Family Economics Review [Oct. 1958]

              MICS
EW
Institute of Home Economics,
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
!gricultural Research Service_,
OF AGRICULTURE iif=s", .... _:w:e~
Prepared for home agents and home economics
Extension Serviee, this publication reports
and food economics, and economic aspects of
CQNTENTS
specialists of the Agricultural
current developments in family
home ma~elllent ..
<:. (J ' c ., ,, t }" --.._~
• / Y3 ~ r C.R""~ 1' }' 0 ' -~ .s 0 "'u :;':.' o;-
·o I c '- i,
Page
FAMILY MEALS AWAY FROM HOME..................................... 4
NEW LAWS HELP CONSUMERS•••• ••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 9
VARIATIONS IN CONSUMER USE OF INSTALLMENT CREDIT....... • • • • • • • • • • 11
THE SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDENTS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 12
SOME TRENDS IN LIFE INSURANCE. • • .. .. • .. • .. • • • • • • .. .. • • • • • .. • .. • • • • • • • • • • 14
INCQMES OF WOMEN COLLEGE GRADUATES.............................. 18
EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20
ESTIMATED COST OF ONE WEEK'S FOQD••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24
ARs 62-5
October 1958
Washington, D. C.
BARGAINS IN FOOD V All.JE
A food bargain means many things • • • a week-end special~ the lower
prices of plentiful foods~ the best buys offered by different grocery stores.
A true bargain~ though~ is a food that gives us good returns in food value
for the money. Following are some examples of foods that are likely to be
"nutritional" bargains.
Dark-green vegetables.--Chard~ collards~ kale~ mustard and turnip greens~
spinach ~ and other dark-green leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamin A
value. They are excellent buys when in season and low priced. Even when in
short supply and more costly~ they are economical sources of this essential
because they provide so much of it.
Many of the dark-green leaves furnish appreciable amounts of calcium,
iron, riboflavin, and when properly prepared for eating, of vitamin C. These
are added reasons why money going for dark-green leafy vegetables is gener­ally
well spent.
Broccoli is another green vegetable that ·gives us good returns in
vitamins and minerals. Many of us count broccoli among the more expensive
vegetables . When we look at its cost in light of the food value we are
getting~ though~ broccoli is a much better buy than many vegetables that are
low priced but give only small amounts of important nutrients.
Dark-yellow vegetables.--Carrots furnish an abundant supply of vitamin
A value and are generally inexpensive to buy throughout the year. This com­bination
of low cost and high food value means that carrots are usually a top
buy for vitamin A. Winter squash and the darker yellow varieties of sweet­potatoes
also provide good amounts of this vitamin in relation to their cost.
Sweetpotatoes offer extra value in that they provide worthwhile amounts of
vitamin C when cooked in the skin.
Potatoes.--Ascorbic acid~ certain of the B-vitamins, and iron are usually
provided economically by potatoes. These contributions, along with the other
essentials they furnish, make potatoes a good buy.
Cabbage.--When eaten raw~ cabbage gives valuable amounts of vitamin C.
It's available the year-round, generally at a favorable price, and is one of
our most economical buys for vitamin C.
Citrus fruits and tomatoes.--Other leading buys for vitamin C include
oranges and grapefruit and their juices . These fruits may cost more than
many others~ but rate as economical sources of vitamin C because of their high
content . The canned and frozen juices are apt to be good buys during the
entire year. The fresh fruit is most economical during the winter and spring
When in season and in good market supply. The higher prices of citrus fruits
and juices during the past few months reflect last year's poor crop.
-2-
Tomatoes furnish somewhat less vitamin C in a serving than citrus fruits
do, yet they are a fairly economical source of this nutrient. Tomato juice
and canned tomatoes are usually a better buy than the f~esh except when
locally grown tomatoes are in season.
Dry beans and dry peas.--Important amounts of good-quality protein, iron,
food energy, and certain of the B-vitamins are furnished by dry beans and peas.
With their low cost, these foods are one of our top buys in food value . They
can be used as alternates for meats, generally an expensive item in the food
budget, or can be used along with _meat to make it go further. Either way
means money saved.
Whole grain and enriched bread and cereals. --Compared with other foods,
bread and cereals are generally inexpensive. Of the many different ~inds,
the whole grain and enriched products are nearly always the best buys because
they offer more food value. These foods can give worthwhile quantities of
several vitamins and minerals as well as protein and calories . Their many­sided
nutritional contribution and low cost mean another bargain in nutrients.
Fats and sweets.--As a group, fats and sweets are very economical sources
of calories. Refined sugars and inexpensive fats such as lard and margarine
are apt to be among the cheapest items for food energy but this is their main
contribution.
Milk.--With its liberal offering of calcium and valuable amounts of top­grade
proteins and riboflavin, whole fluid milk is an example of a fo~d con­sidered
high-priced by some that gives good returns in food value . In
addition to these 3 essentials, milk also furnishes other vitamins and min­erals.
Some milk is fortified with vitamin A or D to give extra food value.
Certain forms of milk are less expensive than others and thus are better
bargains in nutrition. Nonfat dry milk, for instance, is cheap compared to
others. It furnishes about the same food value as whole milk, except that
with the removal of butterfat the vitamin A content is greatly reduced and
the calorie value is lowered. Whole fluid milk is likely to be the top cost
item among the common forms of milk. The cost of others, such as fluid skim,
evaporated, and buttermilk, probably will fall between that for the nonfat
dry and the whole fluid milk.
Cheese.--Cottage, swiss, and cheddar-type cheeses often are bargains for
certain essentials. Cottage cheese contains good amounts of protein and ribo­flavin
and usually can be counted as a bargain for these nutrients . Swiss
and cheddar cheese, on the other hand, are generally more economical sources
of calcium than cottage cheese.
Meats.--In general, there is such a wide range in price depending on
the cut, grade, and kind of meat that it is difficult to point out best buys.
The lean (muscle) parts of beef, lamb, pork, and poultry are much alike in
-3-
food value, except that pork is outstanding for thiamine. This means we can
compare meats on the basis of the cost of a serving of the lean or meaty
portion to see which is the most economical . Fish and eggs for use as meat
alternates frequently can be purchased at lower cost.
Variety meats .--Liver gives us a wealth of vitamin A, generous quantities
o~ certain of the B-vitamins, is a top source of iron, and also furnishes high­quality
pr otein . Moreover, it provides important amounts of vitamin C, which
is unusual for a meat . We get all of this food value at low cost when we buy
beef, lamb, or pork liver. Calves liver is higher priced but still rates as
a good buy because of its high food value .
Other variety meats, as heart and kidney, also give liberal amounts of
several nutrients such as pr otein, iron, and the B-vitamins, but some of them
are not furnished in the same abundance as in liver. These meats, too, are
frequently available at relatively low cost.
Here are some additional pointers for worthwhile savings when shopping
for foods , including those that are our best food value bargains.
Compare the cost 'of different foods that have about the
same food value and are used the same way in meals. A
good way to do this is to consider the number of servings
possible from a certain amount of the different foods and
s ee which is the cheapest on a serving basis. For instance,
the dark-green leaves are much alike in food value and all
are good buys when we consider the food value we get in
return . But some greens will cost less for a serving than
others .
