Evening star., 1951-08-19
A Family Can Live
On $1,000 Per Year
But It's Not Easy
tcontinued From First Page)

this diversion. There is a rec
Ireation center in the project with
professional supervision which
sponsors athletics and teen-age
dances free or at minimum cost
The children participate freely ir
these activities, but ASIDE from
that are required to stay within
their own yard.
"The children always appear
neat and well cared for and are
in fairly good health.
"The monthly income of tht
family is approximately as fol
lows: Wallace's contributions aver
age about $50; Margaret'S salary
is $1O8; Thomas works in yards
on Saturdays, earning about So;
Wallace. jr., contributes around
So, which he earns running er-
rands: Randolph cannot con-
tribute any money but he gets
personal cleaning and pressing
done in payment for cleaning a
tailor shop before school each
morning.
$50 a Month for Food.
Their regular expenditures are
$35 month for rent, which in
cludes payments on back rent, and
$50 for food. Margaret prepares
most of the food in the morning
before she goes to work. She
buys at a chain store and when
possible buys in large quantities
to save money. The family'S basic
diet consists of cereal, dried beans
and potatoes. This is augmented
by green's in season and apples
They use five loaves of bread a
day-Margaret buys day-old bread
and thus saves a few cents. They
use IL large cans of milk week,
usually diluted for their cereal.
Sunday is the only day in the
week that they have meat, which
bs usually meat loaf or frankfurt
tiers. They buy a dozen eggs
week which are used mainly In
cooking and use large quantities
of crackers and peanut butter
AS a treat pancakes or biscuits
are served.
Last year they spent an aver
age of So month for clothing
Almost all of which was used for
shoes and shoe repairs. Two pairs
of shoes a month are usually
necessary. Practically all of their
clothing is donated except for the
two larger boys. The tailor for
whom Randolph works is gener-
Gus and gives the boys uncalled-
for clothing from his shop. That
IS where three of the boys got
their winter overcoats. When
Thomas was graduated from
Junior high school the tailor
altered and gave him a good-quai-
ity dark suit.
THE rules of the project in
which they live require that chill
dren cannot be left alone, and
Margaret has to pay $50 month
to have someone come in to be
with the children while she is at
work. To spare her paralyzed
arm, Margaret bought an electric
washing machine on which they
are paying 81 a month. 1t cost
S116 and when interviewed they
still owed S55. Carfare, haircuts,
and school supplies cost them
around $14 a month.
Mother Needs Relief,
"The immediate need of the
family is relief for the over
worked mother. Nursemaids are
very difficult to procure at the
price she is able to pay. The
mothers working hours keep her
away from the home from 9 ln
the morning until $3.50 at night,
SO day nursery would not be So
luton. Attempts have been made
to find a dependable elderly
woman, preferably with small
income, who would live in the
home. Wallace is too unstable to
be considered a real factor for
help
Margaret and her family turn
to the best possible advantage
every bit of help, both tangible
and intangible. that is given
them. They are self~reliant, in
dependent. and cooperative. NAL
garet's only hope is that she can
keep her health long enough to
continue working until the BOYS
are old enough to contribute from
summer and after school employ
ment. None of them consider the
possibility of any of the chill
dren taking full-time to work be-
fore they finish high school"
The Nixon family in Washing
ton consists of the father, 40; the
mother, 35; two boys, Is and IL
and daughter. IA. Their 1949 in
come was ST, TAO. Mr.. Nixon has a
long history of i'll health and a
heart attack brought the declara-
ton that he was permanently and
totally disabled. He was given a
pension of $50 a month, and this
was supplemented with $50
month from the Public Assistance
Division.
Apartment House Job.
The agencies had this to say OF
how the NixonS made ends meet:
"Mr. Nixon wanted very much tt
be self-supporting and constantly
looked for any work which nj:
health would permit him to do
His ability to find light physica
work is lessened by the fact thai
he completed only the third grade
I'm September 1949 his search
for work was rewarded. He wa'
accepted as engineer of an 82-uni
apartment house with a salary o.
500 a month plus an apartment
This apartment of four rooms ant
bath was unfurnished except TO
gas range and electric refrigerator
The family was so anxious to grasl
this opportunity to be independ
ent and get into better housing
that the lack = furniture wa
hardly considered.
Mr.. Nixon obligated his $50 vet
Grams pension foy $500 worth o
good used furniture. when tn
l. -.