CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY a J The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners North Hudson County, New Jersey January, 1920 SPECIAL REPORT NUMBER 7 March, 1920 National Industrial Conference Board CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 096 441 161 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/cletails/cu31924096441161 National Industrial Conference Board IS BEACON STREET, BOSTON, MASS. BRANCH OFFICE 724 SOUTHERN BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. THE National Industrial Conference Board is a co-operative body composed of representatives of national and state industrial associations and closely allied engineering societies of a national character, and is organized to provide a clearing house of information, a forum for constructive discussion, and machinery for co-operative action on matters that vitally affect the industrial development of the nation. Frederick P. Fish Chairman Magnus W. Alexander . . . Managing Director MEMBERSHIP American Cotton Manufacturers' Association American Hardware Manufacturers' Association American Malleable Castings Association American Paper and Pulp Association Electrical Manufacturers' Club Institute of Makers of Explosives Manufacturing Chemists' Association of the U.S. National Association of Cotton Manufacturers National Association of Finishers of Cotton Fabrics National Association of Manufacturers National Association of Wool Manufacturers National Automobile Chamber of Commerce National Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' Association National Electric Light Association National Erectors' Association National Founders' Association National Implement and Vehicle Association National Industrial Council National Metal Trades Association Rubber Association of America, Inc. Silk Association of America The Railway Car Manufacturers' Association United Typothet^s; of America ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP Associated Industries of Massachusetts Associated Industries of New York State, Inc. Illinois Manufacturers' Association Manufacturers' Association of Connecticut, Inc. THE COST OF LIVING AMONG WAGE-EARNERS NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY JANUARY, 1920 Special Report Number 7 March, 1920 Copyright 19S0 National Industrial Conference Board IS Beacon Street Boston, Mass. Foreword IN this report are presented the results of the Board's investigation of the cost of living among wage-earners in north Hudson County, New Jersey. Similar informa- tion regarding cost-of-living conditions in Fall River and Lawrence, Massachusetts, was given in earlier reports. The purpose of these studies is to determine the sum necessary for the maintenance of a fair minimum standard of living for a family of five persons, according to prevail- ing local conditions, and also to present a comparison of price levels in 1920 with those in 1914. This and similar studies of conditions in specified localities are to be dis- tinguished from the Board's periodic reports on changes in the cost of living for the country as a whole, in which are shown percentages of change in prices and not the actual cost of living at any given time. But these two series of investigations, although they were undertaken with different purposes in view, afford valuable checks on each other. While these studies of the cost of living among wage- earners in specified cities are broadly comparable in that they represent in each case the cost of maintaining a fair minimum standard for an average family, comparisons between the sums necessary to maintain this standard in the separate localities must be made with great care. Because of differing tastes and customs as well as differing means of gratifying them, standards inevitably vary considerably. Moreover, in a period of rapidly changing prices such as that in which these studies were made, a very brief interval of time may reveal marked differences in prices. The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners North Hudson County, New Jersey ^' January, 1920 INTRODUCTION This report is the result of a study made to ascertain the cost of living for families of representative wage- earners in the silk mills of north Hudson County, New- Jersey. More specifically, it relates to conditions in the three adjoining towns of West Hoboken, Union Hill and West New York. The report contains also a study of increases in the cost of living maintained at the same standard during the six-year period from January, 1914, to January, 1920, inclusive. The investigation covered a period of ten days in January, 1920. Method of the Investigation As in the case of similar investigations in other industrial centers,^ the estimated cost of living was based on the needs of a man, his wife, and three children under 14 years of age. These needs were determined from the results of studies, made by authoritative agencies, of actual expendi- tures of a large number of families in various sections of the country, and from experimental budgets worked out by various social organizations. Owing to the very large percentage of women workers in the mills of north Hudson County, a trial budget was prepared also for a single wage- earning woman. In establishing both the family and the individual basic budgets, local conditions and standards of living were taken into account. ' National Industrial Conference Board. Research Report No. 22, The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners, Fall River, Massachusetts, October, 1919; Research Report No. 