Many foods are available in different forms--fresh, canned,
frozen, dried, for example . There are some differences in
nutritive value of foods prepared in different ways, but
usually the differences are small. This means that we can
buy the form that sells for less and still expect to get
much the same food value .
Choose the grade or quality of food according to the use
you intend to make of it • Top quality foods usually bring
top prices . Top market grade foods are generally those
with the most attractive appearance, pleasing flavor,
desirable texture . Many times we prepare foods in a way
that makes these characteristics of good quality unimpor­tant
to the finished product . We wouldn't think of buying
a high-priced steak for stew. Sometimes, though, top­grade
fruits and vegetables or other foods are used in ways
where a lower grade or another form would have served just
as well, with money saved.
-4-
Purchasing large packages or containers of foods usually
means pennies saved. Buying in large ~uantity is no economy~
however, if waste occurs because we haven't the proper stor­age
facilities or because the food is used infre~uently .
Many partially prepared or ready-to-eat foods cost more than
the same food prepared at home. When we buy "convenience"
foods often we are really buying extra time . If time is of
special importance to us J convenience foods may be a bar­gain
even if they cost more. The homemaker who wants to
save money probably will fare better, in many cases, by
doing much of her own food preparation. She can compare the
cost of purchased an~ homemade productB of the same ~uality
to learn which items are cheaper when made at home .
A final phase of getting our money's worth in food value concerns care
of the food after it is bought. CarefUl storage and proper preparation and
cooking will help retain the nutrients we purchase in foods.
--Louise Page
FAMILY MEALS AWAY FROM HOME
"Eating out" is more common among families in the United States than i t
was two decades ago. This trend is particularly noticeable among farm fami­lies,
who in 1955 spent 14 percent of their food money for food and beverages
away from home, compared with 6 percent in 1935-36. Urban families also
increased the proportion of their food money for consumption outside the home,
although not so much as farm families; in 1955,19 percent of their food money
went for "eating out" compared with ll percent in 1935-36. Many factors have
influenced this trend. Among the most important are the increased number of
public eating places, such as commercial in-plant feeding operations, restau­rants
in department stores, drug store luncheonettes, and the development of
the school lunch program and school cafeterias. Increased incomes , increased
employment of wives outside the home, and the trend toward lightening work in
the home have also contributed.
How frequently were meals eaten out?--Two meals out of the 21 normally
eaten in a week by each family member were eaten outside the home~ according
to heretofore unpublished data from a nationwide food consumption survey
made in the spring of 1955 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. ~
~ This survey included only "housekeeping" families (those that served at
least 10 meals at home to at least 1 person during the week preceding the in­terview).
Had all families been included~ that is, those living in boarding
houses and hotels, those away from home at the time of the survey~ and those
not asked to cooperate because too few meals had been eaten at home, the aver­age
number of meals away per family member would have been more than 2 in a
week .
-5-
Only purchased meals and those received without cost were considered to be
meals "eaten out . 11 Lunches carried from home were counted as meals at home
since the food came from home food supplies . Meals consisting of about
equal quantities of food carried from home and food purchased or received
free outside the home were counted as half at home and half away from home.
An example would be a meal of a sandwich packed at home supplemented by a
purchased dessert and beverage . If a beverage was the only supplement to a
packed meal the meal was considered a meal at home.
On the average, 17 per cent of all noon meals eaten by family members in
a week, 6 per cent of all evening meals, and 4 percent of all breakfasts were
eaten outside the home (table 1 ). In other words, each family member had an
average of 1 noon meal away from home every 6 days, an evening meal every
16 days , and a br eakfast every 27 days .
Table 1 .--Average number and percent of morning, noon, and evening meals eaten
at home and away in a week by housekeeping families, spring 1955
Meals eaten by family members
Away from home
Meal Total At home Bought Received
free
Number of meals per family
All meals . ...................... 72 65 4.4 2.2
Morning meals •••••.••••••••••• 24 23 .5 .4
Noon meals ... . ........•....••. 24 20 3.1 1.0
Evening meals .••.•••••.•••..•• 24 22 .8 .8
Percent of meals at home and away
All meals . ...................... 100 91 6 3
Morning meals •.••••••••••••••• 100 96 2 2
Noon meals . .........••........ 100 83 13 4
Evening meals • •••••••••••••••• 100 94 3 3
Percent of total meals at each meal
All meals . ...................... 100 100 100 100
Morning meals ••.••••••••..•••• 33 35 11 19
Noon meals •.••.••.•••••••••••• 33 30 71 46
Evening meals •••••.••••.••••.• 33 34 17 36 -
NOTE : Components may not add to totals because of rounding. Percentages
based on unr ounded dat a.
How many families had meals out?--One-half of the families reported at
least 1 meal a week purchased and eaten away from home by a member, and about
-6-
one-third reported at least 1 free meal. The percentages of families report­ing
breakfasts, noon, or evening meals bought or received free away from home
are shown below:
All meals
Morning meals •••••••••••
Noon meals •.••.••.••.•.•
Evening meals •••••••••••
Percent of families reporting
1 or more
bought meals
50
10
45
20
1 or more
free meals
31
9
22
20
Were the meals out bought or received free?--Six percent of all family
meals were bought and eaten away, 3 percent were received free. Free meals
were mostly guest meals, but some were connected with work, such as a farmer's
meal at a neighbor's while exchanging work, or a student's meal while working
for his board. For families who reported any bought meals away from home
during the week, the average number was 8.8; for those reporting any free meals
the average number was 7 .1. ?}
Which family members .. ate out?--Men had the largest share of the family's
purchased meals and women the smallest share, with boys and girls under 21
somewhere between. Free meals were shared in reverse order; women had the
most, men the fewest, and boys. and girls under 21 wer.e again between (table 2).
What were urban-farm differences7--0n the average, urban families bought
about twice as many meals away from home as did rural farm families- - 4 .8 meals
and 2.9 per family, respectively (table 3). These figures reflect the larger
number of urban families buying meals away from home; 55 percent of them as
compared with 35 percent of farm families reported at least 1 purchased meal
in the week. The number of meals bought and eaten away by families that
bought any meals was about the same for urban and farm families--8 .7 meals for
urban and 8.3 meals for rural farm.
Urban and farm families had the same number of free meals, on the aver­age--
2.1 meals per week--and the proportion of families reporting such meals
was about the same--31 and 30 percent, respectively. The urban families
bought more meals than they received free; the farm families had nearly as
many free meals away from home as they bought.
Both city and farm families ate the noon meal away from home more fre­quently
than the other two meals . Among the urban families, 7 out of every
10 meals eaten away from home were at noon; among farm families, 8 out of
10 were noon meals. Free meals received by both g+oups were more evenly dis­tributed
among the three meals of the day.
?J The average number of bought or free meals per family reporting any such
meals was computed by dividing the average number of such meals reported by
all families (table 1) by the percentage of families reporting one or more
such meals away from home (see above summary). (For example 4.4 meals divided
by 50 percent= 8.8 meals .)
