The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-09

The following facts are based on gov
eminent statistics. They prove that the
increased cost OF living, caused almost
wholly by the greed of trusts. is without
exception the most urgent and serious
question of the day in America.
There are about million families in the
United States, living in cities, who earn
daily or weekly wages which are in the
neighbOrhood Of $50 month
A canvass of q, 446 families, located in
all parts of the country, shows their aver
age income, per family, to be $751.34.
COnservatively estimated there are 1,OO0,-
600 families in cities whose annual incomes
are close to S644&
These are not the hopeless very poor"
nor the submerged tenth" They are the
great mass of the honest, laW-abiding,
steady working classes"
How does prosperity affect them? How
does the 40 per cent Increased cost of liv-
ing affect their dolly lives-their table,
their homes, their D.Othes?
The day laborer's wages are about what
he got ten years ago, before prices went
up. The little salaried clerk gets just
about what he got ten years ago.
Certain lines of union labor union labor
comprises about 100000 workers in its
ranks have had some advances in pay.
By some the advance is estimated as
high as II per cent
But let alone union labor. for the mo-
whose heads are not ''uniOnized" and who
have not had even II per cent increase to
help meet the 40 per cent increase in the
cost of living.
A Composite Picture.
Here is the answer in the concrete. The
public is invited to look in on one of the
million families
made by the United States bureau of la
Dor.
1t is a composite study of nineteen
Washington families. carefully selected.
These families were composed of sober, in
dustrious people, doing their best In the
struggle with want.
These nieteen families represent the fol-
lowing occupations:
Coal HEAVIER, janitOr for a church. work
er for a construction company, day Ia
borer with a shovel, teamster, empiOye in
box factory, charwOman working for the
government laundress, domestic, painter,
bridge construction worker, street payer,
timer, skilled laborer Cat s. day when
employed), seamstress, clerk and flour
mill emplOye.
Actual accounts were kept of the earn
ings and expenses Of thees families.
The average yearly earnings for the
families was S6442S. The biggest number
of persons in a family was ten; the
The average size of a family was six
and a half
Reducing the food consuming power of
lily amounted to a little over four and a
half adults. Children over Is years of age
are found to eat as much as adults.)
With everything reduced to averages,
We may consider it now as one family; a
family of six and a half people, consum-
ing as much as four and six-tenths
adults.
Food is the most important considera-
ton. The rent bill may be stood off,
the clothing may be patched. The family
may be cold, but 1t MUST eat.
The expense account shows the family
is spending from Sis to $3.50 a week for
food. How much is eaten depends on
whether II Is rent week, or whether ia
Their has work.
week for food for the family. This is si.OS
a week to feed each adult mouth, and
children in proportion.
What They Eat.
What does the family eat? Mostly bs-
ker's bread. There is practically no bak-
ing done at home Costs too much to
run the stove and have no time anyway"
A quarter of all the money spent for
food goes TO the bakery. Practically no
oatmeal, cOrnmeal or rice are used. While
these are all cheap and nutritious, the cost
of fire and the time for preparation pro-
hibit them. Pies and cake are frequently
found also in the budget.
When there is not money for meat or
fire the poor often unwisely spend their
pittance for pies and cakes.
More than half of the total in
come of the family is spent for food.
This one statement spells ruin for
any family establishment, for it has
been found by the government ex-
perts that two-thrds of d small in
come is imperativeIy needed for such
things as shelter, clothes, medicine
and incidentaIs.
&c a Week for Fruit.
This typical family is found to spend
but two cents Il week for each adult for
fruit. Bananas, cantaloupes, grapes lem
ons, watermelons, oranges and even dried
prunes are practically unknown to the
Door. They cannot afford them