24, The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners, Lawrence, Massachusetts, November, 1919. In these reports two estimates were given, one for a minimum and one for a slightly better standard of living. The establish- ment of the more liberal standard was necessarily artificial, however, and has not been attempted in the later reports. Information regarding the cost and standard of living was obtained from a large number of individuals in north Hudson County. These included several mill officials, mill operatives, municipal officers and physicians. Local merchants offered suggestions as to the character of food and clothing most in demand among their customers. Prices of food, clothing and fuel were collected from dealers In these articles. The cost of shelter was ascertained from real estate owners and agents, and this was checked by information given by tenants themselves. North Hudson County and its People The three municipalities of West Hoboken, Union Hill and West New York lie directly across the Hudson River from New York City. In them are located 28 silk mills, and the district is said to be the world's greatest center for machine embroidery. There are also a number of small establishments engaged in the manufacture of buttons, braids, artificial flowers and feathers, and in garment making. According to the state census of 1915, the combined population of West Hoboken, Union Hill and West New York was 83,458,^ but the towns have grown during the last five years, and it is quite likely that at present none of the three places has a population of less than 30,000. In 1910, about 75% of the population were foreign born or of foreign or mixed parentage.^ The older immigration was from Germany, and persons of German birth or descent preponderate today. There is also a large Irish population. The more recent immigration has been of Italians, and in West Hoboken there is a large Armenian colony. These later immigrants tend to congregate in settlements of their own nationalities. The industrial census of north Hudson County, taken in 1910, showed more females at work than males.^ In the silk mills especially, a majority of the employees are women and a large proportion of all silk mill employees are under 30 years of age. The population is compara- tively stable, and many wage-earners own or are buying their homes. West New York differs from West Hoboken ' New Jersey. Manual of the Legislature, 1919, pp. 151, 152. * United States. Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910, Vol. Ill, pp. 144, 147. ' Ibid., Vol. IX, p. 784. 2 and Union Hill, which are very much alike, in having more unoccupied land and more brick apartment houses. None of the towns has any conspicuously attractive sec- tions, nor are there many conspicuously poor districts. Most of the houses are of wood. The tenements generally shelter from three to six families, although many two- story houses in rows are found in the district. There are no large provision stores in north Hudson County. The food stores fall into four main groups: the neighborhood meat and vegetable markets; the neighbor- hood delicatessen and canned goods shops; the chain stores, divided into those selling groceries and those selling meats; and the distinctively foreign markets, either Armenian or Italian, where both groceries and certain favorite meats are sold. One large silk mill has a grocery store for its employees only. The chain store system has been extended also to the specialty clothing and shoe trade, although several independent shops deal in men's and women's wear, and the neighborhood stores selling dry goods and underwear are generally individually owned. There is only one large department store in the district. This is located in the business section of Union Hill, between West Hoboken and West New York. North Hudson County people buy to some extent in New York City, but seem not to confine their patronage there to any particular stores or areas. I COST OF LIVING FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE IN JANUARY, 1920 Food The food allowance contains sufficient food for a week for a man, his wife, and three children under 14 years of age. This is based on food budgets used in the Board's earlier surveys,^ but has been modified slightly to conform to the somewhat different tastes and standards of the people of north Hudson County. Thus, for example, dried codfish, common in New England, is but little used in north Hudson County and has been omitted. The total meat allowance, on the other hand, is increased. Cuts of meat vary between the two sections. For in- stance, what is known as flank in Massachusetts is not ordin'arily cut as steak and is not the same as flank steak used in the north Hudson County food budget. The larger expenditure for food in this budget as compared with those in the Fall River and Lawrence studies is partly due to these changes, but it is also partly due to higher prices of certain articles. In particular, the price of milk in north Hudson County was greater than in Fall River or Lawrence. Potatoes and other vegetables were unusually expensive in January, 1920, and the price of sugar was also much higher than it had been in the fall of 1919. The prices given are averages obtained from 21 stores representative of neighborhood stores, chain stores and foreign stores in West Hoboken, Union Hill and West New York. Quotations received from the one company store were in many instances lower than the others, but were not used in obtaining the averages, since the employ- ees of only one mill had the privilege of obtaining goods at these lower prices. The allowance for milk is for bottled milk, delivered, although much loose milk is sold in this district at a somewhat lower price. ' Research Report No. 22, pp. 4, 5; Research Report No. 24, pp. 4, 5. 