-7-
Table 2 . - -Average number of bought and free meals away from home in a week
and percent of families having these meals
Family members Bought meals Free meals
eating meals
away Total Morning Noon Evening 'Total Morning Noon Evening
Number of meals per family
Men. o o ••• o •••• o o o 2 . 0 0-3 1.3 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.2
Womenooo oee o ooooo ·9 .1 .6 .2 .8 .2 .4 -3
Boys and girls
under 21 y .... 1.5 .1 1 .2 .2 ·7 .1 ·3 ·3
Percent of families having
Meno••••• ••o•oo•• 34 8 28 15 17 4 10 12
Women.o•oooo ••••• 23 2 16 12 22 5 15 14
Boys and girls
under 21 y .... 21 2 18 6 13 3 9 8
See NOTE to table 1 . y Includes all persons under 21.
Table 3.--Average number of morning, noon, and evening meals at home
and away in a week, and percent having these meals, urban and farm
Total Meals at Meals away
Meal of day meals home Bought Free
Urban I Farm Urban Farm Urban Farm Urban Farm
Number of meals per family
All meals •••••••• 68 84 62 79 4 .8 2.9 2.1 2.1
Morning meals • • 23 28 22 28 .6 .2 .4 .4
Noon meals ••• • • 23 28 19 25 3·3 2.3 .9 1.1
Evening meals •• 23 28 21 27 o9 .4 .8 ·7
Percent of meals at home and away
All meals •••••••• 100 100 90 94 7 3 3 2
Morning meals •• 100 100 96 98 3 1 2 1
Noon meals ••••• 100 100 82 88 15 8 4 4
Evening meals • • 100 100 93 96 4 1 3 2
Percent of families having
Any meals ••••••• • 100 100 100 100 55 35 31 30
Morning meals •• 100 100 100 100 12 5 8 8
Noon meals ••••• 100 100 99 100 49 32 21 24
Evening meals • • 100 100 1{)0 100 22 11 21 16
See NOTE to table 1 .
-8-
In urban families men bad IOOre of' the meals that were bought away f'rom
home than women and children did, and women had IOOre of' the f'ree meals
(table 4) . In farm families members under 2l years old ate the JOOst meals
Table 4.--Ave:rage number of' meals at home, bought, and free away f'rom home in
a veek and percent of' urban and farm f'amilies having such meals
Persons eating meals Total Meals at Meals away
and type of' meal meals home Bought Free
Urban Farm Urban Farm Urban Farm Urban f Farm
Number of' meals per family
Men
~ ~ ....•••.•... 19.7 23.8 16.6 22.6 2.4 0.7 0.6 0.5
~taming meals •••••• 6.6 1·9 6.0 7.8 .4 .l .l .1
NOon meals ••••••••• 6.6 1·9 4.7 7·3 1.6 .4 ·3 -3
Evening meals •••••• 6.6 1·9 5.9 7.6 .4 .2 .2 .2
Women
A11 ~ •••••••••••• 23.2 23.0 21.3 22.0 1.1 .4 ·9 .6
~taming meals •••••• 7-7 1·1 7·5 7·5 .l .l .1 .1
NOon meals ••••••••• 1·1 1·1 6.6 7-l ·1 ·3 .4 ·3
Evening meals •••••• 7-7 1·1 7-l 7.4 ·3 .l ·3 .2
Boys and girls under 21
A11 ~ •••••••••••• 25-5 37-5 23-7 34.7 l-3 1.8 .6 1.0
Morning meals •••••• 8.5 12.5 8.3 12.2 .1 .1 .l .2
Noon meals ••••••••• 8.5 12.5 7-3 10.4 1.0 1.6 -3 ·5
Evening meals •••••• 8.5 12.5 8.1 12.1 .2 .l .2 ·3
Percent of' families having
M- en A11 ~ •••••••••••• ("}j) (yJ 85 98 40 16 16 19
Morning meals •••••• (y) (y) 83 98 9 3 4 3
Noon meals ••••••••• (I/) Cy) 81 97 34 12 9 15
Evening meals •••••• (y) (y) 84 98 17 7 12 9
Women I
A11 mea.ls •• •••••••••• ("}j) (y~ 96 96 27 12 22 20
Morning meals •••••• (y) (I/ 96 96 3 l 4 4
Noon meals ••••••••• (I/) (IJ) 95 96 19 9 14 16
Evening meals •••••• (y) (y) 96 96 14 5 15 11
Boys and girls under 21
All meals •••••••••••• (y) (y) 56 63 19 22 ll 16
Morning meals •••••• (y) (I/) 56 63 2 2 3 4
Noon meals ••••••••• (y) (I/) 56 63 16 21 7 13
Evening meals •••••• (y) (y) 56 63 6 4 8 9
See BOTE to table l •
. y Data not available.
-9-
outside the home, both bought and free. However, this age group included
a)JnOst half' {44 percent) of' the total number of' members in farm :families, so
they had more of' the home meals as veil as more of' the meals avay. -
Some other characteristics of' :farm and urban :families are re:flected in
the data about their meals. There are more men and more children in :farm than
in urban households. The 23.8 meals per v~ek reported f'ar men in :farm house­holds
means an average of' slightly more than one man to a household, whereas
t~ 19.7 meals eaten by men in the city group means slightly less than one man
to a household. The larger number of' persons under 21 on farms is indicated
y the weekly average of' TI. 5 meals f'or this age group, compared to 25.5 meals
for those under 21 in urban households • Both farm and urban families averaged
slightly more than one woman, judging f'rom the 23 meals per week reported :for
hem.
There was considerable difference between the proportion o:f farm and urban
families in which men bought the noon meal away from home--12 percent and 34
percent, respectively--though not so much, perhaps as might have been expected.
omen in 19 percent of' the urban families, but in only 9 percent o:f the :farm
families bought noon meals • However, a slightly smaller proportion of' urban
han farm families bought noon meals f'or members under 21. This vas partly, at
east, because the urban families included fewer young people in this age group.
arm and city families bought about the same proportion of' all the noon meals
aten by the under-21 group (13 and 12 percent, respectively).
--Ennis C. Blake
NEW" lAWS HELP CONSUMERS
Congress this year took a.Ction to bel.-p consumers in several vays. Aloong_
he new lavs that will o:f:fer protection to consumers or give them guidance in
UYing are the :following:
Textile Fiber Identification Act.--MOst consumers are unable to deter­ine
the fiber content of' modern fabrics by appearance or feel, and must
epend upon the manufacturer or sales person :for whatever information they get
bout fabrics they buy. The Textile Fiber Identif'ication Act, which will
ecome effective in March 1960, requires the manufacturer to tell the consumer
hat kinds of' fibers are present in most textile products. Each fiber that
kes up 5 percent or more of the total weight o:f a product must be named on
he tag or label, listed in the order of' its predominance by weight. The
a~el must also state what proportion each of' these :fibers is of' the total
el~ht. Fibers making up less than 5 percent of' total weight must be listed
\ other fibers." Written advertisements will have to give the names of'
1 ers in textile products in the order of' their predominance by weight, but
0 not need to give the percentage of' weight f'or each.
-10-
The new law will prohibit false or deceptive statements about fiber con­tent
on labels or in advertising. For example, to call a simulated fUr fabric
"mink-like" will be considered deceptive, and therefore unlawful. A further
provision of the act is that the label must show the name or mark of the manu­facturer,
and, if the fiber is imported, the country of its origin.
