Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-09
FAMILY OF FIVE NEEDS
AN INCOME OF S2,26247
Bureau of Labor Says No Small
Sum Will Purchase Ac-
tual Wants.

III YOU were a government employe IN
Washington, and if your family consisted
,f five members, and II you wanted to
maintain this at a level of "health and
lcccncy." the report of a study made by
The United States Bureau of Labor
Statistics would tell you just how it is to
ne done. Assuming that the cost of food,
clothing and other items of such familys
expenditures have not changed since last
October, this report would tell you Nhat
exactly s., ,262.47 would cover your
various needs.
The survey was made for the purpose of
determining the basis of salary increases
for civil service employees IN Washington.
The family chosen is supposed TO be an
average" family. consisting of two elders,
a boy of IL, a girl OF five and boy Oh tive
wears. of age. The bureau recognizes two
levels below that of a minimum of
health and comfort" which is required Tor
his family-the pauper level and the
minimum of subsistence level, which allow
for nothing above the mere animal ex-
istence. The level chosen for the average
type family here is supposed to PROVIDE
not only for the material needs OF food,
shelter and body covering, but also Tor
certain comforts, such as clothing sui
ficient TO maintain the wearers 5 instinct OF
sclf-respect and decency, insurance against
death, disability and fire, good education
for the children, some amusement ana
some expenditures for seh-development.
1t docs not include, however, many
comforts which might properly be classed
rs part of an American standard OF
living" no provision for vacations, books
and other comforts being made. The sur
vey is intended, In short, to establish
bottom level of health and decency below
which a family cannot go without danger
of physical and moral deterioration.
The items of the total budget are:
Food S773.93; clothing, S5l3.72, OF
which SI21I6 is expended for the hus-
band and Sl66.46 for the wife; housing,
rIcl and light, S42S, and miscellaneous,
S546.S2. These figures were complied IN
august, 1919, and certain small per-
centage is added to make up for the IN
creased cost during the two months be-
tween August and October, making the
family budget for the latter month s., ,2SS.-
IS. !,
The report points out that individual
sayings NAV be achieved here and there
hv the individual housewife. She may
buy at bargain sales, buying always the
lowest and she may exercise economy by
making over clothing, repairing and
otherwise. And the husband and even the
children may be able TO contribute Ger,
tain services, such as marketing and
housework, which may reduce the need
for actual money expenditures, and make
II possible to maintain decent standard
of living at o somewhat lower budgetary
figure. 1t is pointed out, however, that
although families do often live on smaller
incomes than those indicated, that this u
not a valid criticism. Families may, and
do, live, although underfed, underclothed,
unhealthfully housed, overworked, espec-
tally the wife and mother, and deprived,
particularly the children, OF many things
essential to the development OF healthy
and useful children"
Washington is conceded TO be the city OF
highest prices anywhere. IN the country,
end presumably the minimum income for
a family OF FIVE to be maintained on q
standard OF "health and decency' would
bc less els ewhere than there.