Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

XXI It will be seen that the proportion of the income spent on food diminishes as the income increases ; the following Table shows the proportions for each income-class :— Limits of Family Weekly Income. Under 20a. 20a. and under 25a. 25a. and under 50a. 30a. and under 35a. 35a. and under 40a. 40a. and above. Percentage of weekly income spent on food (excluding Beer). 68-7 64-5 62 3 59 2 57 7 56 3 Bread and Flour.—The heading “ bread ” covers all the numerous varieties and grades of bread sold in the German towns. White (wheaten) bread is eaten by the German workmen to only a very small extent, and then chiefly in the form of breakfast rolls ; " black ” rye bread, from flour once or twice ground, is used extensively in all parts of Germany ; and between these two extremes there are many varieties, chiefly of bread composed of rye and wheat (or in some instances, as at Dresden, rye and maize) in varying proportions, and usually known as “ grey ” bread. A typical case is Barmen, where the kinds of bread sold, and all bought by the working-classes, are described as being made of rye once-ground, rye twice-ground, two-thirds rye and one-third wheat, two-fifths rye and three-fifths wheat, one-third rye and two-thirds wheat, and wheat (this last in the form of sweet loaves or rolls). Whilst there is thus nothing approaching to a standard quality of bread throughout Germany, so also there is no standard size for the loaf, and consequently in the same town loaves are sold often in numerous sizes ; a rise in the price of cereals may thus bring either a decrease in the weight of loaves without a rise in price, or a rise in price and no diminution in weight. Flour is bought by the working-classes only to a small amount ; it is wheaten flour, used chiefly for the making of pastry. The average weekly consumption of Bread per family as shown by the budgets varied from lbs. in the case of the lowest income-class to 35¿ lbs. in the highest class, where the number of children living at home is larger than in any other group and the family income is much augmented by their earnings. The weekly consumption of Flour per family ranged from 1& lbs. to 3 lbs. Meat.—The total weekly expenditure on meat of all kinds (including bacon, fish, &c.), as shown by the budgets, ranged from 3s. 11 d. in the lowest income-class to 8s. 11|d. in the class of family incomes above 40s. The average for all incomes is 5s. 11 \d., or 18*8 per cent, of the average family income for all classes. The proportion of the amount expended on meat of all kinds (including bacon and fish) to the family income is distinctly higher in the two lowest income-classes than in the other four ; in these latter, though the actual expenditure rises with the income, its proportion to the income appears to be a fairly constant one, as the following Table shows :— Weekly Income. Under 20s. 20s. and under 25s 25s. „ „ 30s 30s. „ „ 35s 35s. „ » 40s 40s. and over Percentage of Income spent on Meat, Bacon and Fish. 22 2 19 3 18 6 18-8 18 4 18 4 The kinds of meat principally consumed by the German working-classes are beef, pork and sausage (chiefly of pork). The following Table, which gives the respective proportions of the different sorts of meat to the total weekly amount of all kinds consumed, as shown by the budgets, clearly demonstrates the overwhelming importance of the three principal items :— Percentage of total weekly consumption. Beef. 29-8 Sausage. 26-7 Pork. 213 Bacon. 10 4 Veal. 5*9 Mutton. 3-5 Other kinds. 24 Total. 100-0

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Cost of living in German towns

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation