Table No. 22.-NUMBER LIVING AT HOME WHO CONTRIBUTE OR DO NOT CONTRIBUTE

TOWARD THE SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY.

Table No. 23 shows how 2,126 women "adrift” are housed. Those living with relatives or friends make the largest group-1,381, or 64.9 per cent. Those living with strangers number 588, or 27.7 per cent; 153, or 7.2 per cent, did light housekeeping. Many of this latter group were widows or were separated from their husbands. The "home" instinct was still strong, and in the breaking up of the home, different articles of furniture valued more for the sake of old associations than for any other reason, were made the nucleus for a new “home.”

Others, who were single, joined with one or more of their co-workers either for economic reasons or for companionship, and in one or more rooms, as their wages permitted, cooked all or a part of their meals themselves, and in addition did their sewing and laundry work. One worker who shared her room with a friend, said they had a small alcohol burner and prepared their own breakfasts and suppers in their

For breakfast, they had fruit, coffee, bread and butter and a

fried-cake each; for supper, bread and butter, a sauce of some kind, a vegetable and cake. Sometimes they had a salad, and occasionally cheese and celery. For lunch, they never spent over 15 cents—sometimes only 10 cents. They were permitted to wash out a part of their soiled clothes in the bathroom. This woman said she knew of girls who go without eating in order to be able to buy the clothes necessary to retain their positions.

Of those reporting on room accommodations, 54.2 per cent reported their sleeping room comfortably heated. Whether or not the sleeping rooms of the others were uncomfortable it is not possible to state from the reports submitted, as many were loath to find fault with their accommodations, even when they were not all what they should be. A little over 57 per cent reported their rooms were properly lighted, and 58.1 per cent said their rooms were well ventilated.

of those adrift, 1,593 reported on home toilet conditions where they roomed; 86.5 per cent said they were good; 11.1 per cent said "fair," and 2.4 per cent thought they were bad.

Some 598 shared their room with others—at times two or more shared the same bed. One girl, a telephone operator receiving $20 per month, said she slept on a davenport with two children. In many cases where more than two shared the same room, an extra bed was provided. Eighty-seven of those adrift said they had no place to entertain their company; one girl said that she was not allowed to have company where she roomed, but that her "friend" could call for her. Twenty said they never had any company. The problem of entertaining company, that those adrift have to meet, is treated in detail in the appendix on rooming conditions in large cities.

Table No. 23.-HOW 2,126 MICHIGAN WAGE-EARNING WOMEN "ADRIFT" ARE HOUSED.

Number Number Number Number Number Number
reporting. reporting. reporting. reporting. reporting. reporting.

1Shoes, woolen goods, fibre works and metal specialties.

NUMBER IN FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO LIVE AT HOME. Table No. 24 gives by occupation the number in the families of the 6,232 interrogated who lived at home. Of this number 94.4 per cent reported. There were 26,864 members in the families of the 5,884 reporting, in addition to the one interrogated. This is an average of 4.6 persons in each family, which, it must be kept in mind, never in this table includes the one interrogated. The question answered was: "How many in your family beside yourself?” The tobacco industry showed the largest percentage, having an average of 5.6 persons to the family, while the cigar industry comes next, with a percentage of 5.5 persons. Stores showed the wage-earners connected with the smallest families3.9 per cent. One girl employed in the box industry was one of a family of 20, Workers in each of the cigar, laundry, overall and women's garment industries reported 14 persons in the family, while 128 had families of 10 persons.

Table Vo. 24.-SIZES OF THE FAMILIES OF 5,884 MICHIGAN WAGE-EARNING WOMEN, WHO LIVE AT HOME.