4 TABLE I : MINIMUM FOOD BUDGET FOR A WEEK FOR A MAN, WIFE, AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER I4 YEARS OF AGE IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, 1920 (National Industrial Conference Board) Cost. Cost. Item and amount January, Item and amount January, 1920 1920 Meat and fish Fruit 2 lbs. flank . . $ .68 3 qts. apples S .30 2 lbs. leg mutton .58 3 oranges . . .12 1 lb. Hamburg .33 4 bananas .13 1 lb. bologna . .30 yi lb. raisins .13 1 lb. sausage .34 1 lb. prunes .20 }4 lb. bacon .19 1 can salmon .24 Bread, cereals, etc. 12 lbs. bread 1.19 Dairy products 2 lbs. flour . . .17 1 doz. eggs .73 1 lb. cornmeal . . . .07 1 lb. butter . . .76 lib. rice . . .17 3^ lb. lard . .16 1 lb. macaroni .16 1 lb. cheese . .41 3 lbs. rolled oats .25 14 qts. milk . 2.52 4 lbs. sugar .72 Vegetables Tea, coffee, etc. \]/i pks. potatoes . 1.37 yi lb. tea .13 3 lbs. carrots . .23 yi lb. coffee .20 2 lbs. onions . .19 yi lb. cocoa .23 3 lbs. cabbage ... 2 lbs. dried beans or lentils .27 .25 Condiments .14 1 can tomatoes . .14 Total weekly cost $14.00 From this budget it appears that $14 a week is the least that should be allowed for the food of a family of two adults and three children under 14 years of age in north Hudson County in January, 1920. This would require a total annual expenditure for food of $728. The Italians and Armenians, particularly those who have most recently come to this country, in many in- stances demand a diet of which the food budget here given would not be typical. The Italians, for instance, often insist on Roman cheese, which may cost one dollar a pound, pure olive oil, and other more expensive articles of food; but, on the other hand, their meat allowance is low, and a dish of macaroni flavored with meat broth or vegetables frequently serves them for an entire meal. Thus the expenditure necessary for food in Italian faniilies would probably not be greater than the cost of the articles listed in the budget. In the same way, the Armenians prefer green vegetables, such as okra and peppers, but they eat little meat except lamb. Their great standby, belov, which is served very much as rice is served, costs only a cent or two more a pound than does rice. Shelter The cost of shelter in north Hudson County was obtained from real estate dealers and owners, from opera- tives interviewed in the mill, and from general inquiry in the districts and at the houses themselves. It was ascertained that rents in north Hudson County are higher than the same houses would bring in many industrial towns. Moreover, the unsettled conditions prevailing in 1920 made for great differences in rents, even for approximately the same accommodations. Several instances were found where tenants of long standing with one landlord paid scarcely more than half as much as was demanded of other tenants for no better quarters. Rates for houses varied slightly as between the three municipalities. For an unimproved tenement of four rooms and toilet in West Hoboken and Union Hill, $18 a month or $216 a year was required. For corresponding accommodations in West New York, a monthly rent of $19 or $228 annually was charged. It should again be noted that while many people pay less rent than this, many others pay more, for houses badly in need of repairs. Clothing The cost of clothing for a family of five was obtained by securing local prices of the different articles, and combin- ing averages of these quotations in a clothing budget. A large number of stores were visited. The prices used in constructing the budget are the minimum quotations for standard grades of goods. As is indicated in Table 2, the cost of certain articles was computed on the basis of the amount of yard goods and other materials required to make them, and where garments would not normally be replaced every year only a proportionate part of the total cost was included. TABLE 2: COST OF A MINIMUM ALLOWANCE OF CLOTHING FOR A YEAR FOR A MAN, WIFE, AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, AT PRICES PREVAILING IN JANUARY, I92O (National Industrial Conference Board) Cost, Cost, Man's budget January, Woman's budget January, 1920 1920 1 suit ... $30.00 1 coat or suit $27.50 }4 overcoat 10.00 5^ dress (material) 6,00 1 pair heavy trousers 5.00 1 cotton skirt 2,75 yi sweater 2.75 2 waists . 4.00 2 shirts ... 3.30 2 house dresses (material) 3,50 3 work shirts 4.50 3 aprons (material) . . 1,50 3 pairs overalls 6.50 IJ^ pair§ shoes . 11,50 2 pairs shoes . 14.00 1 pair overshoes 1,15 Repair of shoes . . . 4.00 Repair of shoes 3,00 8 pairs stockings 1.90 6 pairs stockings 2,20 3 union suits 4.50 2 pairs corsets . 4,50 2 nightshirts 3.25 4 union suits . 5,00 4 collars 1.00 3 chemises (material) . . 2.50 3 ties . . . . 2.25 2 petticoats(material for 1) 2,50 ^ felt hat 2.00 3 nightgowns (material) 4,00 1 straw hat 2.50 1 straw hat . . . 2,25 1 cap 1.15 1 velvet hat . . 2,25 Gloves 2.00 Gloves . 2,00 Sundries .... 3.50 Sundries . ... AH, items . . , . . 4,25 All items $104.10 $92.35 CHILDREN'S BUDGETS Boy Age 13-14 3^ mackinaw . . J/^ sweater . . 1 suit . . 1 pair trousers 3 shirts (material) 3 union suits . . 2 nightshirts (material) 8 pairs stockings 2 pairs shoes . . Repair of shoes . 1 pair overshoes , 1 pair mittens 2 caps , 3 ties , Sundries All items Cost, Jan., 1920 $2.75 1.00 7.50 1.50 2.35 3.20 2.00 2.90 9.50 2,50 1,00 ,45 2,00 1,50 1,00 Boy Age 5-6 }4 coat . . , 14 sweater 1 suit . , . , 1 pair trousers 3 blouses (material) . 