Evening star., 1939-01-21
Survey Disc|oses
Indoor Plumbing
Below Expectations
Kitchen Sink First
Of Conveniences
As Income Mounts

Running water and the hot and
cold tap for a morning bath or
shower do not appear to be as COM
monty available in American homes
as they are generally thought to be.
The Bureau of Home Economics of
the United States Department of
Agriculture. searching for plumbing
facts in 8414 homes in the North
Central portion of the country, has
found that even the kitchen sink
with drain was not present in all
homes in either cities or villages
until incomes were quite well up in
the high brackets. On farms, not
even at the highest income levels
did 100 per cent of the families have
this ordinary convenience.
The survey carried out by the
bureau dealt only with white, nom
relief families that included hus-
band and wife, both native born, so
that the facts brought forth are
more optimistic than if they dealt
with the total population. This
family living survey was made under
the supervision of DR.. Louise STAN
ley. Data were gathered over a 12-
month period in the years 1856.
In all family groups-city, village
and farm-With incomes under 81
500 there were some who had no
indoor water supply whatever, not
even hand pump. and no indoor
toilet. However, in the cities the
number was negligible except in the
income groups below $1,000.
Some Hand Pumps at $1,000.
More than 81 per cent of the city
families at the income level of $3.50
to $500 were without an indoor water
supply. But as the income level
rose, the proportion of families hav-
ing this convenience increased rap
idly. Usually, running water was
provided. Strangely enough, how
ever, even among families whose
incomes fell between $4,000 and S.
900. there were a few depending
upon hand pumps in their homes.
The kitchen sink was, as rule,
the plumbing convenience first in
stalled in homes, other conveniences
following as income permitted bet
ter housing. Homes equipped with
q kitchen sink ranged from 81 per
cent in families of the lowest income
group to 100 per cent in three of the
high income groups. Next came
the indoor toilet, which was reported
by half the families in the lowest
income group and by more than
threefourths as soon as incomes
reached as much as $3.50. The per-
centage increased steadily until all
families in the highest income group
had this plumbing convenience.
Running hot and cold water for
bath or shower was reported by
about 80 per cent of the families in
the two income classes below $3.50,
and successfully higher percentage
for each of the following groups up
to 100 per cent when incomes had
reached $1,000.
The hand-pump was often the
source of the family water supply
in the villages, particularly among
families at the lower income levels.
While only so per cent of the fami-
lies in the lowest income class had
running water, SO per cent had kit
chen sinks; some were provided with
water from hand pumps. The num-
Der OF families having no indoor
water supply ranged from about a
fourth of the families in the lowest
income class to only per cent of
those whose incomes fell between
$4,000 and $500. Above that all
families had some sort of water sup
ply indoors and practically all had
running water.
Sinks up With Income.
Sinks with drains added con-
venience to the kitchens of from 68
per cent Of the village families at
the lowest income level to 100 per
cent at the four highest levels. In
door toilet plumbing was reported
by a third of the families at the
lowest income level, and all the
families at two of the higher levels
Running hot and cold water for
bathtub or shower was found in the
homes of 10 per cent of the village
families at the lowest income level
and of 100 per cent when incomes
reached $4,000.
On the Pennsylvania and Ohio
farms, no indoor water supply what
ever, not even hand pump, was
reported by one-half of the families
with incomes between $3.50 and $500;
when incomes were s2,500 or more
approximately one e-seventh lacked
an indoor water supply.
Again the kitchen sink with drain
was the most commonly found Of
plumbing facilities. 1t was reported
by from 38 per cent of the farm
families in one of the lower income
groups to 95 per cent of the families
at the top Of the income scale. About
one-eighth of the families with in.
comes under $3.50 had indoor toilets
the proportion increasing to about
40 per cent Of the families in three
of the highest income groups. Run.
ming hot and cold water for bathtut
or shower was found in from 10 pei
cent of the farmhouses in two O.
the lower income groups to about
40 per cent in three of the higher
income groups.
The study of Consumer purchases
in which these data were obtained
was conducted as a Works Progress.