Evening star., 1935-01-23
LoW-SaIaried Group Hard
est Hit, Labor Bureau
Survey Shows.
REPORT is IN SERIES
ORDERED BY PRESIDENT
Statistics viii Be Used in De-
termining Duration of U. S.
Pay Cut.

An increase of ! per cent in the
cost of living of Government en-
ployes living in washington was re-
corded in the five-month period from
June to November, 1884. it was an
nounced today by Isadore Lubin, COM
missioner OF the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
The figure was arrived at as the
average of II classiflcations of neces-
stiles. embracing food clothing. hous-
ing. household operation. furnishings
and equipment, transportation, per-
sonal care, medical care, recreation
formal education, life insurance and
retirement fund.
The report was another in the
series ordered by President Roosevelt
as an index to determine the dura-
tion of the Federal pay cut.
With the first six months of 1928
taken as 100. the index figure on
November Is was 873. as compared
with 864 in June, 1884
Ordinary Purchases Tailed.
The survey on which the figures
are based, Commissioner Lubin an
nounced, was conducted by pricing a
list of the most important goods Gus
tomarily purchased by Federal en-
ployes and their families in the first
six months of 1923. The list was de-
termined by study Of actual expen-
ditures made in the Fall of 1888, and
so far as possible, goods priced in No.
vember, 1884, were of the same kind
and quality.
In the 11-month period from De-
cember, 1888, to November, 1884, the
cost of living jumped 81 per cent.
The cost of goods purchased by FAM
lilies of custodial employees watch
men, elevator operators, charWomen,
janitors, etc. with salaries under
S2,50O increased "a per cent. This
was greater than the increases shown
for any other group of Government
employees and Commissioner Lubin eX-
planned it by pointing out that a
larger proportion OF their earnings
was allotted to the purchase of food.
For employees in groups other than
custodial employees whose salaries
were under $4,000, the increase was
OF per cent. For families of en-
ployes earning $4,000 or more, the
increase was 81 per cent. The in
crease for single employees was only
0.8 per cent.
Low-Paid Group Hit.
The same proportion of increases
was true in the five months period
from June to November, with the ad-
vances being largest among the low
paid custodial group.
The cost of living for single indi-
viduals, however, declined OIL per cent
during the same period.
Rents increased slightly in the
period from June to November, 1884"
Lubin announced. except for the
type of houses rented by the GUS
todial group. The index of total hous-
ing costs was also influenced by the
costs of home owning, which, with the
exception of house repairs, remained
unchanged.
"a slight decline in transportation
costs for all groups, but the custodial
is explained by the price declines Of
some of the medium priced automo-
bileS, which are in the list of items
purchased by all but the custodial
group.
The indices of the costs Of per-
Sonal care and recreation show de-
creaSes from June to November, 1884.
because of price declines in soaps,
haircutS and tobaccos."
Food Up Al Per Cent.
In reaching the average advance Of
per cent in the total cost of living
the changes in the IL classifications
of necessary expenses for all classes
of Federal workers were shown as
follows:
Food, up Al per cent; clothing
down IL per cent; housing. up Z
per cent; household operation, up
l.8 per cent; furnishings and equip
ment, down L per cent; transporta-
ton, down II per cent; personal
care, down 81 per cent; medical care,
up 8 per cent; recreation, down %
per cent; formal education, up L
per cent; life insurance, no change,
and retirement fund, no change.
The average cost of living here is
still higher than that of wage earn
ers elsewhere in the country, Lubin
pointed out. Since the first six months
of 1928 the decline in Washington
has totaled 1877 per cent. For wage
earners outside Washington the de-
cline has totaled 1873 per cent in the
same length of time.