Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-10-14
ahe Cost of Living.
now NfuoH HAS IT BEEN REDUCED BY LAgtE nAn-
VESTS AND GLUrTED MARKETsf
Lllrom me sprlneaeIl RepublIcan.l

HOW NfucH HAS IT BEEN REDUCED BY LAgdE mAn-
VESTS AND dLUrTED MARKETS.
From the Springfield Republican.
1t If interesting to discern at this season Of
large harvest- and glutted markets just how
much benefit the consumer has from tho reduc-
ton in the expense Of living. There ought to
be, and we believe there has been, considers
bic reduction. It ID difficult for each family TO
see this perhaps. but it If probably quite apure-
ciable by those whose monthly or annual
surplus depends upon the saving of barrel OF
flour or o webb OF sheetng. Most families III
the middle rank Of life have contracted hahits
of expenditure which render them insensible to
reductions in the cost Of the necesaaries. Such
only realize diminuion of the outgo. as they
| are able to cnt OIL some considerable eNtrava-
gance, such vacation trip, Il team, or eX-
| pensive social habits
In the necessaries OF life rent is tue first con
sideration, and it is generally lower for high
priced teneInents, but not much lower. We APP
| prehend, for cheap tenements, for which the
demand never fails. In food. Hour has fallen
| % per cent. on the cheaper grades and fully %
per cent. on all, making areductOn Of about -
| a barrel. No. ? spring Milwaukee wheat, quoted
| year ago N New York at @l.42 is now quoted
| at Sl.l0, reduction Of almost exactly 80 per
cent. Corn on the other hand has ri4en fully
81 per ceut. and salt pork is q per cent. higher
than it was last year.
Meats in general show no reduction Gro
ceres and farm produce are almost the same,
| but the reduction in the price of tin makes a
| sensible reduction in all canned goods. which
are entering more aud more into consumption.
Another evidence OF the reduction in the cost OF
food if the temperance of respectable restau.
| rants, which offer n hearty dinner for 20 and
even Is cents.
There is marked reduction in the cost OF
wearing apparel. Ready-made clothing il the
: apparel OF the multitude Of men. BY its means
they get the full benefit of the cheapneas which
rF,. 4 ,If,s;uf 1,1,
in large manufactures renders possible in the
Wholesale construction OF clothing. This i'm
pOrtant staple has now reached point moi
much, if any, higher than the prices paid before
the war.
IN the other departments OF dry goods thor,
has been IL considerable fall. law cotton is g.
cents at New York. or lower than it har been a
a.since the war. The iobbers quotations o.
sheetings for September were II cents, agains
IS, last wear, Is IN 1868, and 70 in 1864 Merr
, mnclt prntH 10. against II cents last year, Il
; | in 1868, and 10 in 1861 corset jeans about thl
same spool cotton 20, against u last year, | II
Q in 1868 and 200 in 1864 delaines have been q
o cents for some years. the price before tile wa
@ being about IL. These goods enter larG oily int
= consumption, supplying the underclothing am
b bed-clothing Of the people, besides vast pro
= portion Of the apparel of women.
n There is an equal reduction IN the small ware
of dry goods, ribbons and trimmings. Much 0
this reduction is neutrazod by the prevalence
OF fashions which demand for dress patter
l. about double the number of yards formerly re
if quired but perhaps this llorid development O
:, the dress Tor, more properly speaking, of III
y gown is compensated for by the dsuse of add
IN tional outer garments. The reduction on a
,f lines of dry goods since September /, 1873,
AZ estimated at from - to % per cent. by the mo-
- intelligent Dealers Boots and shoes have nj
rs varied much we believe. nor have househol
furnishings.
To recapituate, there il a reduction in rem
3 OF the higher class, a considerable reduction
important staples of food and a reduction in eli
OF thing and all dry goods to nearly ante war price
in This ID one of the alternating circumstances of
il season which, in spite Of all "hollering to u
i, cattle, ia going to continue dull. Even at thei
III" reductions of prices we have important man
OF features going upon two-thrds productio
ut These oft-repeated periods Of curtailed produ
- ton point to but one result, which, it seems
u.s. mill-managers and nill-employes may as w
Ter face first an last such readjusiment of wag
to aud of prices as shall insure an adequate mark
tic and constant employment