The Fiber Identification Act applies to wearing apparel, yard goods,
draperies, floor coverings, furnishings, bedding and other household textile
goods, reused stuffing in upholstered furniture, mattresses, and cushions,
and other wool products not already covered by the Wool Products Labeling Act,
which has been in force since 1939. It will not cover sewing thread, uphol­stery
fabrics, outer coverings of mattresses and box springs, linings or
interlinings used primarily for structural purposes, rug pads, trimmings,
textiles in shoes, overshoes, and headwear, or new upholstery stuffing.
The Federal Tra~e Commission will be responsible for enforcing the
new labeling law.
Food Additive Amendment.--An amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act, effective early in 1959, will re~uire the manufacturer or pro­moter
of a food additive to prove that the substance is safe for its intended
use before he markets it. Heretofore the law has prohibited the use of harm­fUl
substances in foods, but it has been up to the Food and Drug Administra­tion
to perform the tests necessary to prove a product unsafe before it could
take it off the market. Such tests ordinarily re~uire at least 2 years of
animal feeding tests, and it was impossible for the FDA to keep up with the
many new additives being made available. While tests were going on the
product could continue to be used in foods, thus constituting a possible source
of harm to consumers.
Under the new amendment the promoter of a new food additive will have to
test it for safety on animals, then submit the test results to the Food and
Drug Administration. His report must give information about the composition
of the substance, how it is to be used, how it will affect the food, and how
the investigation of its safety was conducted. If the FDA accepts the report,
it will issue a regulation stating the foods in or on which the substance may
be used, the maximum amount to be used, the method of use, and, where essential
to public health protection, how the food must be packaged or labeled.
The amendment applies to any food additive not recognized as safe by ~uali­fied
experts. This includes such substances as antioxidants, mold inhibitors
and other preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorings, flavors, bleaches,
and thickening agents. It applies to substances intended for use in producing,
packaging, processing, preparing, treating, transporting or holding food.
Automobile Information Disclosure Act.--Buyersjn the market for a new car
this fall should find it easier to learn what they are paying for. Effective
October 1, the manufacturer must stick a label on the windshield or side windo~
of each new car which gives a breakdown of the cost of the car. This includes
the manufacturer's suggested price for the car, his suggested price for each
accessory or item of optional e~uipment not included in the price of the car,
and any transportation charges made to the dealer for getting the car to the
point of sale.
-ll-
VARIATIONS IN CONSUMER USE OF INSTALlMENT CREDIT
u. S. consumers take on more installment debt in December than in any
other month of the year . After this December splurge they take a breathing
spell, and for the next month or two there is a sharp dip in the amount of
installment credit they contract for. Along about the middle of the year-­May,
June, July--people resume their installment buying and borrowing and
their new debts reach another peak, somewhat lower than the December one.
When business conditions are uncertain consum~tend to be more cautious than
usual about assuming debt. This, at least, is the story told by the Federal
Reserve Board's estimates of consumer installment credit extended and repaid
during the past 5 years. (See chart l. )
Repayments on consumer installment debt usually lag behind new debts.
Repayments amounted to more than new debts in only 11 of the 60 months
between July 1953 and June 1958. Each January, when they were recovering
from December installment buying, people paid more on old debts than they
obligated themselves for in new ones . In two years of mild recession re­payments
continued larger than new debts for 2 or 3 months longer--through
February and March in 1954 and through February, March, and April in 1958.
These periods of debt reduction are indicated by the shaded areas in the chart.
Chart 1
CONSUMER INSTALLMENT CREDIT, JULY 1953-JUNE 1958
Billions of dollars
4
3
--Credit extended
2 -
Source of. data: Federal Reserve Board
-12-
Installment credit is divided into 4 types in Federal Reserve reports-­automobile,
other consumer goods (including furniture, equipment, jewelry,
clothing, etc.), personal installment loans, and repair and modernization
loans. These components have different ups and downs, and therefore differ-ent
effects on installment debt as a whole. The "other consumer goods" group,
for instance, contributed relatively more than the others to the peak of new
debts in December. We can guess that this was due in large part to heavy pur­chasing
of these goods for use as Christmas gifts. This guess is supported by
the fact that new debts for "other consumer goods" dipped sharply in January,
and were relatively low until the next December. Personal loans reached a
high level in December of each year, also. Some of these loans may have gone
into gifts, but it seems likely that many have been used to make a year-end
rounding up ot old debts, and refinancing of old loans. Since 1953 personal
loans have shown less monthly variation than the other 3 types of credit. In
only 2 months did people repay more on these loans than the amount they borrowed.
Automobile credit accounts for a large proportion of the installment debt
outstanding at any one time. The biggest rush in new automobile debts is in
the middle of the year. This accounts for much of the midyear peak for t otal
installment debt. Automobiles are not a large factor in the ~cember peaking
of new debts. In 3 of the 5 Decembers b~tween 1953 and 1958, in fact, repay­ments
on automobile debts ~xceeded new auto debts.
The fact that the monthly payments consumers make on their debts sel dom
amount to as much as the new debts they contract for accounts, of course, for
the mounting total of installment debt outstanding. This total as of the first
of July 1, 1953 was $21.5 billion; by the end of June 1958 it had grown to
$33.1 billion.
--Emma G. Holmes
THE SOCIAL SECURITY AMENDMENTS
The social security law was amended in August 1958, to provide larger pay­ments
for persons receiving benefits under Old Age and Survivors' Insurance and
to liberalize some of the other provisions. The new rules also call for l arger
social security taxes from employees and self-employed persons. It is important
for families to know about these changes and to understand -what they mean in
terms of money that may be available to them now or at a future time . Following
is a brief summary of the main provisions of the amendments, most of which be­come
effective with the beginning of the year 1959.
Retirement income.--Monthly payments to insured persons retiring at age
65 will increase an average of about 7 percent. Those who have already retired
will receive the increased amount in their checks for January 1959. The amount
of the monthly check will vary from $33 for a retired worker whose average month­ly
income before retirement was $45, to $116 for the worker whose income was
$350 (table 5). At the present time these payments are $30 and $108, respective­ly.
-13-
Table 5. --Monthly benefits under OASI, by average monthly earnings
of the covered worker
(All amounts are rounded to next lower dollar figure)
Average Retired Retired Widow 62 Widow and Widow and
monthly worker worker and or over 1 child 2 children Family
earnings 65 or over wife 65 or surviv- under 18 under 18 maximum
or over ing child
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
45 33 49 33 49 53 53
150 73 109 54 109 120 120
250 95 142 71 142 190 202
350 116 174 87 174 232 25Y.
4oo 127 y 190 95 190 254 254
1} This ultimate maximum cannot be attained for several years.
For a retired man and wife~ both 65 or over, the monthly payment will
amount to from $49 to $174.
Survivors' benefits.--The widow of an insured worker, if she is 62 or
over, will receive from $33 to $87 a month, compared to $30 to $81 under the
old ruling. Maximum monthly payments to a widow with one dependent child
under 18 will be $174; for a widow with 2 children under 18, $232. A widow
wit h 3 or more children would receive a maximum of $254 a month, which is
27 percent more than her previous allowance of $200.
Dependent parents of a deceas~d worker may receive monthly benefits
st arting in September 1958, even if there are also a widow and children.
