Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-06
INCOMES AND LIVING STANDARDS.

The living wage has entered largely into cur
rent economic discussions. It has been asserted that
this point there is no controversy. The only dispute
on this point is as to what constitutes a living wage.
Labor leaders in continuing the discussion have
taken the position that the living wage is not the
correct standard, and that the workmen is entitled
to more than that. Again there is ! lack,,of definite
|ness as TO the nature Of the living wage.
We may assume that in an ideal society every
person reasonably competent and reasonably in-
dustrious will receive as the rewards Of his labor an
income sufficient to maintain himself and his family
IN comfort and decency, to provide for his children
such mental and physical training as will equip
them properly to take their proper place in the ac-
~tivities of the world, and to accumulate a sufficient
reserve to provide suitably for the needs of old age.
With all this taken for granted, we are still a long
way from the solution of the problem. We may de-
and the cost of living, but we still lack a standard on
which the cost of living is to be based.
Our lite becomes more and more complex The
Injuries OF yesterday have become the necessaries
OF today. Our wants increase as the means for graft
tying our desires increase. Each of us demands
at least as many of the good things of life as are en-
jloyed by his neighbor similarly situated, and each
hopes to share the pleasures enjoyed by those hav-
ing larger incomes and more leisure
In a stagnant society living standards are rela-
lively stable. In matters Of food, clothing, shelter,
recreation, and so forth, the habits of one genera
ton follow closely those of its predecessor. Society
itself becomes cast into fixed forms. The manual
labor expects to remain a manual labor all his life.
The clerk expects to remain a clerk. The income
normally yielded by each occupation provides for
the meeting of certain needs and the furlfillment Of
certain desires, and the scale of living is adjusted to
the family income.
In a different state of society ambition creates
opportunity, and opportunity stimulates ambition.
The Individual thinks he sees the way to make his
lot more comfortable and more pleasant, and he di-
reefs his energies to that end The expenditure of
today is based on the anticipation of ~tomo1row's
success. The accumulation Of a reserve is neglect
ed, because it is expected that this will come more
easily later on. A standard of living is adopted
which calls for the expenditure Of the entire income,
and something more If prosperity comes, the
standard is advanced. That standard is never quite
realized, for the Income of the present is never quite
sufficient for it.
The state in which all worthy persons will be
able to meet all their wants will never be attained,
because wants multiply as the means for meeting
them increase There will always be individuals
able to accumulate while maintaining themselves in
comfort, because there will always Be individuals
strong enough to deny themselves the present graft
~fication of a desire. But a very large number of
people will be unable to do this because Of the
empowering desire to live as well as their neigh.
bors, If it takes the last dollar.