New Britain herald., 1919-05-06
COSt-Of-LiNinG Index.
(NeWark NeWS). .


 ROyal Neeker, United States com missioner of labor statistics, as in dicated in an address before the American Economic association, pro- poses, if permitted, to formulate a scientifically accurate index number which will reflect variations in the actual cost of living. In the course of his remarks he said that he then and thcre for the first time. publicly proclaimed that an index number of the cost of living is not only a the orctical possibility but a practical fact in process of coming into being as rapidly as the bureau of labor sta tiStics can push the work along. MT. Meeker did not by this int- mate that all the indices of com modity prices which have gone be- fore are without place. But he did point out that what is needed to show variations in the cost of living is an exhibit based on retail prices at a great many places compiled from 1 actual family purchases. These prices, l he explained, must be checked as to accuracy and cO-Ordinated with re- spcct to both the high cost of living 1 and the cost of high living, and, f above all, weighted or proportiOncd as to the relative quantities of food 1 clothing, rent, fuel and light furni- ture and miscellaneous expenditures | consumed by the families of wage l earnerS.
 Such an investigation, it is de- | clarcd. would hardly be worth com pilng if based on a questionnaire. l Personal investigation into family 1 budgets arc the reliance by Mir. Meek i,,;o n 70 l most expensive but only effective
 method. by experts who probably
 know far more about family eXpen- l ditures in general than do most of
 the people to whom they apply for 1 information.
 He wants, as the ultimate, just such
 a sweeping inquiry once every three
 months, which, of course, will cost 1 a lot of money, as he says Already
 so far as New York city is con 1 cerned, December, 1913, compilations
 showed that family expenditures fol
 food in one extended district aver
 ged about 45 per cent of the whole
 for clothing nearly 15 per cent, rent nearly 13 per cent, fuel and lighting 4.6 per cent, furniture, etc, 3.2 pel
 cent, and miscellaneous (amusements l luNuricS and the lilc) about 20 pel | cent. Slight Narl1llOilS are 1ounu ttc-
 cordmg to the location and environ
 ment at other centers but, with add ed data from many centers, it is plalr
 that the end sought, the cost of liN' F l ing-a decent one at that-nay be 1 aDprOXimated.
 Total expenditures of the average
 family in one New York district 1 classified by percentages, was S1,34S - Whether the tendency of families de l pendent on the wages of the head l to expend practically all that il - earned annually or not some da, must he the subject for further ex animate For if the search for da |; t about the real cost of living is t' get anywhere it must include some { thing as to evidences of thrift as wei r as outlay for existence.
 Not the least important would b.
 the value of a retail price index back
 ing up statistics of the cost of lv ing, rendering it practicable t t l appraise what is something like = working minimum wage, Still ther l will always be the plaguing elemen l in the necessary effort to co-ordinat e the high cost of living with the cos t of high living. Tn short what is q good living for one family may be re . sarded as Impossible" by another s comfort or satisfaction is to be par n of 1t. That, however, may be regard ed perhaps as the incentive requires