Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-11
Low SALARIED
X SUFFER MOST
Labor Department Complies Sta
tiStiCs in Cities That Show
Expenditures.
FOOD and RENT CONE HIGH
The Lower Your Salary the Greater
Proportion Of II You Spend for
y Food and Shelter, Say In.
vestiqators.

Washington.-The lower your salary
The greater percentage Of it you spend
for food and shelter, according to the
latest government cost of living luyes,
iigation.
Tables compiled by labor depart,
'rent experts after study Of hundreds
al family budgets show the actual cash
outlay for food and rent is greater in
families with the higher incomes, but
In the average family the expenditures
for these necessities does not increase
as fast as the income.
In Baltimore for instance, IL fam.
Hes with incomes under $500 averaged
expenditures of $3S295 for food ana
S120.44 for rent. The average was If5
per cent of the total income for food
and 1i6 for rent The families whose
incomes were $500 or more. however,
average 1873 per cent less for food in
comparison with total income and 1lJ
less for rent,
Showing how much more chcaplv
tAiN lt'l LtliIIltltt~ E'i VA III
other cities are these differences
Pittsburgh food - per cent. rent ~
per cent; New York food CT per cent,
rent IT per cent; Boston. food 10
per cent, rent - per cent; Syracuse.
food 4.3 per cent, rent 10 per cent;
Scranton, food 81 per cent rent Ga
per cent
How Spending Varies.
How families Of varying incomes
spend them is indicated by tables
showing average expenditures of diff
ferent groups for Philadelphia and
Camden, n. J. The table deals with
expenditures of 301 families Of seven
different income groups.
Four families whose incomes were
under 5000 year averaged per wear
fol food $3G54O; clothing, Slo0.S7;
rent, Sl76.25; fuel and light. S6201;
furniture, S15.22; miscellaneous,
S100.52. The average total expeudi-
ture per family was SS21.26, and the
average number of persons per family
4.3. Three families in this group re-
ported SURPRISES which averaged S2i33
per family, while one had a deficit Of
Sl57.35.
Seventy-fve families with incomes
of 81 800, but under $500 reported
expenditures that averaged for food
$593.69; clothing, S273.53; rent, S2009l;
fuel and light, $75.66; furniture,
$76.92; miscellaneous. $31GG0 Total
expenditures per family averaged
$l,535.77 for an average number of ~
persons per family Sixty-tWo families
ended the year with an average sur
plus of S125,03, nine experienced mn nv.
erage deficit of S1O3S1, while four bal.
anced their books evenly.
Study Many Cities.
Eleven families with an income ~
900 or over averaged in their tx.
penditures for food, $91442: clothing
$476.30; rent, $2503G; fuel and light
S9o1G; furniture, S12733; mhariEua-
Gus, S6G431. The total average *.
pendtures per family was s., 52TSo
for an average family of 20 persons
All families reported a surplus, The
average surplus was $i0932
Similar studies have been prepared
by the labor department for groups Of
representative families In Baltimore,
Boston, Bridgeport, Buffalo, Chambers
burg, Pa; Dover, N. J.; Fall River,
Mass. Johnstown, y. Y; Lawrence
Mass, Manchester, n. H.; Newark
n, j.; New York city Pittsburgh
Portland, Me; Providence, Il. l.; But-
land, Vt; Scranton, Syracuse, Trenton,
WestiieId, Mass; and Wilmington,
Del