3 union suits 3 underwaists. 2 nightgowns (material) 6 pairs stockings 2 pairs shoes Repair of shoes 1 pair overshoes 1 pair mittens 2 caps , 1 Windsor tie Sundries 15 All items Cost. Jan,, 1920 $2,00 1,00 6,00 1,50 1,60 2,85 1.50 1.50 1,90 6,50 1,75 ,75 ,40 1,80 ,40 ,50 Girl Age 9-10 14 coat . . 14 sweater 1 wool dress (material) . 2 cotton dresses (material) . 1 white petticoat (material) 2 pairs bloomers (material) 3 union suits 3 underwaists 2 nightgowns (material) 6 pairs stockings 2 pairs shoes . Repair of shoes 1 pair overshoes 1 pair mittens 1 felt hat 1 straw hat Sundries . $31.95 All items Cost, Jan., 1920 $3,00 1.50 7.35 3.50 .50 1,25 2.70 1.50 1.75 1,80 7,50 1,65 ,80 ,40 1,75 1,50 .50 $38.95 From these clothing budgets it appears that at prices current in January, 1920, $308.50 a year would be required to clothe a family of five living at a fair minimum standard in north Hudson County. This total represents an average necessary expenditure of $5.94 a week. If the garments listed as made at home were bought ready to wear, the cost would be somewhat greater. Fuel, Heat and Light An average of three tons of coal a year is customarily burned by families living at a minimum standard. At $10.75 a ton, the price prevailing throughout north Hudson County in January, 1920, the minimum annual cost of coal would be $32.25 if it was bought in ton lots. To this must be added a carrying-in charge of 60 cents a ton, which is required in the great majority of cases. Many families, however, have no space in which to store so much as a ton of coal and must therefore buy it in smaller quantities at greater cost. An addition of $3 a year to the total allowance for coal is made in recognition of this fact. Kindling wood costs not less than $4 annu- ally. This brings the total minimum cost of fuel to $41.05 a year. In January, 1920, artificial gas sold for $1.15 a thousand feet in north Hudson County. Monthly gas bills for cooking and lighting were found to average somewhat more than $2 throughout the year. An allowance of $2.05 a month is therefore provided for the minimum standard. Combining the cost of coal, wood and gas, the average minimum yearly expenditure necessary for fuel, heat and light may be placed at $65.65 or slightly more than $1.26 a week. Sundries No figures were available to indicate the proportion of silk mill employees who were dependent on transporta- tion to and from work. From estimates of mill officials and others, and from observation of the numbers of operatives who used the street cars at the close of the day's work, it appears that an estimate of 30% as the proportion dependent on transportation would be liberal. Street-car fares were seven cents. Jitney buses charged five cents for short distances, but ten cents was their usual fare. TABLE 3 : AVERAGE MINIMUM COST OF SUNDRIES FOR A MAN, WIFE, AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER I4 YEARS OF AGE IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, 1920 (National Industrial Conference Board) Average Average Item weekly- yearly cost cost Transportation To work . .... . . S .25 $13.00 For shopping and recreation . .25 13.00 Motion pictures and other entertainments .75 39.00 Medical care . . ... .75 39.00 Insurance ... . . . . . .85 44.20 Church, charity and parochial schools .70 36.40 Candy, tobacco, etc .50 26.00 Reading material . . . . .25 13.00 Household furnishings and supplies 1.00 52.00 Organizations .... .20 $5.50 10.40 Total sundries . . . . $286.00 North Hudson County has a number of motion picture theaters, where admission is usually six cents or eleven cents in the afternoon and 17 cents or 22 cents in the evening. There are also at least two vaudeville houses, to which entrance fees are 75 cents or more. The district is so near New York that the amusements in that city are easily available. The wage-earners of north Hudson County very gener- ally carry life insurance and the leading companies report a number of industrial policies totaling more than the industrial population. Many persons, however, carry two or three policies. The average premium paid by wage- earners is said by the companies to be between 15 cents and 20 cents a week. Physicians' fees vary. Many charge $2 for an office call and the same for a house visit. The daily newspapers of north Hudson County are two cents, the same price as the New York daily papers, which also are largely read. The New York Sunday papers cost 10 cents. A large proportion of the silk mill operatives are Roman Catholics, but the population at large appears to be more generally Protestant. There is a Roman Catholic elemen- tary school in each of the three towns ; somewhat less than 25% of the children attend these schools. The cost of tuition is included in the general expenses of the church, but every child must furnish his own books. Although it is impossible to determine accurately the amount spent for each separate item in the sundries group, the following approximations are representative of reason- able average expenditures, and will be varied, of course, to conform with individual needs or tastes. TABLE 4: AVERAGE MINIMUM COST OF LIVING FOR A MAN, WIFE, AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER I4 YEARS OF AGE IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, 1920 (National Industrial Conference Board) Average weekly cost Average yearly cost Budget item West Hoboken and Union Hill West New York West Hoboken and Union Hill West New York Food Shelter Clothing Fuel, heat and light Sundries . $14.00 4.15 5.94 1.26 5.50 $14.00 4.38 5.94 1.26 