In neither of these estimates is any provision made for savings other than insurance. It should be noted, however, that while allowance has been made in the budget for medical care, recreation and insurance, these are to a certain extent provided free if operatives care to avail themselves of the facilities offered. Thus, life insurance premiums are paid by many of the mills; social activities are supported by a few and a nursing service by some. Although allowance for parochial schools is included in the budget, there are good public schools available in the city without cost. Taking these circumstances into account the estimates of the sums needed to maintain an American standard of living in Fall River in October, 1919, are as representative as any which can be reached.
These sums provide for the maintenance of a family of five at an American standard of living, where the father is the sole wage-earner. It should be recognized, however, that the foreign families are frequently larger and that in many of them there are several wage-earners. Their standard of living, on the other hand, is intrinsically lower.
These averages may be compared with the results of an investigation made by a totally different method by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in Fall River in 1918 when the average cost of living of 158 families earning roughly from $900 to $2,500 per year was found to be $1,320.84.[3 ] For 12 of these families, yearly expenses averaged $826.23; for 56, they were $1,058.30; for 48, they were $1,292.54. Thus, nearly three-quarters of the families were spending about the same amount or less than that determined by the National Industrial Conference Board to represent the minimum cost of living. Making allowance for increases in cost since the Bureau's study was made, the results of the two investigations are seen to be in substantial agreement.
TABLE 5: AVERAGE COST OF LIVING FOR A MAN, WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE IN FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER, 1919
(National Industrial Conference Board)
| Budget item | Minimum standard | More liberal standard | ||
| Average weekly cost | Average yearly cost | Average weekly cost | Average yearly cost | |
| Food | $11.00 | $ 572.00 | $12.15 | $ 631.80 |
| Shelter | 2.25 | 117.00 | 3.50 | 182.00 |
| Clothing | 4.68 | 243.36 | 6.20 | 322.25 |
| Fuel, heat and light | 1.35 | 70.20 | 1.62 | 84.25 |
| Sundries | 5.10 | 265.20 | 6.80 | 353.60 |
| All items | $24.38 | $1,267.76 | $30.27 | $1,573.90 |
Increase in the Cost of Living Since 1914
Food.[ ] It was difficult to compare the cost of food in Fall River in October, 1919, with the cost in October, 1914, since no stores could be found in the city from which prices of all articles at these two dates could be secured. One store, however, for years has published a "fair price-list" in one of the daily papers, covering most articles of food except fresh meat and vegetables. It was possible to compare prices quoted in this list in October, 1919, with those in October, 1914. Prices of meats were obtained from advertisements of certain stores in 1914 and compared with prices prevailing at the same stores in 1919.