The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-28
LIVING EXPENSES
OUTRUN PAY DAYS
Advances Salaries and Wages Are General but the Cost
Of Provisions Shows Greater Gain

Chicago Tribune: Who gets the
money?
Why, we all get some part Of it, but
few of US get anything like the pro-
portion that we should have to meet
the higher cost of living.
Then how is it divided up?
To answer that question with any
.exactness is no easy matter, but few
figures are available and there viii
be more later.
The farmer, according to the state
ment of one of them published yester-
day. is getting his share, but it is diff
ficult to reduce this to a percentage
basis, as only occasional figures are
available. The same is true of profess
sional men, there being hardly any
chance for comparison on any fair
basis.
Wage earners and railroad persons
offer better opportunity, however,
and here Wy seem to find that the
wage Garner has considerably the best
of it.
The pay Of public school teachers
has advanced 10 to 35 per cent in ten
years, most of the advances being 10
to 20 per cent This does not nearly
cover the advance in the cost of liv-
ing, so teachers are worse off than
before.
Bank Clerks Get Increases.
Bank clerks, speaking generally, are
said to average 45 per cent more.
This is better, but it still falls short
of meeting the increase in most liv-
| ing expenses, especially food. Bank
clerks, therefore, are probably no bet
ter off than before, and may be hav-
1 ing an even harder time. Most of us
/ feel that we need so much more than
we did few years ago that our adj
vance must be at least something in
excess of the increased cost CT liv-
ing to make us content. There can
be no doubt that we now have high.
er standard of living.
Department store clerks average %
per cent more, which does not bring
their percentage of Increase UP to the
bank clerks. They are not getting
their share of the money.
Police patrolmen get 35 per cent
more, sergeants 25 per cent more, and
llieutenants 90 per cent more. Patrol
men have the best of it, but none OF
these are getting much of the money
in proportion to the cost of living In
many lines, however. the largest per
centage of increase goes to the lower
grades, as it does with policemen.
Clerks in city offices are getting an
average of Is per cent more. Here is
another indication that the small sal
aried man has the worst of is.
4 Labor Statistics Conflict.
The evidence with regard to labor is
conflicting. There are SO many diff
ferent kinds of work coming under
this general head that there is bound
to be considerable variation. Three
different employers of labor give the
percentage of increase in ten years as
so. S5, and 95 per cent In any event
labor fares better than most Other
classes.
Carpenters have had an increase o.
so per cent and bricklayers of so pei
cent
Here is certainly where some of the
money goes.
On the other hand, it is only fair tt
say that in nearly all cases where
wages or salaries have been advanced
materially, the employers are figuring
mach more closely than ever before
, and the employees have lost some ad
vantages that they formerly had Fo
instance, in many cases the pay is b,
the hour and the workman loses i
anything interferes with the work.
material that he needs is not on hand
he cannot work, and in many cases h
two out of day in this way. He ais,
loses in case of rain, if his work Is 9
: a nature that rain prevents. Then
too. employers now seldom carry mel
over dull seasons as they formerl
I, did. The moment business become
4
dropped from the pay roll. This doe
not apply to all classes of business
: but it does to many. SO it is not al
+ sunshine for those who have obtair
Y ed the largest advances 1t is con
/ plicated question, for, while the labor
g ing man may lose in this way, he
= now paid for overtime in many case
Q where it was not customary before
! Many Reasons are Advanced.
n Reasons for the increased cost c
T living are Icing advanced by tn
e score. Some have merit and some ar
a merely amusing, but few cover NOR
!. than some little phase of the subjec
!, Here are some of them:
: Great increase in population, NAL
Il ing a greater demand for everything
It This was advanced in the Ohio il
e vestigation.
81 The prohibition wave. People a,
Is now spending money for food tn;