Why Were Plumbers So Expensive In 1923

Now things are surely a lot different than they were 100 years ago. For starters, our main source of entertainment back in the '20s was listening to the radio, and "stream" was only a term used to describe a small river. But one of the most significant differences between then and now is the cost of goods.

Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations. Daily bathing was simply too inconvenient, more a luxury than a necessity. But while I'm reminiscing about the not-so-good old days, I'd like to take you even farther back in time - way back to the earliest days of plumbing in America.

The following is a description of the earliest plumbers' lot in life. Contrary to general belief, the American wage earner in 1923 is better off than during the so-called peak" period of 1920, according to conclusions reached by the National Industrial Conference. DISCUSSION Although most cities in the United States were moving away from lead water pipes by the 1920s, it appears that this trend was not universal.

National model plumbing codes approved lead into the 1970s and 1980s, and most water systems based their regulations on those codes. Display Visuals 1, 2, and 3, Standard Plumbing advertisements, one at a time for stu-dents to review and then discuss the following: Advertising Interpretation Questions What strategies were employed to sell indoor plumbing to Americans in the 1920s? With an outlet for waste water, indoor plumbing and working water closets were getting closer to fruition.

Unfortunately, bad plumbing and the stench from open sewer connections made some new homes uninhabitable. Early in the 19th century, the stack was vented through the roof, but no one knew how to properly size the pipe. Ice? (Why so much?)$129.63 Probably had an ice box instead of a refrigerator and, again, they were hosting lots of parties.

Plumber? (Why so much?)$205.88 And what happens when people drink too much? Ew. Total monthly expenses?$34,899.63 Whoa! Fitzgerald was a successful writer, but he wasn'tthissuccessful. For the following questions, compute the answers into today's dollars.

Use this figure, based on the online calculator of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: $1.00 in 1923 = $13.73 today 1. Get your calculator and figure out how much money, in today's dollars, the couple spent on: Rent? House liquor and wild parties?

Answers will vary. House liquor and wild parties $ 2471 Entertainment, not including above $ 3522 Ice Why so much $ 117 Plumber Why so much $ 185 Total monthly expenses $ 32,897 Charity What percentage of their total expenses went to charity $ 1.00 in 1923 = $ 13.73 today KEY w/notes for discussionYes, this is excessive for3people, but theywere also feeding their staff and.