Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-05
ALL GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES STUDY
HIGHLIVINGCOST
nv DAVID nAwanNcu

Copyright, 1919, for The Atlanta Journrlls
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4.-Tfe
whole government from President.
Wilson and the committees of con-
gress to the various bureaus, whoso
activities even remotely touch thS
cost Of living, is turned today TO
the problem of wages and living
expenses. True enough the ra1lroatls
shopmen have brought the issue 20
a crisis by threatened strike and
all sorts of talk is heard as to the
hold-up of congress by labor JUST
as in 1916 when the railroad BROTH
erhoods compelled congress to put
the Adamson eight-hour law on
beneath it all is realization at last
that the labor question can be
lodged no longer. ~
There are two schools Of thought
those who say Mr.. Wilson's re-
peated concessions to labor have
ly brought about the high scale OF
living, and those who argue that
the allied purchases at almost any
price that was asked accompanied
by the abnormal wages paid by
manufacturers to get labor in the
rolling before the United States en-
tered the war and 1T has been kept
up ever since, largely because our
own participation in the war pre-
vented any reaQJuStment.
Meeker's Report
But regardless of where the re-
sponsibility for present conditions
lies, there are some indisputable
facts staring legislators in the face.
The facts are that many workmen
in America are underpaid and the
everybody in Washington believe
wage. Royal Meeker, United States
commissioner of labor statistics.
has this timely comment to make
IN the monthly labor review, out
today:
Family food budgets are now
being analysed, we can say with
confidence that It requires today an
expenditure of from fifty to sixty
cents per man per day for food
to secure well-balanced diet suffi
Gent in the number of Galleries and
in variety. This means that Amer
Jean, families consisting of hus-
band, wife, and three children be-
low the age of fifteen years liv-
ing IN large and medium-sized cities
for food to keep themselves prop
erIy nourIshed for health and eff
cheney. This expenditure for food
goes with incomes from $1,000 to
9l,85O. so we may say that Amer
1 Ican f, iamiIles on the average are
Iy income reaches $1,000.
These figures do not indicate
that our people are today suffering
from eating too much meat or even
too much of other foods not so en-
pensive. The average income and
the modal income both fall well
below $1,000 The mode is $3.50
and the average not greatly higher.
conclusions must not be too
hastily drawn from these figures.
They do not mean that our work
ing population is dying of slow
starvation. Nothing of the sort. Biz
they do indicate that the workers
OF America are obliged to live on
diet too restricted and monoto
nous for the maintenance of as high
degree of efficiency and health
as ought to be maintained as a
Il am of the opinion that thu
most effacious remedy is not hfeh-
er wages but rather improved sys-.
tens for distributing and market
ing foodstuffs and the education OF
housekeepers in the, art of keeping
house, with emphasis on diets.
Housekeeping is not exactly a lost
art. 1t is one of the arts that has
not yet been completely found.