Previously parents could be beneficiaries only if there were no other depend­ents
to be paid. Total payments to a family can't exceed a specified maximum
(which is the same as the amount paid for a widow with 3 or more children),
so the presence of dependent parents as well as widow and children may mean
smaller payments per person.
The disabled worker.--A totally disabled person who was already rece1v1ng
di sability benefits under social security will receive a larger amount, start­ing
with his check for January 1959. The benefit for the disabled person is
the same as that for a single retired worker. Beginning with September 1958,
dependents of a disabled worker 50 to 65 years old will be eligible for bene­fits,
as they have not been before. Dependents who will come under this
ruling include a wife or dependent husband who has reached retirement age,
unmarried dependent children, and a wife at any age who has in her care a
child entitled to benefits.
-14-
If a worker aged 50 to 65 was in a job covered by social security for 5
of the 10 years before he became disabled he may be eligible for benefits. It
used to be that he had to have been paying the social security tax during
1-1/2 of the last 3 years before he became disabled, but this isn't true now.
Another change is that a disabled person may receive social security benefits
even if he also gets workmen's compensation or other Federal disability bene­fits.
Other lib~ralizing features.--A worker will now be required to pay social
security tax on annual income up to $4,800 instead of $4,200 . This will enable
many to build toward larger retirement incomes and insurance benefits than was
previously possible. This will mean, for instance, that a person receiving an
average salary of $4,800 or more can, after the necessary years of coverage at
the higher rate, expect to receive a monthly check of $127 after retirement
instead of the $116"he would have received under the old ruling . His survivors
would also receive larger benefits, unless there were more than 3 of them. If
there were more than 3 they would receive the maximum family payment of $254,
which is the same as for the worker with ann~al income of $4,200.
Under the old ruling a retired worker or a worker's survivor who earned
more than $1,200 a year lost his social security payment for any month in
which he earned more than $80. The amendment changes this so that he may earn
up to $100 in a month and still receive the payment for that month .
All this will cost more.--The social security tax that workers pay on
their earnings will go up beginning January 1, 1959 in order to help pay for
the increased benefits. Employees will pay 2-1/2 percent of annual earnings up
to $4,800. At present they pay 2-1/4 percent on earnings up to $4,200. Self­employed
persons, including farm operators, will pay 3-3/4 percent of earnings
up to $4,800 a year. The rates are slated to go up again in 1960, and every
3 years after that until they reach 4-1/2 percent for employees and 6-3/4 per­cent
for self-employed persons in 1969.
SOME TRENDS IN LIFE INSURANCE
The amount of life insurance in force in the United States has increased
substantially in recent years, according to Life Insurance Fact Book for 1958,
a publication of the Institute of Life Insurance. 1J The Fact Book gives
information about the kinds and value of policies held in 1957, and about
changes that have occurred over a period of years. The following summary is
presented for the information of those interested in the actions of families
toward providing for their future security. In this summary, "life insurance"
includes ordinary, industrial, and group life insurance. It does not include
veterans', fraternal, savings bank insurance; life insurance underwritten by
burial societies, mutual aid and assessment groups; or credit insurance .
!/ The Institute of Life Insurance is a trade organization made up of the
legal reserve life insurance companies of the United States.
-15-
The total number of life insurance policies and certificates ~ in force
at the end of 1957 was 232.4 million, about 55 million more than at the end of
1947 (table 6) . The increase in number of policies slightly more than kept
pace with the increase in population. The 1957 total would have provided an
average of 1.3 policies for each man, woman, and child; the 1947 average was
1.2 policies per person.
Table 6 .--Number and value of ordinary, industrial, and group life
insurance policies in force, by type of insurance; 1947 and 1957
(Legal Reserve Life Insurance only)
Number of policies
I
Value of policies in force
Type of life and certificates in force
insurance Percent Percent
1947 1957 increase 1947 1957 increase
1947-57 1947-57
Millions Millions Billions of dollars
Total . •.....•... 177.6 232.4 31 184.8 438.6 137
Ordinary •••••• 56 .0 87.0 55 122.4 264.7 116
Industrial. ••. 106.0 1o8.o 2 30.4 40.l 32
Group ..•.•.... 15.6 37.4 140 32.0 133.8 318
·,
Source : Institute of Life Insurance. Life Insurance Fact Book for 1958.
The value of the life insurance in force increased proportionately more
than the number of policies. The total value of life insurance policies in
force at the end of 1957 was $438.6 billion compared to $184.8 billion 10
years earlier. If everyone in the country had had an equal share in this
insurance, the average per capita value of the insurance in force would have
been $2,538 in 1957 as compared to $1,271 in 1947. Or, if it had been divided
equally among families, each family would have had insurance valued at $8,300
in 1957 and $3,900 in 1947 (chart 2). During the same period, average dispos­able
personal income per family increased from $3, 600 to $5,500. The rate of
growth of life insurance per family was more than double the rate of growth of
disposable personal income (113 percent and 53 percent, respectively).
TYPes of life insurance
Ordinary life insurance was more important (in terms of value of policies
in force)than industrial or group insurance both in 1947 and in 1957. As a
3/ Certificates are held by members of group insurance plans as evidence of
their insurance.
-16-
Chart 2
AVERAGE VALUE OF LIFE INSURANCE AND AVERAGE DISroSABIE
PERSONAL INCOME PER FAMILY, 1947-1957
8
6
4 - Disposable Personal l.DcoH
2
0
1947 1949 1951 1953
Source: Life Insurance--Institute of Life Insurance
Income--U. s. Department of Commerce
proportion of total value of policies, however, ordinary life insurance dropped
from 66 percent in the earlier year to 60 percent in the latter. Ordinary life
insurance includes limited payment life, straight life, endowment, term, family
income and other combination policies, and retirement income insurance.
The number of ordinary life policies in force increased by 4 million in
1957. Contributing to this growth was the popularity of the new "family plan"
policy which includes all members of the family underone contract. This type
of policy accounted for nearly 20 percent of the total value of ordinary life
insurance purchased in 1957.
The relative importance of the various types of ordinary life insurance,
as indicated by 1956 purchases of insurance is shown in table 7. Limited pay­ment
life insurance accounted for 35 percent of the policies bought, but only
12 percent of the value. Most important value-wise were family income and
straight life, which taken together accounted for 57 percent of the value of
all ordinary life insurance policies purchased.
-17-
Table 7 .--0rdinary life insurance purchased in the United States in 1956
Percent of Percent of
Type of ordinary life policy policies purchased total value
All . . . ........................... . ......... . . 100 100
Limited Payment Life • • •• •••••••••• -••••••••• 35 12
Straight Life . .................... . . .. .. . . . 19 28
Erldowm.ent ••••• • •••••••••••••••• • • • •••• • • • • • 18 6
Term. • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • • 13 23
Family Income and Other Combination Policies 13 29
Retirement Income •..•.......••...•..•.....• 2 2
Industrial insurance is written in small amounts~ with premiums payable
weekly or monthly and usually collected by an agent who comes to the home.
The number and value of industrial policies were only slightly higher in 1957
than a decade earlier. Industrial insurance accounted for 16 percent of the
total value of l egal r eserve life insurance in force in 1947, but for only
9 percent in 1957 . Its decline in popularity may be due in part to larger
family incomes and to increased use of group policies. The average industrial
policy in 1957 amounted to only $370, compared to an average of $3,040 for or­dinary
and $3, 580 for gr oup policies .
