PRE-WAR PRINCIPLES AND METHODS 27 Economics of the University of Washington and the Uni- versity of California. Technically it became later known, in a general way in connection with wage controversies, as the “living wage” as contrasted with the “subsistence wage standard.” The original occasions which led to its development were wage arbitrations in 1917 between street railway companies and their employees in Seattle, Wash- ington, and in Qakland, California. THE SEATTLE AND SAN Francisco Awarps, 1917 [n December, 1917, an arbitration board, which had been earlier appointed in Seattle to determine a wage dis- pute between the local traction company and its employees, made an award which was destined to have a far-reaching effect in later years. The Chairman of the Board was Doctor Henry Suzzalo, at that time President of the Uni- versity of Washington. He called upon the faculty of the Economics and Sociology Department of the Univer- sity to assist him. The late Dr. Carlton Parker was at that time head of the department, and with him were associated Professor William F. Ogburn and others. They made a careful study of living conditions among street railway employees in the city, and prepared a budget for the consideration of the Board in making its award. This budget, as defined by the Arbitration Board in its decision, “may be called a minimum comfort budget and is slightly higher than a minimum health budget. The standard set may, therefore, be said to have been two steps higher than he minimum subsistence level.” It was further explained by the Board that the budget was not an ideal but a generalized one. A family of five was chosen as the basis for the following reasons: The budget is for a family of five. Three children are chosen for various reasons. (a) Three children at least are