The Hattiesburg news., 1916-07-30
They Spend.

Washington, D. c., July 29.-The
Icost-of-living stories or nye Washing.
ton girls, who are trying to get along
on from SO to 81 a week were inserted
in the Congressional Record today by
Congressman Edward Heating. a
member of the House Committee on
Labor.
The House passed resolution seY-
jeral weeks ago for ain investigation of
the cost of living in the District OF
Columbia, appropriating $4,000 to en-.
able the Department of Labor to make
the inquiry as to living conditions
here. Congressman Heating, author
OF the resolution, obtained consent to
print certain data in the Record later.
Stories Not Exceptional.
He inserted that data in today's
Record with the statement that "it
is believed these stories are not ex-
ceptional, but are typical Of the lives
Of thousands of women in the District
of Columbia today"
Mr., Heating included in his ex-
tended remarks a table showing that
Massachusetts authorities estimate
that at least $S.71 per week is neces-
sary for the ordinary necessities Of life
for any woman or girl.
Congressman Keating's statement
OF Washington conditions, as inserted
in the Record, says:
1.-TWO years ago the Bureau of Labor
Statistics made a study OF the hours,
wages, and so forth, of wage-earning
women in the District of Columbia
According to that investigation it
was shown that in the manufacture
ing and mechanical establishments
1913 per cent earned $40 week or
over, while 2S.8 per cent, comprising
the largest single group, earned be.
tween IS and Sc week.
I'm laundries the average wage
shown by the payrolls of the three
typical establishments studied was
$647. In hotels and restaurants two.
thirds of the women interviewed were
getting SO to $4 week. The average
wage of saleswomen in Washington
is S6.55, whereas the largest single
group of employees are getting between
81 and S..
Some Cases Found.
Now, as to what these wretched
wages mean to the women themselves.
here are some cases gathered this win
ter by the Consumers League Of the
District Of Columbia, the phiIanthro-
pic organization under the auspices
of which the eight-hour law was in.
troduced.
Here is what life holds for five
young women, whose stor-
les, it is believed are typical Of the
lives lived by thousands.
Il. One girl working in retail store
earns $6 a week. She is wholly de-
pendent on herself, so boards with
friends, to whom she pays $3.50
week for her room and two meals.
Each week she pays so cents for her
laundry, 80 cents for her lunches, f45
a 4.
cents a day), 81 on suit she Is. buy
ng; and this, as you see, leaves her
10 cents each week for all the rest
II her clothing, her car fare, If the
weather is bad, for recreation, il you
consider that part Of rational scheme |
II life; and this includes no provision
or illness church and SO forth.
q, A girl working in box factory
eceives SO per week. She is abso-
uteiy alone in the world. so is living |
q charity home. where she pays
1.5o for her room and board. The
1.5O remaining must pay for her cloth
ng, her car fare and so forth, and I
he is furthermore trying to save
loney to put a stone over her parents
rave.
a Girl at Home.
70. A girl earning $4 week lives
home. She pays so week to her
amily, and sl.50 week regularly on
charge account which she runs at l