Group life insur ance covers a group of persons under a master policy
issued to an employer . The individual members of the group hold certificates
as evidence of their insurance . Group life insurance has made large gains in
the past 10 year s . The number of certificates in force more than doubled,
while their value more than quardrupled . At the end of 1957 group insurance
accounted for 31 percent of the total value of life insurance in force in the
United State s , as compar ed to 17 percent 10 years earlier. Over half of the
civilian, nonagr icultural work force was covered under employer-employee group
life insurance by 1957 a ccording to the Fact Book.
Credit insurance
Another type of insurance that has made rapid growth is credit life
insurance . This has not been included in the totals discussed so far because
it differs in several ways from the other kinds of insurance. The purpose of
credit insurance is to protect the creditor from loss in the event of the
death of a borrower or installment debtor . Thus the creditor arranges for the
insur ance in the form of a group policy covering his debtors, and the creditor
rather than the family is the beneficiary. Growth of credit insurance has
accompanied the rapid expansion of consumer credit . The amount of credit life
insurance in force rose from $1 .2 billion in 1947 to nearly $20 billion in 1957.
-18-
Who are the insured?
A survey conducted by the Survey Research Center of the University of
Michigan for the Federal Reserve Board showed that 79 percent of all spending
units owned some life insurance at the end of 1956. 1} "Life insurance" in
this survey included not only that sold by legal reserve companies but also
such other types as National Service and United States Government life insur­ance,
and savings bank, assessment, burial, and fraternal insurance.
·According to this survey, ownership of life insurance varied by income,
education, occupation, and age of head of the spending unit. As income rose,
ownership of life insurance increased. Among spending units with money in­come
of less than $1,000, only 43 percent reported 1 or more insured members.
Among units with $7,500 and over, 96 percent were insured. About 86 percent
of both college and high school graduates reported insurance, compared to
75 percent of those who attended grammar school only. Fifty-seven percent of
spending units headed by farmers and 72 percent of those headed by unskilled
laborers had insurance, compared to 90 percent for professional workers.
Spending units with heads 25-54 years of age were more likely to have insured
members than those younger or older.
Protection of dependents was the reason given more frequently than any
other for having life insurance. Sixty-four percent of the families gave.
this as their major reason, while 35 percent said they carried life insurance
to provide fUnds to meet outstanding debts and burial expenses, and 12 percent
considered life insurance a good method of saving.
--Janis Moore
1) A "spending unit" is composed of all persons living in the same dwelling
unit and related by blood, marriage, or adoption who pool their incomes to
meet major expenses.
INCOMES OF WOMEN COLLEGE GRADUATES
Persons who are asked to advise college girls as to the choice of a pro­fession
may be interested in a survey done by the National Vocational Guidance
Association in cooperation with the Women's Bureau of the U. S. Department of
Labor. !/ It reports first-year earnings of women college graduates of the
class of June 1956. Data for the study were obtained by questionnaire from a
representative sample of the 87,000 women who graduated from women's and coedu­cational
colleges and universities granting baccalaureate degrees.
Approximately 6 months after graduation, about 70,000 of the graduates were
employed. Almost three-fifths of these were teaching (table 8) . The other
!/Wells, Jean A. "Employment of June 1956 Women College Graduates." MonthlY
Labor Review, July 1958, pp. 752-756.
-19-
Table B.--Starting salaries of June 1956 women college graduates, by occupation
-
Occupational Number of Average Graduates receiving annual salary of
classification employed annual Total Under $2,500- $3,000 $3,500 $4,000
graduates salary $2,500 2,999 3,400 3,999 and over
Dollars Percent
All . .... ........•..... 64,B4l* $3,446 100 9 11 2B 30 22
Assistant buyers,
store trainees ...• 597 3,056 100 13 21 41 24
Chemists •...•...•... 397 4,453 100 -- -- -- 24
Clerical workers •..• 3,007 3,179 100 12 21 3B 19
Home Economists •.•.. 6B3 3,B03 100 -- 2 23 34
Librarians •.••..•••. 434 3,339 100 12 10 30 31
Mathematicians,
statisticians .•••• 454 4,3B2 100 -- 4 -- 21
Nurses . ............. 3,191 3,647 100 2 B 27 36
Personnel assistants 551 3,497 100 l B 53 9
Professional worker~
miscellaneous •••.• l,5BO 3,979 100 2 7 25 23
Recreation workers •• 426 3,571 100 12 3 3B 21
Religious workers ..• 615 2,960 100 26 9 39 26
Research workers •••. 430 3,Bl9 100 -- 13 23 39
Sales clerks ••.••..• 471 2,504 100 55 ll 31 2
Secretaries,
stenographers •..•. 4,017 3,148 100 14 20 36 22
Social and welfare
workers .. ......... 1,462 3,440 100 2 19 32 24
Teachers ............ 39,059 3,492 100 9 B 25 34
Technicians
(biological) .••..• l,BlO 3,492 100 5 17 27 31
Therapists ••.••••••. Boo 3,733 100 l 2 14 57
Typists . ............ 7BO 2,912 100 23 ll 63 3
* Includes some not classified separately as to occupation
two-fifths were employed in a variety of jobs, as secretaries, stenographers,
nurses , and clerical workers more frequently than other individual types.
2
76
10
41
16
75
27
30
43
26
--
25
2
7
22
24
20
26
--
The average starting salary of women employed full time was $3,446 a year.
One-fifth had salaries under $3,000, one-fifth $4,000 or moreo Best paid were
the chemists, mathematician and statisticians, but there were relatively few
graduates in these jobs. Others whose average earnings were higher than the
overall average included miscellaneous professional workers, research workers,
home economists, therapists, and recreation workerso First-year earnings of
teachers were slightly lower than those of the workers just mentioned, but
compared favorably with salaries for social and welfare workers and librarians.
Average salaries of sales clerks, typists, and religious workers were less
than $3,000 per yearo
-20-
EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS })
In October 1957 more than a fourth (27 percent) of the young people 14
to 24 years old who were enrolled in school were in the labor force. ?J The
availability of part-time jobs in recent years has made it possible for many
students to earn while learning. Perhaps this has been a factor in keeping so
many boys and girls of high school and college age in school.
Only 4 percent of the students 14 to 17 years old were in the labor force
in 1940 (table 9). By 1944J 33 percent were employedJ more than ever before
or since. Although a large number of young students dropped out of the labor
force after the emergencyJ their employment remained considerably above the
prewar rate. There has been some fluctuation from year to year, but since
1955 the rate has stayed at 23 percent for 14- to 17-year-olds.
Table 9.--Percent of students in the labor forceJ 1940-1957 y
Year 14 to 17 years 18 to 24 years
of age of age
1940 '?:./.. •••••••••••••• 4 20
1944 y .............. 33 ll 1947 . ................ 17
1948 . ................ 19 2r
1949 . ................ 19 29
1950 . ................ 24 34
1951 ... .............. 23 34
1952 . ................ 20 27
1953 .. ............... 18 26
1954 ........ ......... 21 31
1955 . ................ 23 4o
1956 .... ............. 23 40
1957 ...... ..........• 23 40
!/ 1940 and 1944 based on April data, later years on October.
gj Revised for comparability with current data.
