The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-06-28

Labor Department Complies Sta.
tlstlcs in Cities That Show
Expenditures.
.foOD and. RENT COME. HIGH
The Lower Your Salary the Greater
Proportion Of It You Spend for
s$s Food and jsheiter, Say in- II
vestiqators.

;&!a: WASMuSCOu.-Ine lower your salary,
the greater percentage Of it you spend
l for food and shelter, according to the
latest government cost Of living inves-
h tigation. I ~.
Tables compiled by labor depart
SnentS experts after study of hundreds
of family budgets show the actual cash
outlay for food and rent is greater in
families with the higher incomes, but
N In the average family the expenditures
for these necessities does not increase
Las fast. as the income.
In Baltimore, for instance, 13 fam
tiles with incomes under $500 averaged
Expenditures of $3S295 for food and
x$12O44 for rent. The average was 46.5
i per cent Of the total income for food
\ and 14.6 for rent. The families whose
incomes We're $4,000 or more, however,
kaverage 1875 per cent less for food in
comparison with total income and lis
less for rent.
Showing how much more cheaply
the higher-salaried families get off in
other cities are these differences:
Pittsburgh, food Is per cent. rent rs
per cent; New York, food 6.7 per cent,
rent 1T per cent; Boston, food 49,
per cent, rent SO 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
Y ferent groups for Philadelphia and
Camden, N. J. The table deals with
Expenditures of 3O1 families of seven
different income groups. =
-Four families whose incomes were
agInder 5000 year averaged per year
Il for@food $365.40; clothing, $1OO.S7;
I; rent, $l76.25; fuel and light, $63.O1;
H furniture, $15.22; miscellaneous,
$1O0.52. The average total expendi-
ftures per family was $821.26, and the
average number Of persons per family
4 4.3. Three families in this group re-
ported SURPRISES which averaged $24.33
Y per family, while one had a deficit of
s$157.35.
Seventy-five families with incomes
/ o. 81 500, but under $1,SOO, reported
b expenditures that averaged for food
$1PS.69; clothing, $27S.53; rent, $4,000;
fuel d and light, $75.66; furniture,
4 1862; miscellaneous. $4,000. Total
expenditures per family averaged
I $1,535.T for an average number of AZ
] persons per family. Sixtytwo families
ended the year with an average sur
\ plus Of $125.O3, nine experienced an av-
erage deficit of $1O3.81, while four bal.
anced their books evenly.
Eleven families with an income Of
1880 or over averaged in their ex-
peRditures for food, $914.42; clothing,
!. 447639; rent, $25O.36; fuel and light,
d$95.16; furniture, $127.33; miscellane-
lous, $86431. The total average ex-
!, penditures per family was $2,527.S9
for an average family of 7.6 persons.
All families reported surplus. The
average surplus was $4O9.52.
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, N. Y; Lawrence,
Mass; Manchester, N H.; Newark,
New York city, Pittsburgh,
Portland, Me-; Providence, R. l.; Rut-
land, VT; Scranton, Syracuse, Trenton,
u Westfeld, Mass; and Wilmington,
EOel.