The Distribution of Incomes in the United States

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...wages become larger. In the metropolis 44.0 per cent of all the households, and in New Jersey 54.5 per cent, were supported entirely by the exertion of the husband. The columns numbered IV and V in Table XVII show very conclusively that the greater the earning capacity of the father the less is the probability that his contribution will have to be supplemented from other sources. The apparent inconsistency between these two columns is probably due to the lapse of time, the rise in general prices, the difference in locality, and perhaps to other causes. The New jersey figures show that approximately fiftyfive per cent of the households having husbands are entirely supported by them; it will be remembered that the number of private families is about one-seventh larger than the number of married men. If that ratio held in New Jersey in 1888, then, roughly, forty-eight per cent of the households were dependent on fathers.1 In New York City, in 1907, the ratio would have been 38.31 per cent. It seems, therefore, safe to conclude that between four and five-tenths of the industrial families of the United States derive their entire money income from the labor of the father-husband.' 1681 X f = 778: 681--310 = 371: 371 is 47.69% of 778. 2 It should be noted that after the earnings of the father reach a certain point where saving is possible, the probability that he will invest begins to increase. The larger his labor income, the more able he is to set aside. So, if columns IV and V of Table XVII were continued, the values would presently begin to increase, and would doubtless ultimately reach and remain at 1.000. In other words, 100 per cent of the men with very high earnings, probably, have supplemental incomes from some form of capital. This means that, not includ...