}/ Not available.
The participation rate of students 18 to 24 years of age in the labor
force has doubled since 1940. At that time it was 20 percent; by 1955 it was
40 percent, and was still at this level in Octo-ber 1957. Married students are
!/ Data used: Current Population Reports, School Enrollment: October 1957,
Series P-20, No. 80 (February 1958); and Employment of Stud~nts and Other
Young Persons; 1957, Series P-50, No. 83 (April 1958).
~ The Census Bureau defines the labor force as all persons who were either
employed or looking for employment during the survey week. A person who does
any work for pay or profit during the week, or who works without pay 15 or more
hours on a family farm or business is considered employed.
-21-
more likely than single ones to be employed outside of school hours, because
of family responsibilities. The fact that there are many more students who
are married than formerly is a factor in the increased rate of participation
of older students in the labor force.
Some farm-urban differences.--Among students 14 to 17 years old, those
living on farms are more likely to be in the labor force than ~hose in cities,
as the following summary shows:
Percent of 14- 17-year-olds in the
labor force
Farm Urban
1953·········· 29
1954. • • • • • • • • • 30
1955·········· 33
1956 •••••••••• 33
1957. • • • • . • • • • 32
15
17
21
22
21
The proportion of farm high school-age students in the labor force in 1957
exceeded that of urban students by about 3 to 2. This difference is somewhat
less than in 1953, when the ratio was more like 2 to 1. The higher rate of
employment among farm youths results in part, at least, from their work at
farm chores for which they may or may not have been pai~.
Among urban students 14 to 17 years of age, the proportion in the labor
force last October was 22 percent for white as compared to 12 percent for non­white
boys and girls. Among farm youth in this age group enrolled in school,
27 percent of the white compared to 59 percent of the nonwhite were employed.
This rate for nonwhite students is probably higher than usual because the
survey week was near the peak of the cotton picking season in the South.
Summer employment.--Summer employment is popular with school-age persons.
In July 1957, about 60 percent more 14- to 17-year-olds were in the labor
force than in October. Among 18-and 19-year-olds employment in the summer
was about 20 percent higher than in the fall month. For the two groups com­bined
about half were in the labor force in July compared to approximately a
third in October after school had begun.
Hours worked.--Students of all ages prefer part-time jobs, many working
Only a few hours a week. Among high school-age students, two-thirds of those
who had nonagricultural employment reported less than 15 hours of work per
week, while two-thirds of the ones working on farms reported 22 hours or more.
The long hours on farms were partly due to the fact that the survey was made
during harvest season. College-age students in nonagricultural jobs reported
considerably longer hours of work, on the whole, than the younger students in
the same types of work. Married men students are more likely to hold full­time
jobs than unmarried ones. In both age groups Qoys tended to work longer
hours than girls.
-22-
Kinds of work done.--Although more students are working , they are doing
much the same kinds of work as they have always done. Last fall high school­age
students found work mainly on farms, in private households and othertYPes
of service, and in sales work., About a third of the boys were doing fann work,
a third of the girls were working in private households, including baby sitting,
The rest were mostly in sales and clerical jobs and nonfarm labor.
About 70 percent of the employed women college students were in profes­sional
or clerical positions, 16 percent in household and other service jobs.
Half of the college~age men students were employed as service workers, oper­atives,
or laborers; 29 percent in professional and clerical work; and ll
percent as salesmen. The rest were in a variety of other kinds of jobs.
DENTAL CARE
How long has it been since you went to the dentist? Almost 60 million
people--36 percent of our population--have seen a dentist within the last
year; 70 million people--42 percent of the population--have not been to a
dentist in 3 or more years. The average number of visits per person per year
is 1.6. In the population as a whole, 13 percent have lost all their perma­nent
teeth; among those 35 years old and older, the proportion rises to 29
percent.
These data come from a preliminary report from the National Health Sur­vey.
!f The information was obtained in household interviews during July­September
1957. These interviews brought out facts about personal charac­teristic,
illness and hospitalization experience, and medical care. The survey
is continuing, and as additional data are assembled more detailed reports will
be released.
This report indicates that age and sex are important in determining the
amount of dental care sought. Young people 10-19 years old are most likely
to have seen a dentist within the past year; 50 percent of this age group
can be expected to have been to a dentist as contrasted with 8 percent of those
11nder 4 and 16 percent of people 65 and older. Many young children have had
no contact with a dentist yet, and more than half in the oldest group have not
seen a dentist for 5 years or more. Women and girls are likely to have seen a
dentist more recently than men and boys; 38 percent of all females, but only
34 percent of all males have seen a dentist within a year.
The average number of visits made to dentists in a year by various age
groups shows a pattern similar to that just described for length of time
since the last visit. However, the peak is reached somewhat later in life-­at
age 25-29--when the average is 2.7 visits.
!/ Preliminary report on volume of Dental Care: U. S., July-September 1957·
Health Statistics, Series B2. U. S. Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare, Public Health Service.
-23-
Chart 3
PERCENT OF PERSONS WHO VISITED A DENTIST
WITHIN TEE PAST YEAR, BY AGE
A. Males and females
Percent
,-,
\
\ -leaale
Wale
10
B. Urban and rural
Urbc
I\./-....._
I ' \.
I \.
I Iaral \
I \.
I \.
I \
I \
I \
I
Percent
There are clear-cut differences in the amount of care obtained by rural
and urban people . At all age levels, the proportion of the population that has
seen a dentist within a year is smaller for rural than for urban people. This
~fference is greatest among boys and girls in the age groups 5-19 years. The
number of dental visits per year is also lower for rural than for urban people--
1.2 as contrasted with 1.9 per person. Urban persons average nine-tenths of a
visit per year more than rural at the age when the number of visits is at the
Peak (25-29) . The difference is even greater in later life. Among rural resi­dents
the average number of visits per person falls fairly constantly from its
~eak in the age interval 25-29 years. Among urban residents this initial fall
18 followed by a second peak in the interval 45-64 years. This latter peak can
be attributed to the greater amount of denture work received by the urban popu­lation.
The proportion of persons who have lost all their permanent teeth is
greater at all age levels in the rural than in the urban population. This is
~doubtedly related, at least in part, to differences in the amount of care
received.
-24-
Filling;:, ~:~.ccount for more visits than any other type of work, for all age
groups and both rural and urban residents. This work accounted for 41 percent
of all visits for the population as a whole, and for 45 percent of the visits
of those under 14. Visits in which fillings are made are a larger proportion
of all visits of urban than of rural people--43 percent and 36 percent, respec­tively.
Extractions are the second most important reason for visits to dentist s,
occurring in 20 percent of all visits. They are a somewhat more important
reason among r.ural than urban people, accounting for 22 percent of visits by
the former, 20 percent of visits by the latter. HoweJVer, in line with t he
fact that rural people make fewer dental visits in all, the number of visit s
per person involving extractions is smaller for rural than for urban residents.
Denture work accounts for only 8 percent of all dental visits but is of
considerable importance after age 45. In the 45 and over group, 21 percent of
all visits involve denture work. This work is of slightly greater relative
importance as the reason for visits by rural t han by urban persons. As with
extractions, however, rural residents make fractionally fewer visits per per son
for denture work.
