Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-14
WORKING GIRLS
IN KANSAS ARE
FRUGAL, CLAIM
Survey Shows They Are Not
Extravagant in Their Ex-
penditureS, According to
Welfare Commission.


Topeka, Kans.. Dec. 1.-THE
often heard statement that work
ing girls are extravagant in their
| expenditures has been disproved
/ by surveys made in Kansas City.
Topeka and other cities in the state
by the Kansas Industrial Welfare
commission, according to report
issued today by Miss Lima Bre-
settle, secretary
I'VE hear every day about the
extravaganza of the working girl, !"
says the report. at may be true
that some of the trained business
women working on good salaries
spend their money recklesly, but
there are hundreds, yes thousands,
Of working women in the state of
Kansas who arc barely eking out
an existence"
From budgets prepared by 4
number of girls in Kansas City,
the least one submitted was $3.50
week. The highest was s1S05.
And there are still many 50 and SO
a week jobs held by young women,
Mss Bresette says.
In the inspection of rOoming
houses where working girls live K
was found that most places did not
provide for entertainment of COM
pany and that all hut a few were
not modern. "All of which goes
10 show" says the report, that
the wages of the average giii
workers are not commeBuratc
with the cost Of living"
Price of BOARD and Room.
The price of board and rooms
was found somewhat lower in
Kansas City than in Topeka.
This was not because the cost of
living was less in Kansas City, but
because the room ard board We're
available IN the districts where the
standards of living are the lowest.
The price for board and room
ranged from So to 50 a week"
Miss Bresette relates the cOndi- !
tons as discovered by the commits |
sion:
"a search for rooms in Kansas |
City took US into the poorer dis |
tricts Of the city. Few rooms were |
available in the best residential |
districts. This was not true in To-
peka, whore there is practically no
district in the city in which it IS |
impossible to find rooms.
THE privileges were few. At |
one place they said the girls might
entertain gentlemen callers if not
too often. and they did not STAY
until after 10 y. m. In most cases
such privileges We're not extended
to the girls. In many cases this
was because the living room was
used as a sleeping room by the
family and therefore there was no
place for company to be entertain
ed At two or three places they
said girls might have company
once a week. At two places the
for light housekeeping was eN-
tended. Most Of the places inVesti-
gated in Kansas City were not pro-
vided with bath, but hot water
might be had upon request.
places where room alone could
be obtained, the price ranged from
So to S. n week. Other conditions
were practically the same as where
room and board were both fur
nished.
A Living Wage.
The question of how much
money women industrial workers
live on is partly answered by the
budgets gathered, ranging from
$50 to $1S.05 a week
"Thc girl who submitted the least
budget of $3.50 paid for board and
lodging to mother SIS; clothing,
$3.50; mother does laundry. Other
items included: Car fare, four (
rides a week, 80 cents; recreation, =
30 cents insurance, 60 cents: Moth
ing allowed for doctor and dentist,
self Improvement or savings. The
budget submitted by this girl was 5
not the amount that she thought j
she could live on, but the amount
she was forced to live on.
zone girl who submitted a
budget of Ss.75, pays $3.50 a week 1
FOR board and lodging; .-othing, &
S1.45; does own laundry; car fare, {
30 cents; medicine, Is cents;
'hurch, 35 cents; newspapers and s
r cents; vacation ana f
$1.95; incidentals, so t
tents; organization dues, 20 cents; !
nothing for insurance, self i'm !
DrOvement or savings. q
Another gill submitted a budget q
or the cost of living to the amount
If $12.15; board and lodging, $3.50;
ST. does own laundry; car i
ares 80 cents; church, Is cents;
$3.50; organization !
lues, so cents: insurance, $1l0; a
nothing allowed for doctor, dentist, l.
vacations or savings. -
zone girl who submitted
budget of $11.59 allowed for ,
BOARD and lodging, $3.50; clothing, 4
%; laundry, nothing: newspapers
nd magazines, 10 cents; recreation
two motion picture shows. prob
bly,, "A cents; savings, is cents;
organization dues, IS cents; insllr-
nee, Sl25" |