Arizona republican., 1909-05-11
COST OF LIVING
 IN NEW YORK
BATH TUBS ARE IMPOSSIBLE ON AN INCOME OF LESS
 THAN S1100.
While Families With $7oo Year Car Afford Neither Fuel Nor Gas.

New York, May 4.-(Special cor respondence of The Republican.)- Figures which have just been com piled here dealing with the cost of living in this city as compared to the country in general not only show, for the first time. just how any given income is distributed, but also reveal some astonishing details of the method of living among the classes which they cover. The figares deal with in comes ranging from S5e9 a year to $12O0 and are divided inte five classes $l00 apart. Based op all five classes the figures show that the average part Of the income spent for rent is 2l per cent in New York as compared to r per cent for the whole country: 45 per cent for food as compared to 43 per cent for the whole country, while for clothing the figure is the same in both cases, that is, 14 per cent. In the case of incomes of $500 or $600, the balance is much heavier against New York, rent taking one-quarter more than elsewhere and food considerably less, not because food is cheaper, but because there is less to spend on it. Details of the mode of living possible with the incomes mentioned leads to the conclusion that considerably less is actually gotten for the money here as compared to the whole country. This is borne out by statements ap- bearing in the report which show that in this city half the $500 families and more than one third of the $7OO fami- lies cannot afford to buy fuel but gather it on the streets. One-third of the $600 families cannot afford gas. Only one family in ten in the $500 group and only one family in six in the $700 group spends anything on the care of the teeth. Perhaps the most astonishing fact or all is that no more than three-fourths Of the families with incomes of $11OO or less bath tubs are beyond their means-that is, are not included in the standard of living
 The ancient and honorable janitor joke is on its last legs if the pro pOsals of the members of the janitor guild in this city bear fruit At a meet ing of the Janitors Society of New York. the arbiterS of life so far as it exists in apartment and office build ings, are to consider plans first to show up the shortcomings of the ten ant, second for his education, in order that he may cooperate more harmOni- ously with his janitor. While the os- tensible purpose of the agreement is supposed to be indicated in the an- nouncement that it is ito establish q working agreement between janitors and tenants" the latter insist that they are the ones who have always been worked by the janitors. The tenants are now considering a rival organiza tion to protect what they are pleased to call their rights The suggestion is being considered as result of the re- cent happenings in Turkey to organize the Young Tenants" to oppose further extension of the already autocratic powers of the Abdul Hansids-other- wise the janitors. It seems probable, however, that any such move will be promptly nipped since the power of the ianitors in this city is so complete that the persons who depend on them for light, heat, ice, milk, and all other supplies will hardly Gaze to run the risk of having them cut off by any ac tive opposition. It is rumored that one of the first demands of the organized janitors will be for a more dignified treatment at the hands of humorous publications, under penalty of refusing