Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-02
WIVES OF WORKERS
GREAT MANAGERS
This Is Ediot Of Economic In
vestigators Who Report Con-
ditions in PhiIa. Homes
CONFINEMENT GENERAL

Wives of Philadelphia workinEmen
are wonderful managers and their family
life is, on the whole, pleasant and con
tented.
Those are some Of the unofficial
findings of Miss Myra Thwing and Miss
Rebekah Davis in making Investigations
for Workingmpn' Standard of Living
in Philadelphia. which has just been
published by the Macmillan Co. as Il
report of the Bureau of Municipal Re
search.
They visited more than $50 families
that were self supporting, but whose
principal bread winners did not earn
more than $1,000 a year, to get data on
what would be a fair minimum standard
OF living. The report shows the average
family of five could live for year at
present on $1S03
1T was fascinating work, said Miss
Davis 'and it was wonderful the way
the women responded to our questions
and poured out their household secrets.
OF course war conditions had much to
do with this. The women knew we
We're trying to get a fair average of
living cost in order to help regulate city
salaries, and they were eager to help.
Told Troubles Too
"Often the telling of these intimate
things led them to coniide their troubles
But of all the families visited we found
most of them happy. In most cases
either the mother or some of the older
children worked to help support the
family. Perhaps the father or mother
was not contentcd with this. but they all
seemed to possess the happy faculty of
making the best of things.
at seemed strange to us that the.
atrcs and concerts never entered into
the family budget and even movies
were not indulGed in often. If the chill
drcn went on Saturday afternoons. they
usually used money they themselves
had earned during the week and been
allowed to keep. Tobacco was fire.
quently noted as one of the features
of the budget. and liquor before last
July. played an interesting part. too.
81 don't think a man with a wife
and three or five children can live in
Philadelphia on 500 a month and keep
up a proper standard of living. We
visited many homes where the father
earned only $1,000 year. but in every
case his earnings had to be supple
mentcd by those from other members oi
the family. Sometimes the mother took
in washing. Or, if she had small chill
dren, perhaps she kept boarders. When
it was impossible for her to work We
found relatives or friends supplying
articles of clothing or food,
Houses Are Similar
Another interesting thing" con.
tinued Miss Davis. was the similarity
Of homes among these people. We visi
tod every section of the city. Mis-
Thwing going to some while | went t.
others. When we compared experience
we found the same type of plush furni
ture in the parlors. the same sort o.
pictures on the walls and the same idea
existing as to cooking and keeping
house. In nearly every home the par
ents expressed a wish that their boy
aud girls could 20 to high school. Man!
hope to send the children to college
but in most cases the children wer
having to go to work early in life.
1--WE found housing conditions il
some parts of the city dreadful. espe