Families in Fall River often are large; the French Canadian and Portuguese not infrequently have eight or more children, and sometimes 12 or 15. This means that in many families there is inevitably a period of poverty before the children become old enough to work; this is often partially relieved by the employment of the mother. When, however, the children begin to go into the mills, a considerable increase in income takes place very rapidly.
The most important industry in Fall River is the manufacture of cotton cloth. There are in the city 111 cotton mills and an additional number of industries directly allied to cotton manufacturing. Retail selling is confined, with the exception of two or three large food stores and three or four department stores, largely to small neighborhood stores, the proprietors of which are of the same nationality as the people to whose trade they cater, or, in the case of specialty clothing stores, Jews.
Cost of Living in October, 1919
Food.[ ] To obtain the average cost of food, several budgets including articles sufficient for a week's supply for a family of man, wife and three children were used as a basis. From these were constructed food budgets designed to meet the requirements of a minimum standard and of one slightly above the minimum. Prices were collected from four of the large down-town stores, from branches of two different chain stores, one of them represented by 21 separate branches, and from various neighborhood grocery stores: one Polish, one Portuguese and two French. When there was more than one quality of an article the price used was the lowest consistent with what appeared to be good value. The quotations collected for each article were averaged and are given in Tables 1 and 2.
TABLE 1: MINIMUM FOOD BUDGET FOR A WEEK FOR A MAN, WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE, FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, OCTOBER, 1919
(National Industrial Conference Board)
| Item and amount |
Cost, October, 1919 | Item and amount |
Cost, October, 1919 |
| Meat and Fish | Fruit | ||
| 2 lbs. flank | $ .32 | 3 qts. apples | $ .27 |
| 2 lbs. chuck | .40 | 3 oranges | .12 |
| ½ lb. bacon | .21 | 4 bananas | .15 |
| 1 lb. dried cod | .20 | ½ lb. raisins | .12 |
| 1 can salmon | .27 | 1 lb. prunes | .24 |
| Dairy Products | Bread, Cereals, etc. | ||
| 1 doz. eggs | .61 | 12 lbs. bread | 1.28 |
| 1 lb. butter | .66 | 2 lbs. flour | .16 |
| ½ lb. oleomargarine or lard | .18 | 1 lb. corn meal | .07 |
| 1 lb. cheese | .41 | 1 lb. rice | .16 |
| 14 qts. milk | 2.10 | 1 lb. macaroni | .16 |
| Vegetables | 3 lbs. sugar | .33 | |
| 1½ pks. potatoes | .77 | 3 lbs. rolled oats | .21 |
| 3 lbs. carrots | .12 | 1 pt. molasses | .12 |
| 2 lbs. onions | .13 | Tea, Coffee, etc. | |
| 3 lbs. cabbage | .14 | ¼ lb. tea | .15 |
| 2 lbs. dried beans | .23 | ½ lb. coffee | .23 |
| 1 can tomatoes | .15 | ½ lb. cocoa | .22 |
| Condiments | .11 | ||
| Total weekly cost | $11.00 |
From the food budget itemized in Table 1, which must be regarded as a minimum, it appears that the least that can be allowed for food for a man, wife and three children under fourteen years of age in Fall River in October, 1919, is $11 a week.