5.50 $728.00 216.00 308.50 65.65 286.00 $728.00 228.00 308.50 65.65 286.00 All items $30.85 $31.08 $1,604.15 $1,616.15 The Complete Budget The average cost of all items required to maintain a fair minimum standard of living is given in Table 4. This shows that in January, 1920, at least $30.85 a week was needed to support a man, his wife, and three children under 14 years of age in West Hoboken and Union Hill. The slightly higher cost in West New York, $31.08 a week, is explained by higher rents. On the basis of these weekly budgets, the indicated cost of maintaining a family of five persons for a year in West Hoboken and Union Hill would be $1,604.15 and in West New York, $1,616.15. These sums make no allowance for saving except as this is effected through insurance, and provide nothing for a vacation or possible taxes. On the other hand, the amounts shown for the separate items provide for more than mere subsistence and it is probable that 10 many families would find it possible so to redistribute the total annual income as to secure additional comforts. This is a matter of individual planning, however, and it is believed that there will be few if any families in which the sum needed to maintain five persons at a minimum standard of health and efficiency will fall below the amount allowed. 11 II COST OF LIVING FOR A SINGLE WOMAN IN JANUARY, 1920' Inasmuch as a large proportion of the silk mill employees in north Hudson County, New Jersey, are unmarried girls, it seemed desirable in making a study of the cost of living in that district to include an estimate of the expendi- tures necessary for the support of a single woman. Most of these girls live with their parents and either pay all of their wages into the family purse, receiving back a certain amount of spending money for themselves, or they pay a certain specified sum each week. As the amount thus received or retained by the family varies greatly, and may, according to circumstances, be either less or more than is necessary for the maintenance of the girl, it is clear that such figures do not afford a satisfactory basis for determining the amount actually required for her support. It became necessary, therefore, to attempt some apportionment of the total family ex- penditure which might be considered fairly to represent her share of the expenses. Home Expenses The food consumption for a family, as given in the food budget in Table 1, may be regarded as the approxi- mate equivalent of the food requirements of 3.95 adult males. The food consumption of a woman is generally reckoned to be about nine-tenths that of a man. Using this proportion as her share of the cost of food allowed a family of five at a minimum standard, it would require for the adult woman $3.19 a week, or $165.88 a year. ' Few attempts have been made to estimate the share of family expenses customarily borne by a wage-earning woman when living at home as a part of a family group. The conclusions reached in the section which follows must be regarded as a rough approximation rather than as a final definition, although the results check remarkably well with other criteria. An interesting theoretical study of this subject appeared after this section was written. See Dorothy W. Douglas, The Cost of Living for Working Women, Quarterly Journal of Eco- nomics, February, 1920, j»p. 225-259. 12 In distributing the cost of shelter, it would be reasonable to apportion the cost of one room to the girl, since, although she may share her bedroom with another, she has in return the use of the living rooms. One-fourth of the rent allowed in the minimum family budget^ would be $57 a year, or about $1.10 weekly, as the cost of shelter for a single woman living at home. In the case of fuel, heat and light, also, one-fourth of the total cost for the entire familyis as close an approximation as can be made for this item. This, on the basis of the mini- mum expenditure given in Table 4, would amount to $16.41 a year, or about 32 cents a week. Combining these allowances for food, shelter, fuel, heat and light would make a total of $239.29 a year as the portion of the total family expenses to be allocated to a single woman living at home and sharing the cost of maintaining a fair minimum standard of living. These amounts, however, do not cover all the expenses of a person living at home, since they make no allowance for the wear and tear on household goods, for the services of the mother of the family, who does most of the cooking, cleaning and laundry work, or for numerous minor inci- dental costs. To cover the girl's proportionate share of these items, an allowance of $2.50 a week, or $130 a year has been added to the costs already listed. This brings the total amount for the home expenses of a working girl living with her family to $369.29 a year, or $7.10 weekly. Clothing A woman at work outside the home cannot be expected to make any considerable part of her wardrobe herself and she requires more clothing than does the wife of a working- man. The clothing budget for a workingman's wife has, therefore, been revised to include prices of ready-made garments only; a few articles have been added also to meet the needs of a woman outside the home. The indi- cated total cost of the clothing allowance for a wage- earning woman as thus computed is found to average $150 annually. 1 The allowance for shelter is based on its cost in West New York. In West Hoboken and Union Hill it would be a few cents less a week. 13 Sundries Similarly, the expenditures for sundries by a wage- earning girl would undoubtedly be larger than those of a workingman's wife. In Table 5 is given an approximate list of expenditures for sundries which would seem to cover the requirements of a single working woman. These amount to $2.40 a week or $124.80 a year.