Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-06
POWER REDUCED
ALMOST oNE.rHlRp DURING
PAST TWELVE MONTHS.
CHARITIES ASSOCIATION
COMPLIES ESTIMATES
Figures Show Advance in All Necessi-
ties Of Life-FaniIy Budgets Studied
to Get Exact Figures and There Is
No Guess Work - Comparative
Statistics.

Chicago, Nov. S.-The United Chart
ties discovered yesterday exactly what
the prosperity of the last year has
cost the poor as to food.
For his dollar the poor man this year
can buy the same food that So cents
would buy last year.
Or for his dollar he can buy the
same volume of food with 81 per cent
less nutrition in tiff he is an expert
buyer.
Or he can dig UP 81 cents more, ada
il on to his dollar, and buy the saihe
food in volume and nutritive value that
he got last year for 81. In short, the
cost of the bare essentials of susten-
ance this year Is 81 per cent higher
than last.
Study Family Budgets
Under the direction OF SUI
perintendent Eugene T. Lies
the district secretaries of the
United Charities have been meeting
with Mrs. Katherine NJ. Briggs for Two
weeks and studying the family budgets
OF 1000 or more families dependent on
the United Charities for existence.
eSte1uds NAdI hr1 1AiS
study on the food angle.
When the district secretaries started
out to solve the problem of the high
cost Of living they nIadea TS"sh esa-
mated that the increase was % per
cent. But they found that 81 per cent
would have TO be added to the food
items OF tine family expense accounts.
No Mere Gussswork.
There is no guess work or esttnat-
ing about this increase said Super'n-
tendenr Lies In arriving at 1t we use
the Galleries basis. We determine how
many caiories per day are necessary TO
keep a person in good physical condi-
ton and allow no more and no less. II
Is as scientifically exact as the army
ration system, perhaps little more
So
Mrs. Briggs explained how the fg-
ures were compiled. The work began
with the comparison of the government
tables of food values in calories, Ia
BILE prepared by scientists OF the Uni
versity of Chicago. and another liable
worked out by the United Charities.
From these tables the district secre-
taries listed all staple foods on their
nutritive basis.
Find Galleries Needed.
Then they found how many calor!es
were needed TO support in good health
person Of certain age for one day.
For instance, an average man OF 80 is
said to need $500 calories.
1--WE also took into account the ac-
tivities Of the people" said Mrs Briggs.
"A man doing outdoor work Is allowed
10 per cent more than one OF the same
age doing indoor work. Maternity
cases are also allowed 10 per cent
more. Then the secretaries figured
out the daily menu for each family on
the calory basis. II was compared
with the cost of the same Galleries last
year. This gave them their fina! f1g-
ures as to increases
The relative costs of clothing and
household furnishings are now heinS
considered.
How Foods Have Advanced.
The Retailers Journal printed fig
ures to show the recent advance in
wholesale costs. Some of these in
creases already have been passed on
to the consumer. An example is to-
ulatoes, the price being by the dozen
cans of the sizes named, in carload lots
at the canneries:
Last.
Grade spring. Now.
No. standard. .......... .313a go
No. 2 standard .......... so 100
No. 3 standard. ......... 80 1.3o
The rise in the price of canned corn