The pioneer-review. [volume] (Philip, Haakon County, S.D.) 1920-current, 1922-09-21
WHAT is A"LIVING WAGE"

| During the period of coal an.
railroad strike one has heard Sc
much about living wage" and W.
doubt there are mighty few who
use the expressiioin that realize
the futility of attempting to set {
fixed standard of living wage
for any one class or group OF
wage earners wherein the wages
received would meet the living ex.
penses of each individual within
the group to allow for the small
amount that should be laid away
for the movable rainy day.
If it were the problem of can
we live within the wage Of what
this Or that occupation offers, the
solution would be less difficult, for
it would require only trial. IA
little close figuring and economic
ing to reveal whether such en-
ployment returned sufficiently for
our everyday needs plus "A resaon
able amount to he added to the
savings account
Snpposing we take fifty men Of
equal stations in life and put them
all to work at the same kind of
employment and at equal wages.
Let the families Of these men be
of equal proportions and the nee
essary living expenses the same.
After one year of steady employ
ment under such conditions barr
ing sickness and other misfortuncs
how many among those fifty men
will have lived within the wage
and show an even balance sheet
as evidence of neither gain or loss
during the year?
We cant tell you just how this
class of fifty men would be divid-
ed up but we are sure there would
be such conglomeration of diff
ference in results that would set
tie with you forever that the great
problem is not of a living wage"
but "how can | live within the
wage" You would find percent
age of those fifty men, at the end
Of the year had greatly improved
their living conditions and et!u-
cations besides storing away sub
stantial savings and were casting
bright outiooks to the future
where access to employment high
er up and at higher wages are OPP
IN and awaiting them. Another
class, or percentage, of the fifty
men you would find standing still,
having gained nothing more than
rather they have de-
Perforated because they failed in
the opportunities of adj
In another class you
would find men who could not
'tretsh the payroll to cover their
Of living and were in debt
wherever it was possible to get
credit. And still another class you
would find who had become dis
satisfied, claiming the task unequal
and dropped out of line at differ
ent periods and drifted on to i'm
aginary greener pastures. i
And if you were hunting up
chronic kickers about unequal pri-
vileges, non-living wages, etc., in
which class Of men would you look
to find them? We do not need to
answer that question for you.
The laboring man who is living
within the wages he earns, saving a
portion of it, educating himself
and familiarizing himself for posi-
ions of advancement and gives
real and efficient service to his
has no worry about
4 living wage"
Enormous salaries (some times
We hear them called outrageous)
are awaiting men capable Of claim
ng them in the world today, but
We cannot expect to have them
handed to us if we do not train
and educate ourselves to the capa-
oility Of reaching them.
1t is no disgrace to dig in the
lirt for a meager existence, but
he lack of progressiveness that
Keeps worker on that plane is
% be deplored.
Education and training, combin-
ID with progressiveness and the
ise of little common sense and
'rugal habits are the mottos on
he sign boards that mark the !
he open road to successful employ
nent. Steady down, drive in and
'orge ahead. How far you will get
IN the road depends only in the !
;are and preparation you have
made for the journey and your
in overcoming the oh |