^ TABLE 5: AVERAGE MINIMUM COST OF SUNDRIES FOR A WAGE-EARNING WOMAN IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, I92O (National Industrial Conference Board) Item Average weekly- cost Average yearly cost Transportation To work . . . . For shopping and recreation $ .25 .25 .25 .40 .15 .25 .15 .15 .45 .10 J13.00 13 00 Motion pictures, entertainments, organizations Medical care Insurance .... . . , , . Church and charity ... Candy, ice cream, etc. Reading, writing material and postage Vacation .... , . Toilet articles, etc. .... 13.00 20.80 7.80 13.00 7.80 7.80 23.40 5.20 Total sundries . . $2,40 8124.80 The Complete Budget Combining the costs of the various items entering into the cost of living of a single wage-earning woman, it appears that the sum of $12.39 weekly would be necessary to cover her expenses when living at home, in north Hudson County in January, 1920. This means an average yearly income of $644.09. As in the case of the family budget there is no allowance for savings except insurance. ^Although no provision for a vacation was made in the family budget, it; is believed that this is a necessity for a young wage-earning girl. 14 TABLE 6: AVERAGE MINIMUM COST OF LIVING FOR A WAGE-EARNING WOMAN LIVING AT HOME IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, JANUARY, I92O (National Industrial Conference Board) Item Average weekly- cost Average yearly cost Home expenses Clothing . Sundries . ... S7.10 2.89 2.40 $369.29 150.00 124.80 All items . ... $12.39 $644.09 It should be emphasized that this estimated cost is for a wage-earning woman h'ving at home; it is undoubt- edly less than would be required if she lived away from home. There were very few boarding houses for employed women in north Hudson County. At one house visited, teachers were charged $12 a week for room and board only. Another house where men boarded charged $10 a week, but the accommodations in this case were of a standard totally unsuited to the requirements of a young woman. To each of these sums it would be necessary to add the cost of clothing, laundry and sundries to obtain the total cost of living for a woman wage-earner if she were boarding away from her family. Assuming that $12 a week would be charged for room and board, it will be seen that in place of the home expenses as given in Table 6, it would be necessary to substitute a figure of $624 a year, which would not include laundry and other material benefits obtained at home. This would bring the total cost of living for a single woman in north Hudson County to con- siderably more than $900 a year. 15 Ill INCREASE IN THE COST OF LIVING SINCE 1914 Food Since most of the food stores in north Hudson County had no records of the prices prevailing in 1914, it was difficult to obtain figures which could be compared with prices current in 1920. One chain grocery, with several branches in each of the three towns, was, however, able to furnish from its national headquarters January, 1914, prices of groceries in north Hudson County. Prices of meat in January, 1914, were supplied by the manager of a chain meat store having several local branches. The January,' 1914, price of milk was obtained also. Quota- tions for some vegetables and for several other articles of food In January, 1914, were secured from files of newspapers published in north Hudson County. The vegetables for which 1914 prices were available were not in all cases those listed in the 1920 budget. The aver- age increase in the cost of vegetables for which prices were secured was 100%, and this was taken as represen- tative of the increase in the cost of all vegetables. Prices of fresh fruits were omitted from both budgets in making this comparison, owing to the difficulty of securing com- parable quotations. The percentage of increase in the cost of food was estimated by comparing the 1914 prices thus obtained for the various articles in the food budget in Table 1, with those in January, 1920, as received from identical stores. -This indicates an average rise of 104% in food prices between January, 1914, and January, 1920. This figure is applicable to changes in the cost of food within this period in all three towns. Shelter The agencies and individuals that furnished current prices of shelter gave estimates and actual figures showing increases in rents. These increases for unimproved tene- ments were found to vary from nothing to over 100%. The advances for improved property, especially heated 16 apartments, were generally greater. Thirty per cent is a broadly representative average advance in the rent of wage-earners' houses from January, 1914, to January, 1920, in West Hoboken and Union Hill. In West New York the increase was slightly greater and has been estimated at 35%. Clothing The prices collected for men's and women's clothing in January, 1920, were for articles which had been selling for specified minimum prices in 1914. It was, therefore, a simple matter to compare the two sets of figures in order to obtain the advance in cost during the six-year period. Combining the price increases shown for the separate garments as listed in the clothing budgets of adults, the total increase in the cost of clothing between January, 1914, and January, 1920, is found to have been 168%. The garments in these budgets which were considered to have been purchased ready to wear, in general, showed a smaller percentage of increase in cost than those which were