Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-12

the increase cfthe precious metals in which
prices are everywhere at least nomlnally
expressed. There is also an increased
consumption of all articles that enter into
the comfort of daily life, and this has also
tended to enhance their prices. But the
real increase in the cost of living arises
from the fact that Giving" now includes
so much more than it formerly did, and
this is not true of any one country alone,
but of all countries, though perhaps in
different degrees.
Among ourselves every one must be i'm
pressed with the great number of new ar
ticles which have lately been added to the
list OF household OF personal necessities
No family-scarcely any person, indeed
now lives after the standard that was en-
tirely satisfactory few years ago. That
standard has been abandoned, and anoth-
er, on far more expensive scale, has been
substituted in its place. The new standard,
too, is far more imperious than the old,
and it can be disregarded only by the prac-
tee of a self denial and personal and fami-
ly independence which are becoming ex
ceedingly rare among US.
The British government, not long since,
sent a circulay, pertaining to this subject,
to its several legations in all parts of the
world, in order to ascertain the rate at
which its diplomatic service ought to be
paid. The returns which were made have
lately been published, and they show very
fully that the cost of living in all countries
has greatly increased within the past twen-
ty years, for it was in relation to this period
that the enquiries were made. In Flor
ence, tor example, the expense of living
has nearly trebled since 1850, when Flor
ence was really one of the cheapest cities
in Europe. In Vienna house rent has
doubled since 1850, and so have such lux
uries as horses, carriages, furniture, &c,
while most articles of food have advanced
seventy or eighty per cent. In Paris,
Rome, Berlin and St. Petersburg, the cost
of living, including house rent, has
doubled. Corresponding returns were
made from the capitals of the American
continent. In Buenos Ayres, Rio de Jan
GIRO, Guatemala and other places where
British diplomats are obliged to reside,
they report an increase in household ex-
penses of at least a hundred per cent.
within the period named. Not only is this
the fact, but there is also an immense
growth of luxurious habits. The whole
style of life in these new American CAPT
tails has departed from early simplicity and
grown evtravagant and wasteful with the
same rapidity and in corresponding pro-
portions, as in the oldest cities of Europe
The Journal appears to lament this con-
dition of things. If the increased cost of
living were leading to general poverty
and ruin it would be worthy of regret, but
we doubt if statistics will show that to be
the case. The more consumed the more
must be produced. As it is the producing
classes which are poorest, the increased
demand for their productions stimulates
labor, increases wages, and thus operates
directly for their benefit. Statistics will
show that laborers, farmers, producers of
all kinds in this country, obtain more for
their labor, have more comforts, are less
in debt, more independent. than they were
twenty years ago, and were better off
then than they were twenty years be-
fore. If the rich spend freely the world
is no worse, providing they do not spend
criminally or wickedly, for by this their
wealth flows out to support those who are
poor and need employment