New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-03
$40 a Week Isn't Enough
for LongshOreman'S
Family, She Says.
RENT. So; FOOD, S.;
COAL, 81; EXTRAS, 81
This Total Means Want, Declares
Mrs. Stokes. VINO Has iiuS-
band and Three Children.

J. p. Morgan thinks he can. This 10
what he said in answer to sucn q due'-
ton before the Federal Industrial com
mission: 9,
"WclI. don't know. But II that's all
he gets. and ne takes 70, J should say u
wa enough
Mrs. Edward stokes. whose long
ehorcmau husband has earned SD ln the
last eleven weeks. said yesterday IN re-
ply TO the same question;
at would help = lot. But It ISM,
enough, and nothing can MAKE II
enough"
She left a washing Of -he famiIy's
ecauty clothing ion the dark Nv
kitchen Of her three-room home 40
tenement al 2l5 West 18th st. 10 ex-
LIsu in what need she and her FAMILY
we're Of $40 a week
Would Almost Save Us"
Would tell my husband 70 take
that much money" She repeated
question. at would almost save US.
But then i wouldn't be enough OY
Itself
Mrs. Stokes. while her husband
looked uusuccessfully for work on the
docks. has spent the last few weeks IN
never able TO leave the house for more
than a few hours because OF Annie.
twelve years old, as large as girl or
seven. who mas been ansmlc and
nervous since her birth q few weeks
after Mrs Stokes's then youngest child
was killed i'm a fall
Annie wants TO 20 70 s.. trancls
Nayier school, which her sister Mary
fifteen. attends, and from which her
brother. seventeen. was graduated.
Some time, perhaps Mrs. Stokes
said. as Annie entered the small, neat
picture hung front room, when sho
has nice clothes and good, uourishing
food 10 eat she can stay IN school.
But I don't dare leave her long now.
Mrs Stokes did not wear any wed
ding ring. She explained that it, with
her sons Oyercoat, was IN paWnshop
near BY. MY husband wanted 70 re
deem the ring when he earned IS
working i'm the subway two weeks ago.
she added. but | made him BUY some
leather with it to resole the childreu'
shoes"
Mrs. Stokes looked az tho dllapidated
clock on the shelf aad prepared to go
out 20 the Municipal Market on l4th
81. Before she went she told exactly
what SO week would do for her and
her children and for her husband, who
could not find work.
How the $40 Would Be Spent.
This is how it would CO." she said:
So a week for the rent here we've
kept il paid NJ until this last week
81 week for coal So week for food,
aud 81 left for the insurance, the cloth
ing for the children. warm wraps for
Ir. Stokes. carfare when ! look for
work. light. and ail the rest Of the
things chat come uD every week.
"Ihc insurance o. 81 30 week. I've
kept it paid up for years. for all OF
us. and now / have just 3 week LETT
10 make up all the payments I've lost
since these hard times began. And the
8 for food means just bread. and
hardly any milk. and the cheapest
meats I can buy at the market, ana
hardly anything more.
MY children ought 10 have lots OF
milk, and good meat at least once
gay. and things that will nourisn them
so that they can grow up fine emil
dren.'
She looked down at Annie as she
said this, and then she added, en-
phatically;
"Ten dollars week wouidn ne
enough. not at all It would be cruel
10 have to raise family on Just SO
a week And just because I'D be 50
glad 10 have my husband get work for
that much now. aud because hundreds
- others out there IN the cold would
fight for a chance at the hardest and
dlrtiest work for less than that doesn't
make il enough
The opinion Of a. least two dozen
rongqhoremcn themselves who stood
in half as many lines yesterday
through a snowstorm in front Of piers
along West ST., confirmed that of Mrs.
Stokes.
"Sure. I can live on $40 week" said
one. James Murphy. who lives in q
dark room. Furnished" al OIL West
lq,n ST. 'T'ye been living for ten
weeks on n whole lot less. But |
couldn't keep a family on that, and !
couldn't keep myself on what l have
+ earned I'm the last three months Of II
wasn't for my lsndlady's help.
ASK Some Of the Women
4 ASK some Of the women who have
/ 10 live on it-they'll tell you about
>. p. Morgan's SO a week" he added.
/ Ambrose Goodwin. who has a fur
/