made at home. This is explained by the fact that the cost of the yard goods from which the latter were made had advanced much more sharply than the cost of made-up garments. The advance in the cost of children's clothing was practically the same as that of adults. Fuel, Heat and Light The price of coal and the carrying-in charge in January, 1914, were obtained from dealers who furnished 1920 prices. By comparing the two sets of figures, the increase in the cost of coal delivered was found to have been 62% in the six-year period. While it was more difficult to compare the cost of kindling wood at the two dates, dealers generally were agreed that it had advanced as much as the cost of coal. Gas rates had increased 28% between 1914 and 1920. The average increase in the cost of fuel, heat and light combined, in the six-year period, was 44%. Sundries Five cents was the price of a street-car ride in January, 1914; the present rate of seven cents is an increase of 40%. Admission charges to all of the motion picture and vaude- ville houses had increased since 1914. In a few instances the only advance was the war tax; in others, the 1920 .17 rates were 70% higher. Fifty per cent Is representative of the average Increase. The price of both daily and Sunday papers had doubled between January, 1914, and January, 1920. A greater amount of Insurance was being carried to cover the in- creased cost of burial and relief. There had not been a uniform advance in doctors' fees but an average of 50% would cover such increases as had occurred from 1914 to January, 1920. As elsewhere in the United States, there had been large advances In the price of medicines. Increases In the cost of candy and tobacco and of house- hold furnishings and supplies have been estimated on the basis of information regarding changes in the cost of these items received for the United States as a whole. When the 1914 prices of the various articles In the sun- dries group are combined according to the distribution shown In Table 3, an average Increase of 69% between 1914 and 1920 Is obtained. This is a representative estimate of the average Increase In the cost of a fair mini- mum allowance of sundries for a family of five persons. TABLE 7: AVERAGE INCREASE BETWEEN JANUARY, I9I4, AND JANUARY, I92O, IN THE MINIMUM COST OF LIVING FOR A MAN, WIFE, AND THREE CHILDREjir UNDER I4 YEARS OF AGE IN NORTH HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY (National Industrial Conference Board) Budget item West Hoboken and Union Hill West New York Food . Shelter Clothing .... Fuel, heat and light Sundries ... Weighted average of all items . . 104% 30% 168% 44% 69% 87% 104% 35% 168% 44% 69% 88% On the basis of all these data regarding the average increase In the cost of the separate budget Items, which of necessity are In a number of cases only the best possible approximations. It appears that the cost of living at a fair minimum standard for a family of five persons In West Hoboken and Union Hill, New Jersey, Increased 87% between January, 1914, and January, 1920. The increase in West New York was 88%. 18 It should be noted that, although these increases have been estimated on the basis of maintaining practically identical standards in the two periods, few families are now living exactly as they were before the war. In many cases substitutions, especially of foods, have been made, either voluntarily or of necessity, as prices have risen. In other cases, wage increases greater than the cost of living have enabled families to buy more and better goods than they were formerly accustomed to purchase. In some families a reduced consumption of liquor has resulted in the purchase of luxuries in the way of food and clothing to which they were unaccustomed. A comparison of stand- ards as nearly identical as possible is, however, the only fair basis for estimating the increase in the cost of living during the six-year period. Too close comparisons should not be made between the actual cost of living or increases in the cost of living in the different communities surveyed by the Board. In a period of rapidly changing prices such as that in which these studies were made, even a few weeks may show significant differences in the average cost of the same article even in the same city. Moreover, since the aim of these studies is to determine the minimum cost of living according to conditions actually prevailing in each separ- ate locality, the standard necessarily varies somewhat with local tastes and customs and the means of gratifying them, although in each case it represents a fair minimum. 19 SUMMARY From the results of this brief survey of the cost of living and changes in the cost of living among employees in the silk mills of north Hudson County, New Jersey, it appears that on the basis of prices in January, 1920, $30.85 a ■ week or $1,604.15 annually would be required to maintain a man, his wife, and three children under 14 years of age at a reasonable minimum standard of living in West Hoboken and Union Hill, while $31.08 weekly or $1,616.15 annually would be required in West New Yo^k, because of the slightly higher rents. These figures represent increases of 87% and 88%, respectively, since 1914. The cost of living for a young woman at home in January, 1920, would average $12.39 a week, or $644.09 a year. If she were paying board at current commercial rates the annual cost would be about $300 more. It should be remembered that these figures are based on the average requirements of a theoretical family of five persons with a single wage-earner. While this theo- retical family of five is generally accepted as the unit of measurement in studies of the cost of living, there are groups of people of whom this unit is not representative. Where this is the case, it should be recognized that the addition of each child under 14 years of age will mean an addition of approximately 1200 to the annual family budget in north Hudson County, and that where the family is smaller, the necessary cost of living may be correspond- ingly reduced. This is exclusive of the cost of shelter and of fuel, heat and light. An additional child would not necessitate a larger house, while a family of four, to be comfortable, would still require a minimum of four rooms. 