The sickness of the main wage earner in a family meant disaster. In 1902 a carpenter in the building trades could earn eleven dollars a week while a Iabourer in the same might earn only eight or nine dollars. An estimated budget for food, fuel, light and shelter for a family of five amounted to $9.83 per week. With wages like these it was very unlikely that even a skilled worker could save enough to get through any period of prolonged illness or unemployment, and health insurance schemes among unions were rare. Among the most frequent contagious diseases listed by the city Health Department in 1916 were measles, tuberculosis and diptheria. In "The Ward" for the same year, the most frequent causes of death among adults were pneumonia, paralysis and tuberculosis.
