Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-01
lN|NG COSTS IN D. c.
HOMES CANVASSED
Figures, Including Other Cities,
Show Plight of Salaried
Workers.
DEBTS AT END OF YEAR

A canvass of living costs in Wash
fneton and other. cities has just beer
completed under direction of the rail
road wage commission. of which Frank
lin X. Lane, Secretary of the Interior
Is chairman. The results of this can
.vass are to be tabulated and made the
basis for adjustments of railroad wages
while the roads remain under govern
ment control.
In making the canvass the commits
sion departed from the usual methods
Of statisticians and sought actual facts
from actual families. The commission
Obtained figures to show how people
actually had lived. not how they might
have lived, or could have lived or should
have lived according to theory.
Figures were obtained on incomes
and expenditures for the year ending
December 81. 1917, and the year ending
: December 81, 1915. Expenditures were
classified under rent. heat and light.
food, clothing, furniture and incidental
expenses, the latter including all such
expenditures as car fare, amusement,
education, medical attention, etc.
Salaried Workers Worse OF.
The striking feature of the canvass
In Washington was the showing that
halaried workers here were much worse
on at the end of 1917 than they were
ut the end of 1915. Practically no fam
flies with. incomes of $500 year or
Under were able to show any surplus
at all at the end, of last year. Nearly
all of them wound I'D the year with a
deficit Deficits were general at the
end of 1915, but almost without excep-
tion they were larger at the end of
1877. These deficits mean debts. and
on the showing made in the reports
there doesn't appear to be much pros
pect that the debts ever will be paid.
The. following are typical cases:
A family--of four adults had an in
come of $500 in 1915. and the same in
1917. In 1915 the expenditures were
penditures were $2,0o5, deficit of $405.
The detailed figures show that with
this family rent increased from 1920 to
S4se. clothing from $3.50 to $3.50, fuel
$40 to $3.50, house furnishings from
$45 to $50, while incidentals were re-
ported a t$150, the same for both years.
Home Ran 800 Short.
In another family of two adults there
were two children in 1915 and three in
1917. The income was $500 in 1915
come in 1s15-there was surplus of So
The family budget for 1917 shows a
dencft OF 800. Rent was $500, the
came for both years. Clothing in
creased from $500 to $500: fuel and
Hight from $50 to $11o; food from $3.50
to 1920 incidental expenses from 500
TO $3.50. House furnishings showed a
decrease from 5000 to s1e0.
A family of, four adults had an in
some of $1,000 IN 1915 and wound up
Nth a deficit of ST. In 1917 the in-
come was S1.300-and the deficit $685.
This family lives In the suburbs and
pays only $500 year rent. In 1915
here was good sized garden and
Ghickens. and only $312 was spent for
nod Last year the garden was not SO
large and the chickens were less prof.
Fable. and the food bill jumped to $500.
Also there was sickness, which in
creased incidental expenses from $500
to $3.50.
Another family of two adults and two
sehildren had an income of $1,o4o in
1915 and deficit of $50. In 1917 the
income was 81 pa and the deficit S116.
Increases of s120 for rent and $40 for
food more than offset the ksmalI in
crease in income.