Straightening of teeth accounts for only 3 percent of the dental visits of
the total population, but for a tenth of children's visits. A smaller propor­tion
of all visits and a smaller number of visits per person involve straighten­ing
of teeth among rural than among city people, even though the rural population
has a considerably larger proportion of children.
CONSUMER PRICES
The Index of Prices Paid by Farmers
(table 10) declined slightly in August.
September. The September 1958 index was
ago.
for Commodities Used in Family Living
The same level was maintained for
about 1 percent higher than a year
The Consumer Price Index for City Wage-Earners and Clerical Worker Families
for August 1958 was 124 (1947-49 = 100) or about 2 percent higher than in August
1957 (table 11).
ESTIMATED COST OF ONE WEEK'S FOOD
Table 12 (page 26) presents the estimated cost of 1 week's food to be pre­pared
and served at home. The estimate is based on ~uantities of food in the
low cost, moderate cost, and liberal plans published in the October 1957 Familr
Economics Review. These plans are also available as a leaflet--Low Cost, Mode£:
ate Cost, and Liberal Family Food Budgets, Revised 1957, HHE (Adm.)-53· The
cost of food for specific family can be estimated from table 12 since costs are
given for individuals of different ages. These costs are based1 on averages of
food prices collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 46 cities and may ] not apply to any specific city or region.
-25-
~ble lOo--Index of Prices Paid uy Farmers for Commodities Used in Family Living
(1947-49 = 100)
September 1957; January 1958-September 1958
;- Item Sept. Jan.
1957 1958
Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. 3ept.
~
~ commodities •• o ••• o o ••••• 118 118 119 120 120 120 120 120 119 119
Food and tobacco •••••••••• 117 --- -- 121 -- -- 122 -- -- --
Clothing •••••••••••••••••• 114 -- -- 114 -- -- 1141 -- -- --
Household operation ••••••• 117 -- -- 119 -- -- 119 -- -- --
Household furnishings ••••• 109 -- -- 108 -- -- 107 --- -- --
Building materials, house. 121 -- -- 120 -- -- 120 -- -- --
Auto and auto supplies •••• 135 -- -- 139 -- -- 139 -- -- --
--
Source: Agricultural Marketing Service.
Table 11.--Consumer Price Index for City Wage-Earner and Clerical-Worker Families
(1947-49 = 100)
August 1957; December 1957-August 1958
Item Aug. Dec. Jan. l Mar. April May June July Aug.
1957 1958 Feb. -- ----
~11 itemSe eoooeoeoeeoooo•oo• 121 122 122 122 123 124 124 124 124 124
Foodeoeooooeoo••••••••o•oo 118 116 118 119 121 122 122 122 122 121
Appareleoooeoo••ooeoeeo••o 107 108 107 107 107 107 107 107 107 107
Housingeoeoooeoeoo•••••••• 126 127 127 127 128 128 128 128 128 128
Renteoeoeeoooeooeooeeeoo 135 137 137 137 137 137 138 138 138 138
Gas and electricity ••••• 113 114 116 ' 116 116 116 il6 117 117 118
Solid fuels and fuel oil 136 138 138 137 137 134 132 132 132 .134
Housefurnishings •••••••• 104 105 104 105 lo4 lo4 lo4 lo4 lo4 103
Household operation ••••• 128 130 130 130 131 131 131 131 131 132
Transportation •••••••••••• 136 139 139 138 139 138 139 139 140 141
Medl· ea1 care •••••••••••••• 139 141 142 142 142 143 144 144 145 145
Personal care ••••••••••••• 125 127 128 128 128 128 128 129 129 129
Reading and recreation •••• 113 115 117 117 117 117 117 117 117 117
Other goods and services •.• 127 127 127 127 127 127 127 127 127 127
t-- I -
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
-26-
Table 12o--Estimated Cost of One Week's Food, l/ August 1958
Sex-age groups
FAMILIES
Family of two, 21-34 years of age ~ooooo
Family of two, 55-74 years of age g}o•••o
Family of four with preschool children 1/
Family of four, school age children iJ.oo
INDIVIDUALS
Children:
Under l yearo••••oooeoeooo•••••••••••••
1-3 yearSeeeooeooooo••••ooooooo••••••••
4-6 yearSeeooeooaeoeeeoo••o•o••o•••••••
7-9 yearSeoeeo••••••o••o•••ooooa•o•••••
Girls, 10-12 yearSeoooooooooooooooooooooo
13-15 yearSoeoo•••ooeeoeeooeooeeoaeo•••
1 6-20 yearSeooeoeoaeoo••o•••oo•••••••••
Boys, 10-12 yearSoooooooooooooooooooooooo
13-15 yearSoeeooooeeoeooeeoe•o•••••oooe
16-20 yearSoeooeeoeoeooeooe•o••••o•••••
Women:
21-34 yearSooooooeooo•••••••••oeeooeeoo
35-54 years .o•••••o••••••o•••••••••••••
55-74 years •• oeoeoo•••••••••o•••o•••••o
75 years and overoooooooooooooooooooooo
Pregnantoeo••••o•eooeeeoaeeoeo•••••••••
Nursingeoaeooeeeoeoeeeoeeoo•••••••••o•o
Men:
21-34 yearSeeoooooeoeoo••••••o•o•••o••o
35-54 years •• ooo•o•o••••o••••••o•o•o•••
55-74 years.ooooeoo•••oooeoo•••oo••ooo•
75 years and overoooooooooooooooooooooo
Low-cost
plan
Dollars
15.50
14.00
21.00
24.00
3o25
3-75
4.25
5-25
5-75
6o25
6.50
6.00
7o00
8 .. 50
5o 50
5.50
5.00
5o00
6o25
8.25
7o25
6.75
6.50
6o25
Moderate-cost
Liberal
plan plan
Dollars Dollars
21.00 23.50
19.00 2lo50
27.50 31.50
32o50 37.00
3-75 4.25
4o50 ·5.25
5o 50 6.50
6.75 7-75
8oOO 9G00
8o75 10.00
8 .. 75 lOoOO
8.25 9-50
9o75 ll.OO
11.50 l3o00
7-75 8.50
7-50 8.50
7o00 8.00
6.50 7-50
8o50 9o25
llo25 l2o25
9-75 lloOO
9-25 10.25
8.75 9o75
8o50 9o25
l} These estimates were computed from quantities in low-cost, moderate­cost,
and liberal food plans published in tables 2, 3, and 4 of the
October 1957 issue of Family Economics Review. The cost of the food plans
was first estimated by using the average prices per pound of each food
group paid by nonfarm survey families at 3 selected income levels.. These
prices were adjusted to current levels by use of Average Retail Prices of
Food in 46 Large Cities Combined released periodically by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Estimates for individuals have been rounded to nearest
$Oo25 and for families to the nearest half dollaro
~ Twenty percent added for small familieso
3/ Man and woman 21-34 years; children, l-3 and 4-6 years.
;) Man and woman 21-34 years; child 7-9; and boy, 10-12 years.
><ll . S. GOVERNMENT P RINTING OFFICE : 1958 0 ·485733