62 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND WAGES 
decency below which a family can not go without danger of 
physical and moral deterioration. This budget does not 
include many comforts which should be included in a proper 
“American standard of living.” 
Thus no provision is directly made for savings other than 
insurance, nor for vacations, nor for books and other educa- 
tional purposes. 
On the other hand, a family with the items listed in this 
budget should be able to maintain itself in health and modest 
comfort. It would have a sufficiency of food, respectable 
clothing, sanitary housing, and a minimum of the essential 
“sundries.” 
Tue Cost oF A BupGeET LeveL NoT NECESSARILY 
A Fixep Money Cost 
The annual expense of maintaining the budget level above 
described may be arrived at by obtaining and totaling the 
current prices on each of the individual items entering into 
the budget. 
In subsequent labor controversies and arbitrations of 
wage disputes this budget became of the utmost importance 
because of its official character. For this reason it had an 
authoritative influence which previous studies, mainly 
emanating from private sources, lacked. It therefore 
became the center of discussions. revolving around the 
“living wage” principle. It was constantly put forward in 
the adjustments of wages of railroad employees, mine 
workers and other classes of wage-earners during the 
highly controversial years immediately following its pub- 
lication. 
OrriciaL SANcTIONS OF THE CosT-0F-LIVING AND 
Livine-WAGE PRINCIPLES 
In addition to the outstanding precedent furnished by 
the budget of the United States Bureau of Labor Sta-