The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-13
GERMAN HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY

Consul George Nicholas lift of Nu-
remberg summarizes the results of the
investigation by the German govern
ment Of the relation of receipts to ex-
penditures in the average German
households:
Can the German wOrkingman live on
his wages Are his earnings sufficient
upon which to support a family? The
increased cost of practically all essen
tial fOodstuffs and the consequent
struggle of the wage-earner for better
pay, which has been going on in Ger
many for several years, have made
these questions of vital interest. The
imperial statistical bureau has assem-
bled data upon these questions, which
to a certain extent, seems to answer
both in the negative, and, while not
complete enough to be accepted as final,
does, however, present a most interest
ing picture of the struggle for existence
of the man who is dependent upon the
work of his hands for his daily bread.
In all German cities household ac-
count books were distributed to heads
of families, who agreed to keep for one
full year q complete and detailed ac-
count of receipts and expenditures. The
statistical bureau received $50 full fam
lily accounts covering the year, and Of
these $50 were found available for the
purpose for which they had been asked,
and a summary of these has just been
published.
OF the S52 families whose accounts are
taken into consideration, $40 have at
their head husband and wife; eight,
widower; two, widow, and two, grown
son. They comprise a total of 1852 per-
sons, an average of asa persons per
family. There are 1,94S children under
IS years of age, ia children over Is
years, and 13S other persons, servants,
etc. There is thus an average of 249
children per family in all, and 2.29 chill
dren under Is years of age.
According to their callings, 3S2 of the
heads of these families were skilled in
dustrial workmen, with average family
incomes of $44S.63 per year; fifty-four
were unskilled industrial workmen, with
average family incomes of S41079 per
year; fifty-three were employees of COM
mercial and transportation concerns,
with average family incomes of $413. 20
per year; thirty-three were employees
without specifying the kind of en-
ploymenD, with average family in
comes of S37794 per year; thirty-six
were clerk and office employees, with
average family incomes of $5S0.96 per
year: three were engineers and build
ing superintendent. with average fam
lily incomes of SSS1.79 per year; 129 were
smaller government officials in the
higher pension classifications, with av-
erage family incomes of $69805 per
year; ten were smaller government Off
Gals in the lower pension classifications,
with average family incomes of 1851. "a
per year; siXty-seven were office clerks
and secretaries, with average family
incomes of $495.91 per year; and seven
ty-nine were teachers, with average
family incomes of s569.77 per year.
The total sum of the incomes of all
these S52 households was S444, sol. Is, and
the total of their expenditures was
S45S, 005.SS. This leaves a deficit of S.
504.70. The average income per family
was $521.70 per year, and the average
expenditure S531.69. or an average deficit
of 1899 per family. 1t is noteworthy,
however, that deficits occurred mostly
in families of the larger earning capaci-
ties. The average income as a whole
was derived from the following sources: