Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-03-09
VILLAGE FAMILIES
SHOWING PROGRESS
Conditions Better For More
Than Half of Those
Investigated

j the money management of 94O7 non
relief families in American village lif,
throughout the country is given il
tables compiled by the Bureau O.
Home Economics of the u S. Depart
ment of Agriculture as a part of its
nationwide family-living study. 4
years record for these families show
ed 5,191 getting ahead 1929 falline
behind, and 987 breaking even.
New England Families.
Of 1888 New England village families
that gave full accounts of income and
expenditures for a twelve-month pc
riod during 1935-1936, 405 families
showed an increase in net worth as a
result of the years operations, 287
families showed a decrease in net
worth, and Al broke even. Not until
families reached an income of 1880
did more of them get ahead than fall
behind. Not until they reached an in
come of $1,75O did they, as a group,
average increasing in net worth. The
~ families at the highest income level
analyzed in that area $4,000 to So
999) averaged a $555 increase in net
worth.
Central and Atlantic Families.
Of 3,O44 Central and Atlantic vii
lage families whose home accounts
were analyzed, 1,733 were getting a.
head as a result of the years earnings
and money management, 978 were go
ing behind, and 333 neither gained nor
lost. Even at the lowest income level
$250-$499) a few families got ahead
At the $3.50 to $999 level, more fam
lilies gained than lost. AS soon as in
comes reached the $1,000 level, the IA
miles on each income class averaged
increasing in net worth. This average
increase rose rapidly at the higher in
come levels, as follows: $4,000 to $2.-
S99-$377; $4,000 to $3,999-$64O; $4,000
to $4,999-$1, ,275; $4,000 to $9,999-$2.
GA.
Mountain and Plains Families.
Of 1,101 Mountain and Plains fam
lilies, SCI got ahead financially 435
fell behind and the rest remained sta
tionary Not until they reached ST.
25O income level did these families as
an income class begin to average an
increase in net worth, and then it was
less than fifty cents per family per
year. Up to that point more families
were losers than gamers. Beyond it,
the gamers were in the majority, with
sizable average annual increases in
net worth at the higher income levels,
as follows: $4,000 to $2,999-$474; $3,-
600 to $3,999-$564; $4,OO to $4,999-$1,-
3O4; $4,000 to $9,999-$4, ,346.
Pacific Coast Families.
Of 1,464 Pacific Coast village fam
lilies analysed, 867 gained in net worth
485 lost and the rest broke even. AT
the lowest income level ($25O-$499), 4
of the % families thus situated man
aged to gain; at the highest level
analyzed in that area ($3,O0O to $3,
999). of the A families had to chalk
up a loss AS soon as the families
reached a $1,000 income level, more in
creased than decreased in net worth.
After the $3.50 income level was
reached, there was an average gain
for all families, beginning at $39
wear for these receiving between $1,25O
to S1,499 and rising to $500 per year
for the fanil1es receiving between
5000 and 5000.
Southeastern Negro Families.
Of 973 Negro families in the South
east whose incomes were analyzed,
386 gained in net worth, 366 lost, and
the rest ended the year in the same
financial fashion as they started 1t.
Those families that fell into income
categories under $3.50 q year showed
average decreases per income class
which ranged from $21 per family at
the lowest income class (under $3.50
down to 81 per family for those get
ting between $500 and $749. The fam
lilies getting between $3.50 and $1,250
averaged increases. Of the 10 families
getting above 1850, four suffered de-
creases severe enough to cause a SIT
average yearly loss for the entire
group.
These figures, first of their kind for
American village life, were made pos
sible by the Study of Consumer Fur
chases conducted in 40 villages, Is
small cities and 66 farm counties un-
der the direction of DR.. Louise Stan
lev. chief of the Bureau Of Home Eco
.lomics.
THAT so many families were found
to be getting ahead is testimonial
to the managing ability of the Amer
lean village housewife" said DR.. Stan
lev. OO1lO luCO1llCS d1C OO INV IAAo~S
it is almost impossible for any family
to live on them. A few are so high
that almost all receiving them can
live within their means. Between
these two extremes lies the great puik
of American families, where welfare
depends on how the money is manag-
ed. That is the field in which the nome
maker was a great factor in deter
mining whether her family would pe
listed in the increase in net wortn
or the decrease in net worth column