20 Publications of the National Industrial Conference Board RESEARCH REPORTS Research Report No. 1. Workmen's Compensation Acts in the United States — The Legal Phase. 60 pages. April, 1917. Revised, August, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. S. Analysis of British Wartime Reports on Hours of Work . AS Related to Output and Fatigue. 58 pages. November, 1917. $1.00. Research Report No. 3. Strikes in American Industry in Wartime. 20 pages. March, 1918. 50 cents. Research Report No. 4- Hours of Work as Related to Output and Health of Workers — Cotton Manufacturing. 64 pages. March, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 5. The Canadian Industrial Disputes Investigation Act. 28 pages. April, 1918. 50 cents. Research Report No. 6. Sickness Insurance or Sickness Prevention.' 24 pages. May, 1918. 50 cents. Research Report No. 7. Hours of Work as Related to Output and Health of Workers — Boot and Shoe Industry. 76 pages. June, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 8. Wartime Employment of Women in the Metal Trades. 80 pages. July, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 9. Wartime Changes in the Cost of Living — July, 1914, to June, 1918. 82 pages. August, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 10. Arbitration and WagE-Fixing in Australia. 52 pages. Octo- ber, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 11. The Eight-Hour Day Defined. 12 pages. December, 1918. 50 cents. Research Report No. IS. Hours of Work as Related to Output and Health of Workers — Wool Manufacturing. 69 pages. December, 1918. $1.00. Research Report No. 13. Rest Periods for Industrial Workers. 55 pages. January, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. 14. Wa'rtime Changes in the Cost of Living — July, 1914, to November, 1918. 33 pages. February, 1919. 75 cents. Research Report No. IS. Problems of Industrial Readjustment in the United States. 58 pages. February, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. 16. Hours of Work as Related to Output and Health of Workers — Silk Manufacturing. 54 pages. March, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. 17. Wartime Changes in the Cost of Living — July, 1914, to March, 1919. 31 pages. May, 1919. 75 cents. Research Report No. 18. Hours of Work as Related to Output and Health of Workers — Metal Manufacturing Industries. 62 pages. July, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. 19. Changes in the Cost of Living — July, 1914, to July, 1919, 31 pages. September, 1919. 75 cents. Research Report No. HO. Wartime Changes in Wages — (September, 1914, — March, 1919). 128 pages. September, 1919. $1.50. Research Report No. SI. Works Councils in the United States. 135 pages. October, 1919. $1.50. Research Report No. 22. The Cost of Living among Wage-Earners — Fall River, Massachusetts, October, 1919. 18 pages. November, 1919. 50 cents. Research Report No. SS. Conciliation and Arbitration in New Zealand. 46 pages. December, 1919. $1.00. Research Report No. $4. The Cost of Living among Wage-Earners — Lawrence, Massachusetts, November, 1919. 21 pages. December, 1919. 50 cents. Research Report No. 35. Changes in the Cost of Living —July, 1914, to November, 1919. 24 pages. December, 1919. 75 cents. Research Report No. S6. A Works Council Manual. 32 pages. February, 1920. $1.00. Research Report No. 27. The Hours of Work Problem in Five Major Industries. 91 pages. -March, 1920. $1.00. Research Report No. 28. Changes in Cost of Living— July, 1914, to March, 1920. 24 pages. May, 1920. 75 cents. Research Report No. 29. Practical Experience with Profit Sharing in Industrial Establishments. June, 1920. $1.00. Publications — continued SPECIAL REPORTS Special Report No. 1. A Case of Federal Propaganda in our Public Schools. 13 pages. February, 1919. 50 cents. Special Report No. B. War Revenue Act of 1918 (A Brief Analysis). 18 pages. March, 1919. 50 cents. Special Report No. 3. Interim Report of the European Commission of the National Industrial Conference Board. 34 pages. July, 1919. 50 cents. Special Report No. 4- Is Compulsory Health Insurance Desirable.' 12 pages. October, 1919. 50 cents. Special Report No. 5. Vital Issues in the Industrial Conference at Washington, D.C. 15 pages. November, 1919. 50 cents. Special Report No. 6. Problems of Labor and Industry in Great Britain, France, and Italy. Report of the European Commission. 406 pages. November, 1919. 12.50. Special Report No. 7. The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners, North Hudson County, New Jersey. 20 pages. March, 1920. 50 cents. Special Report No. 8. The Cost of Living Among Wage-Earners, Greenville and Pelzer, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina, January and February, 1920. 26 pages. May, 1920. 50 cents. Special Report No. 9. Proceedings of the National .Industrial Tax Conference at Chicago, Illinois, April 16, 1920. 113 pages. May, 1920. $1.00. 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