent
for sewing materials. thread, buttons. and so on
IS cents; medicine. 90 cents for necessary furnish
81 So for gas stove. Sa 10 total s. IS The sioveniy
COIl'!lIION OF tNe NOIeS OF the commonly
down 70 !aziness. Is actually due in many cases
says Miss Goodyear, 70 the lack Of the IS or Sc a
month necessary to keep an ordinary small fiat
clean and in repair
Miss Goodyear estimates that a typical sells sup
porting family OF five receiving no aid at any time
medicinal, reCreational other, and living in COM
Portable with personal privacy and nourish-
ing food, should spend S1.G5+ year ir New York
Of this she allows S216 for rent at SIS a month:
S379 for food and ice, about s. week: fuel and
light, 500. carfdreS. Si5; incdentals SIS; clothing
Sli5; two weeks outing in summer. $50: margin
savings, $50.
Nobody knows how many families there are in
New York whose annual income is less than 81 O54
but every one knows there are many thousands in
the city TO whom this would represent luxury II
Is from this class that charity applicants are
tinualy recruited They have margin for ILL
ness, for loss of work for insurance for savings
At the first emergency they come 70 charity.
DR.. Dennie. secretary of the New York Charity
Organization Society. claimed time ago that
$500 year was the lowest which family
in New York could hope TO be selfsuppOrting. John
Mitchell estimated the same the lowest
which a working man could maintain his family
according 70 the American standard " Present In
veStlgatons and estimates tend 10 show that these
figures far too small, for New York
City. 1t this fact that led the Charitab'e
workers of the state to take the advanced stand