United States Lines Passage Payment Receipts - 1928

United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt dated 30 March 1928 for Prospectives Passage for an Irish Family, For a Voyage from Cobh to New York. GGA Image ID # 1a1bf5005d

Summary of Additional Payment Receipts

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 30 March 1928 and 15 April 1928
• Steamship Line: United States Lines
• Steamship: Unknown
• Route: Cobb to New York
• Ticket Type: Additional Payment Receipts
• Voyage Class: Third
• Name on Contract: Downing Family of Cobb, Ireland
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): Irish
• Contract Terms: None
• Cost of Ticket: $180.00 / $2,720.00 USD in 2020

Additional Payment Receipts Details

Form Acct 112 200 Pads-G.P. 2-21-27, Original United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt, Serial No. 15520 for Prospective Passengers -- the Downing Family, 6 Donelan Terrace, Cobh, Ireland, Remitted by Mr. B. Downing, Glenwolde, Terrytown, New York on 30 March 1928. To be applied $50.00 Cash Payment.

Immigrants already in America would often pay for other family members to come to the United States. Two receipts for payments to the United States Lines were made for the Downing Family of Cobh (Queenstown) to travel to New York on a USL steamship in the Third Class. Payments made in March and April 1928 totaled $180.00.

Once the passage was completely paid for, the agent would create a passage ticket that the Downing family could use to board a USL ship to New York. Per United States Lines Agent A. C. Fisher.

United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt dated 15 April 1928 for Prospectives Passage for an Irish Family, For a Voyage from Cobh to New York. GGA Image ID # 1a1c4ef22a

Form Acct 1:2 5M Sets 1-28 R. P. Co. Original United States Lines Additional Payment Receipt, Serial No. 15967, Prospective Passengers in the Third Class -- Downing Family, 6 Donelan Terrace, Cobh, Ireland, $130.00 Remitted by Mr. B. Downing of Glendale, Tarrytown, NY on 16 April 1928, Per United States Lines Agent A. C. Fisher.

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

In 2020, the relative values of $180.00 from 1928 ranges from $2,170.00 to $38,300.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $2,720.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $180 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1928 to 2020.

This may not be the best answer.

The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity, Income or Wealth, or a Project.

If you want to compare the value of a $180.00 Commodity in 1928 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $2,720.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $5,520.00
• labor value of that commodity is $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $14,000.00
• economic share of that commodity is $38,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $180.00 Income or Wealth, in 1928 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $2,720.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $5,520.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $14,000.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $38,300.00

If you want to compare the value of a $180.00 Project in 1928 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $2,170.00
• household cost of that project is $5,520.00
• labor cost of that project is $10,100.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $11,300.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $14,000.00
• economy cost of that project is $38,300.00

Source: www.measuringworth.com Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2022.