The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-14
PAY OF CALIFORNIA
 STATE EMPLOYES IS
 HELD TO BE TOO LOW

SACRAMENTO, Cal, Feb. 14.-Sal- aries of State employees, especially clerks, do not provide "comfortable' living for the average family.
 This conclusion, drawn by the State Civil Service Commission in a re- port on its Cost of Living Survey" is based on careful investigation of the cost of food, clothing, house oper- ating expenses and miscellaneous items.
 To live properly, without luxuries and with no provision for saving, the Civil Service Commission finds the cost for a family of husband, wife and three children, as follows:
 Laborer-$2,157 per year.
 Clerk-$3,149 per year.
 Executive-$7,0 ,034 per year.
 The Commission admits in it's re- port that "the amount arrived at is considerably in excess of the salaries paid" In this connection it is inter- esting to note the effect which the in- sufficency of State salaries has had. Twenty-nine per cent of the married men in State employ have no children. The average number of children for married men with families is some what more than one.
 Clerks Expenses High
 In explaining the wide difference in the estimated cost of a laborer's family as compared with that of a clerk. etc., the Commission has this to say:
 "It might be said that the budget which has been suggested for the fam lily of the laborer should be sufficient for the family of the clerk. This, to certain extent, is true, but it must be remembered that there are certain items of expense which the clerk has to meet which do not have to be con- sidered in the case of the laborer For instance, the laborer as a rule takes his lunch with him, while the clerk usually eats his lunch at res taurant. It is necessary, therefore, to increase the food budget suggested for the clerk to meet this extra.
 "A more liberal budget should be allowed for the executive because, in general his dietary would conform to higher standard of living than the clerk or laborer Conventional de- mands of entertainment, more eX- pensive meats, fruits and vegetables, would necessarily increase the amount spent for food.'
 The Commission finds that while food prices have dropped in the past two years, the cost of rent has gone up. d~,rs
 ltemized Costs
 Itemized the cost of living per year for a family of husband, wife and three children, follows:
 Laborer Food, $697 clothing s373.13; house and house operation, 1U.0O, ullSCGlldlSOuS, PoiO.OC. 1ottlA, $2,157.44.
 Clerk-Food, $79s; clothing s717.65; house and house operation, $1,127.61; miscellaneous, s5O5.75, Total $3,149.01.
 Executive-Food, $1,063; clothing, s1,424; house and house operation, $2,OS5.O2; miscellaneous, $1,562.25. To- tal $7,O34.S0.
 Under miscellaneous is included en- tertainment, club dues. doctor bills, dentist bills, etc.
 The report finds that the annual clothing bill of the wife of a laborer should approximate SIS. The wife of clerk should be allowed $260 for dress, and the wife of an executive s593.
 J. c. Whitman, a member of the Civil Service Commission, admitted the estimates of the board are high CT than those of the Industrial Vel fare Commission, but said "we are estimating tho cost of living comfort ably"