The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-04-20

items which go to constitute reason
able standard of living. There can
be no doubt that nourshing food is
sacrificed in large number of inst
ances in order to obtain some of the
comforts and amusements and to
crafty some of the wants which are
entirely natural and to be expected
of the average American.
Less Than Half Earn Enough
"An examination of a number of
studies of the budgets of American
workmen's families indicates that the
! point Of adequate subsistence is not
reached until the family income is
about $500 year. LESS than half of
the wage earner's families in the Unit
ed States have an annual income of
that size, according to all statistics
of income for workingmen's families
"If this be true, over half of the
families of American wage earners
must either lower their standard of
life in other respects in order to have
an adequate diet, or make sacrifices in
their diet in order to secure healthful
housing, favorable community en-
vironment, and a few of the reason
able comforts.
The effect fthe rapid increase in
the retail prices OF foods that have
been found TO constitute the diet OF
workingmen's families can not be
overlooked as an additional factor i'll
this connection Between 1900 ami
1913 the average increase in the retail
prices OF foods was about 90 per cent
according to statistics published by
the Department OF Labor During the
same period wages increased less than
30 per cent, according to the same
authority.
1t is clearly evident that the tend
ency during the period l900-l9l3 has
been toward an impoyershment OF the
diet of families with low incomes"
The report sums up the economic
causes OF disease:
No attempt to present the real
meaning of the problem OF health
among wage workers and their famil
les can be complete without taking
into consideration their economic sta
tus-the wages they earn and the in
fcome which the wage earner's family
is able to receive-and comparing it
with those standards which have been
agreed upon as reasonable and neces-
sary for the maintenance of health.
Without taking into consideration
the loss of working time for any
causef it has been found that during
recent years in the principal induset-
ries OF the United States, between one
fourth and one-third of the male
workers of approximately Is years of
age and over earned less than $40 a
week, and from two-thirds to three
tenth earned more than $40 a week.
In textile manufacturing and some
other industries the wage level was
much lower.
"The wages OF women workeds were
5 considerably lower than those OF men
From two-thirds to three fourths OF
( won'cn workers in factories, stores
/ laundries and in industrial occupa-
tions generally worked at wages oi
less than So per week. approximate
ly one-fifth earned less than $4 ant
nearly one-haf earned less than 81
r a week.
: But the workers are not allowed tC
+ earn even these amounts in ever!
c week in the Year The report says:
r "A conservative estimate, based OF
# all the available statistics Of loss il
+ working time, would appear to be tta
wage workers in the principal manu-
J. featuring. and mining industries los
) on an average from one fifth to one
IF third of the full working time durinl
II year from all causes.
IS One Third Even Less Than $500
Statistics of total incomes Of wag
i workers families point to the cor
st clusion that the average total annua
le family income( including earnings {
re women and children), in the prime
4 pal manufacturing and mining indu:
er tries has been between 500 and $50
in recent wears. This average. how
70 ever, does not adequately depict til
:e real situation; for the conclusion
sr Continued to page 81