Evening star., 1922-11-05
LIVING WAGE QUESTION
PUSHED TO THE FRONT
Ruling by the Railroad Labor Board Has
Started Chain of Insistent
Inquiry.

In Industries in smaller places through
out the country. where the workers
would not be compelled to wear the
same kind of clothes as government
clerks in Washington, but might dress
practically all the working hours in
overaIIs; where foodstuffs cost far less
than in Washington and rents are only
small fraction of what they are here.
Use Made Of Figures.
There is no doubt. however, but what
various groups Of employees outside of
Washington have undertaken to de-
velop standards of living wages based
largely upon figures and standards con-
tained in the report of the bureau of
labor statistics, which applied only TO
government clerks in Washington.
There are government officials here
who would believe that it would be
far more correct to take as sample
of the living wage" the actual eH-
penditures of families of workers.
These figures indicate just what the
standard of living has been and what
it's cost has been. In this connection
a report made by the bureau of labor
statistics in 1919 showing the aver
age amount expended by families in
ninety-two industrial centers is il
Eliminating. The report covers the
annual expenditures of 1906 white
families. They are divided into in
come groups. ranging from those
under 5000 to those receiving $500
or more. In the first group. it was
shown that the average annual ex-
one families split even. 1877 had
surplus at the end of the year and
144 had a deficit. In the group hav-
ing $500 or over, it was shown that
the average yearly expenditure was
$2,466.99. that two families split even.
306 had a surplus, and forty-five Il
deficit at the end of the year. The
average expenditure of all these fam
lilies was s1434.36, and s.496 had Il
surplus, 2,S66 had a deficit and ;3i
split even.
Deficits In Higher Glasses.
The report shows that the families
having deficit were by no means
confined to the families having the
smallest incomes. This is considered
significant in an examination of the
question of what constitutes a living
stndard and a living wage in this
country.
| The federal government. although
| the question of living wage for gov
! ernment employees in Washington
| was examined into by the bureau of
| labor statistics several years ago. has
! not yet reclaSsified or changed the
salaries of its employees, except to
continue the annual bonus established
in war times. 1t has recognized that
it is up against a tough proposition
| when it attempts to establish stand
ard of living for any great group of
people. The reclassification legisla-
tion is still in the making. and when
it is completed it will probably have
comparatively little in common with
the statistics gathered in 1919.
The war labor board laid down the
principle that workers were entitled
to living wage. 1t stated formula
in more or less general terms relat-
ing " Tie lISiHG "dSe- Ipul iio eAdCI
standard of living and its cost was
established by the board.
Question a Live One.
But the question of a living wage"
the right of workers to a wage that
will enable them to live in decency
| and health. is likely to gain more and
more recognition as time goes on. Tho
standard of living for workers in the
United States is constantly growing
higher. The wages of workers have
increased decade after decade 1t Is
not believed that the standard OF liv
CONTINUED on Third Page)