The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-07
Survey in Thirty-Nine Kansas
Cities Made by Court.
Plans Under Way to Revise
State Wage Scales.
WOMEN PAID SIG SO PEI, WEEK
Courts Investigators Secure
Much Information on Costs.
Considerable Variation Found
in Different Kansas Towns.

The average cost of living of wage
earning women in Kansas is $16.93 a
week, based on a suggested budget,
the Kansas court of industrial rela-
tions announced today thru Judge
James A. McDermott.
These figures are contained in a re-
port of the survey conducted in thirty
nine kansas cities last summer by the
women's division of the court under
the direction of Miss Lima Bresette.
in an attempt to determine the amount
that is adequate to meet the cost of
essentials of living, "consonant with
the health and welfare of the indi-
vidual worker
To Revise Wage Scale.
The dustrial court plans to review
and revise where necessary all mini
mum wage orders made by the old
Industrial welfare commission, now
consolidated under the court. The
findings IN the survey will be supple
mented by data gathered from investi-
will be held in the near future by the
court.
Calling attention to the fact that
the highest minimum wage ever rec
commended to the welfare commission
was S11 a week, after six months of
showed that more than SO per cent
of Kansas women in industry were
receiving under $12 week, with
median weekly earnings of $11.95, the
report says:
IF s16.93 is necessary to meet the
cost of living for an individual woman.
many Kansas women are not receiving
adequate wages.
In making up their model budget"
the courts investigator decided that
the essentials of living include re-
spectacle lodging, three meals a day
suitable clothing, some provisions for
laundry, sickness, dentist and oculist
attention, amusement, self improve
'ment, carfare and incidentals.
Information From Many Angles.
Information was obtained from sew
eral angles. Thirty eight cities were
visited by special agents who person
ally gathered data covering the cost
of rooms board and clothing. The
results of this direct investigation were
combined with estimates of living
costs obtained from conferences with
merchants, club women, groups OF
women employed and from expense
budgets of individual workers.
During the conferences it was often
contended that because the majority
of Kansas working women lived at
home they could work for lower wages
than those who were forced to live
away from home,' says the report
THE purpose of the survey was not to
find out for what amount a woman
could live in the family group with
help from that group, but rather for
what amount an individual woman
could meet the cost of living.
TT was not felt that the woman
who lives at home could be considered
as different from the woman who is
adrift Because some one supports
her is no reason for giving her a
lower minimum rate. It is true that
SIS per cent of Kansas women live
at home, but wage and hour survey
showed that per cent were support
ing total dependents, SO per cent con-
tributing all of their earnings, SO per
cent at least part of their earnings,
leavS49g but / 5 per cent having all Of
their earnings"
Cost of Living.
The general cost OF living budget as
rov,o~%od NV COURTS investigators fol-