Evening star., 1938-04-03
Studying the Needs of
the Working Girls
BY FREDERIC J. H4SKIN.

some crank makes public statement
asserting that working girl can live on
such and such an amount. To begin
with all working girls are not identical,
in spite of their hats and marcels, and
what would serve one would be hope
lessly inadequate for another. Some time
ago an earnest thinker announced that a
working girl could support herself on
1925 week If she were clever with a
needle. A columnist of the period OBJ
served that the man who thought any
girl could live on $4.25 week if she were
clever with needle must be pretty clever
with needle himself
Be all that as 1t may, there now ap-
pears what seems to be fairly compe-
tent survey of what are the minimum
requirements If working girl is to
maintain reasonable standards Of COM
fort, decency and health The amount
Is about four times what the man who
might have been clever with the needle
estimated.
The Government agency making the
survey, the New York State Department
of Labor, selected that State for its study,
but the findings have been regarded as
of such general application that the
United States Department of Labor has,
in effect seconded them. New York City
Is admittedly an expensive city in which
to live, but by no means the most expen-
slVe city. 1t is believed that expenses of
living at the National Capital are great
err However, the survey was not confined
to the metropolis, but included commu-
mites throughout the State
Indeed, when the figures are averaged
there is very little difference in the costs
in New York City and elsewhere in the
State The finding IS laid down that a
working woman, living alone, in New
York State requires sl,19246 to maintain
adequate standards. Living as a mem
Der OF family she needs s1.05831. Liv.
ing alone in New York City she needs
81 ,l9257 and about the same differential
Is marked for living in family as in
other parts OF the State.
X x
To a very large number of working
women these figures would seem we'll nigh
Utopian. Thousands upon thousands
make scarcely half any of these sums.
Moreover, in great many cases an in
come OF less than one of these must go
not to the support of the worker herself.
but to that of one or more others. Still
statisticians must draw averages and
that is what has been done here. It
should not be understood that any sur
vey has discovered that such average in
comes are earned the point is that these
averages should accrue to meet the rea-
sonable needs of the recipients.
The investigation was made as the re-
suit Of the recent enactment in New
York State of a minimum wage law for
women, carrying out, in effect, the ideals
OF the defunct Federal N. r. A. Before
drawing final recommendations for mini
mum wages for woman workers 1t was
determined to find out the proper income
requirements of such workers so that
minimum wages could be adjusted to
these.
1t is perfectly obvious that no rule of
thumb can be laid down as to what are
specific requirements One woman wants
TO spend more on food another on
closnes: one smokes many cigarettes and
another smokes none at all but has a
substantial appetite for candy Still 9TH
ers Will desire to make sacrifices in order
to buy books or attend theaters. But,
tossing all elements into a statistical
melting pot. certain conclusions have
been reported.
A woman living alone should have a
well equipped bed. a chair and reading
Ilght. desk. rug closet or wardrobe.
a chest OF drawers, and. by all means. a
competent mirror These items are re-
garded as the irreducible minimum. With
allowances for heat, light, bedding. laun-
Dry services and such incidentals It is
figured that this housing cost must he
s238.85 for the State at large and s245 SO
for New York City.
y X
In the matter of clothing some working
girls would consider the allowance gen.
erolls, others skinny. Here is the list of
items held necessary: Eight dresses. in
Guiding one party dress, and four hats
each year. Twenty pairs of silk hose are
included and four pairs of shoes a year,
with one pair of party slippers which
should last two years. Then there are a
skirt and blouse each year, spring coat
and sweater for two years and winter
coat for three years. Lingerie. gloves,
handbags, bathrobe. overshoes, raincoat.
belts and buckles. scarves and incidental
Jewelry are loosely Jumped in and not
budgeted on an annual basis. For the
State at large this clothing budget is
given an annual basis For the State at
large this clothing budget is given an
annual basis of sl96sl and for New York
City, Sl9818. That figure must have
been arrived at by positive fiend at
bargains!
An item of $l439 a year is calculated
for cleaning, outside laundry, shoe and
other repairs, and only s3401 a year is
allowed cosmetics and beauty parlor pa
tronage. Medical care including care of
teeth and eyes, accounts for S5570.
For leisure time activities, including
movies, club dues, recreational equipment.
vacation expenses-counting two weeks
church contributions and reading mat
ter, the sum of $10675 is set down. An
item of 1892 is added for life insurance,
Old-age pension contributions and the
like. Such incidentals as carfare, candy,
cigarettes and contributions to charity
take care of S94.50.
X
Now for the most important item of all
food. Many a girl can scarcely be in
duced to taste potato once a week and
is sparing of bread, but the ideal diet is
said to include 1874 pounds of bread a wear
and 1877 pounds of potatoes. Other item,
are listed, the balanced diets making lin
from $500 to $500 calories a day. The
diet budget is based on worker of whom
- -