Evening star., 1941-03-02
Cost Of Living
In Capital 1.1%
Over Year Ago =.
Figures for Federal
Workers Found $3.50
Above 1888 Level

A gradual rise in the cost Of nv-
ing in the District-of 8.6 per cent
above 1888 and of IL per cent over
1939-was reported yesterday by
Secretary of Labor Perkins.
The report was based on a study
made here by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the living costs for
Government workers The report
concluded that the costs were slight5.
ly higher on December Is, 1910.
than they were on the same date in
1889 and considerably higher than
in March, 1888.
A sharpest rise was in food costs,
while housing coSts-for low-sal-
aried people-clothing, amusements,
medical care and home furnishings
also showed varying increases.
Transportation costs declined.
The study on which the figures
are based was conducted in part
by pricing in Washington stores a
list of goods most important in ths
spending of Federal employees and
their families, as determined by an
investigation of 1886 representa- tvs
Federal families and 123 single in
dlvlduals made in the fall of 1888.
Food Up 3.5 Per Cent.
These workers included repre-
Sentatives of four groups: Profess
sional employees with salaries rang
ing from $4,000 to $4,000; C. A. F.
employees with salaries from S1,5O0
to $4,000; custodial employees in the
81 900 to 81 500 salary bracket, and
single individuals receiving from
$500 to $4,000. All those in the
first three groups had families.
Though food prices fluctuated cons
siderably during 1910, food costs on
the whole were 3.5 per cent higher
in December than a year ago, ac-
cording to the bureaus index. Al
the end of the year prices were
higher for many important articles,
including meats, butter, eggs and
oranges.
Housing costs for Federal em-
ployes in the District showed an
average advance of 0.1 per cent dur
ing the year. Housing costs for
single individuals, consisting mainly
Of room rentals. registered an in
crease of Is per cent, while rents
for employees with salaries above
s2,500 dropped OF per cent. This
is explained by the fact that the
home building program in the Dis
trict and nearby counties has largely
consisted of dwellings at higher
rent levels.
Due mainly to the higher level Of
prices for mems suits, shirts and
socks, clothing costs were OF per
cent higher on the average in De-
cember, 1910, than year ago The
bureau reported lower prices for
womens coats and silk hose. Prices
of most other items in the Federal
wardrobe showed no change during
the year.
Hosehold Costs Rise.
Household operating costs rose
O2 per cent and furniture and
equipment costs increased 1.3 per
cent.
The bureau reported 4 per cent
increase in the cost of recreation.
The cost of personal care dropped
o.6 per cent during the year for all
groups combined. Medical care in.
creased OIL per cent and the life
insurance item 1.6 per cent Theirs
were no changes in the cost of for
NAL education and contributions to
the retirement fund.
At several points, the pattern Of
spending, as between men and
women in the single individual clas-
siflcation, differs widely, according
to the bureaus figures. Women in
this group reported an average of
S243 a year in gifts and contribu-
tlons outside the family, as COM
pared with $125 for men, and women
contributed $72 for community well
fare, as against a SAT average for
men. Women also reported larger
expenditures for clothing, Sl96.
against STAT for men. Recreation
expenditures averaged Sl7l for men.
nearly three times the average re.
ported by single women. Food ex-
pendltures for men averaged S44O.
as compared with 1892 for women.