New-York tribune., 1919-01-15
Cost to Keep
Family Year
Put at $500
Bare Subsistence for Five
Persons Is Possible OIL
Such Sum, Expert Says
$55 for Wife's Clothes
Prof. W. F. Ogden Tcstifies
at Labor Board Hearing
on Harbor Wage Dispute

A bare subsistence budget of house
hold expenses for man and his wife
and three children in New York Citv
requires an annual income of $1,000
according to Professor William T.
Cgburn, who occupies the chair of So
GEOLOGY at the University of Washing
ton and holds degrees from Columbia
and Princeton.
Professor Ogburn testified as :, OK.
pert witness yesterday for the harbo,
hoatmen before the section of foul
members OF the War Labor Board. Thi;
section is taking evidence to be used
pv 1he BOARD IN settling the wages and
hours dispute that tied up harbor traf
nc last week until President Wilson'S
cabied appeal sent the men back to
work ~
&. L. Michael. John +. Perkins. rcpre.
Sehtlng the employers, and Adam will
Kehson and William Hutchcson. renre-
senllng labor, comprise the section.
"hich is holding bearings in the Board
% ~ Estlinate room in the City Hall.
: inc budget, Professor Ogburn testi-
Hcd allowed a man ree-tenths OF
an overcoat a ycar and "not auto q
par or trousers" His wife would oe.
not quite corset" and every ronr
wears she could buy suit TO cos. nor
more than SIG. ''0'
Three Types of Budgets
ms testimony was given in reply to
NueStiohs from Frank p. Walsh. who is
appear'nR as adviser for the strikers
before the board of which I've w;,s io;nt
Chairman until recently. The nrrros,.
vas to show the domestic diAicutiee
mat confront some Of the strikers who
Sre ehdeaHofng to support fa,a;';as in
ne" York or $50 month. m MIN
rum subsistence budget for famiIv
OF FIVE outlined by Professor Uolnrn
rrG'ilrcs at least S125 a month.
Professor Ogburn, who has been cn-
I2!oyed IN research work hv the var
Labor Board while on leave of ab
scnce from the University Of Washing
ton' test'lled he lad devoted all his
'llne since he entered college to a
study OF the cost of living. llc out
lined three types of budgets. The first
was TIC bare subsistence budget. The
ncxt lowest, termed a minimum com.
tort budget. and a third, called citi
zen's security budget, arc to he cx-
planned at future sessions Of tho sec
ton, which adjourned the hearing at
D clock yesterday until 1890 Thurs
day morning.
Little More for 500 More
The sociologist explained that
Budget No. 2 called for pcrhaps s400
II year more than the minimum budget.
He said it provided just little bit
more for clothes, about tho same
for food Of tho plancst sort
and also for insurance. savings and a
few incidentas.
Budget number three. he said. pro
Vlded Tor SIX rooms, a telephone. bath
tub. furnace or steam heat. magazines,
books and educational advantages and
would keep the three children out Of
industry until they were eighteen years
old.
Returning to budget number ono
the bare ccssity-Profcssor Ogburn
said:
This is what is known as the Chanin
budget, after the man who preparcd it
IN 1908 for the Russell Sage Founda
ton. Al that time the necessities out
lined by him would have cost $500 or
$500 year. | have brought this one
Hp to date by using present day market
values"
Recently in examining number OF
budgets of typical New York families
J was astounded TO sec how many Of
them spend from 500 to 5000 year
for food alone"
SIG Year for Clothes
Mr.. Walsh asked Professor Ogburn to
tell bow much money was allowed Tor a
mans clothes in the minimum budget
"Seventy-six dollars every year"
Then the professor was asked to
show what garments this money would
buy He said:
"A man would get cap or hat: one
and one half pair of overalls; three
tenths OF an overcoat; three shirts;
two and cight-tenths pairs of shoes;
sixteen pairs of socks; twenty-five
pairs of heavy cotton gloves; three
suits of underwear; one-fifth of q
sweater, and not quite pair of trous-
ers. In addition, there would be $3.50
for other articles of apparel, such as
handkerchiefs and collars.
The mans wife would have to get
-