The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-10
THE COST or ITvIyG IN ENGLANI.

the case; with families of moderate means IL
| certainly il not 80 now. say families Of mod
| crate MEANS for. up to n certain amount of in
come. the one item OF food inevitably consumes
half, or nearly half the entire amount: but.
when the yearly income passes above five or
six hundred dollars the part expended upon
the table is no longer half. and the per cent. so
laid out constantly dimnishes as the income in
creascs; hence the cost OF living would then
mainly rest. not upon the price OF food. but
upon the cost OF rent. clothing. and luxuries.
In Great Britain food is necessarily always
high rents are by no means low; and clothing
and other manufactured articles are generally
cheaper than in the United States. Some time
since a New York paper noticed the departure
of forty-six skilled carpenters and joners.
from New York for the English city OF Manches-
ter. and cited some authority as saying that
tl.75-thc stipulated wages per day in Manches-
ter-has purchasing power equal TO $3.50 in
New York. There Is really no such difference
One dollar and scventy-1ve cents per day In the
maximum OF mechanics wages in England.
and. after stay Of nearly year in this coun-
try. l have no hesitation in saying that families
live quite as cheaply in the eastern and central
parts Of the United States rs anywhere in Eng
land and with this advantage in favor OF the
former. that the climate gives great variety Of
had here only by paying very exorbitant prices
When Americans come to England they al
ways notice the meagrc variety of the average
bill OF fare as compared with the generous
American style to which they have been accus-
toned. Here. II il a dreary monotony OF bread
meat, potatoes. and green's; no tomatoes. no
green corn. little or no fruit, and generally
mono OF the innumerablc toothsome rclishes
that American and French housew. res under
stand so well.
The British food supply comes mainly from
abroad. From year to year u constantly and
rapidly increasing amount Of the great staples
is brought from various continental countries
and the United States In 1876 cereals were
imported to the value Of $3.50 900 900; meats Of
all kinds. $4,000 900; live animals $50. 900 900:
butter. sis000,0O0; choose. s2l 900 .OOO eggs.
$4,000 900; potatoes. 81 700 900: lard. 81 $780,
600. The chief contributor is our own country.
| mention these items TO show the dependence
Of Great Britain upon other countries. and be-
cause they naturally teach that consumers must
pay higher prices than in the countries from
which the supplies are drawn.
The average wholesale price Of wheat for ten
years has been about 1873 per bushel the
present price about 1920. The present retail
price Of -four is about $3.50 per barrel. Corn
meal Is cents per pound. Meat Of all kinds is
much higher than in the United States. Beef
Is nearly double the price have known in Ohio
and Michigan for many years pa st. and. in gem
eral. is from cents TO 10 cents per pound
higher than in the Eastern States. The intro
duction Of American fresh meat made reduc-
ton of. perhaps. cents u pound generally.
English butchers fought against it. and tried
by every means. both fair and foul To discour-
age its use but it won its way into public favor.
Man hold L.,
the diet OF the British people. and the high
price Of this one article is u large factor Of the
entire cost OF living.
Vegetables Of all kinds when compared with
American prices. are also high. The universal
potato rarely gets below 81 IS per bushe Amer
lean housckeepers are often able 10 lay in their
winters supply OF potatoes at forty or fifty cents
per bushel. but no such prices are ever known
here. OF all kinds OF garden produce, II may
be said that prices are often reasonable. but
never positively cheap. There are a great many
mouths TO feed IN this little island country.
land Is very valuable. and the products OF the
soil are always In demand at good prices.
Butter ahd eggs also command high prices
Prime iuiter during the past year has been
about for,y cents per pound good article may
now be had for thrty-eight cents Fresh eggs
are thirty cents per dozen. Immense quaint
though it is rarely sold as such. Comparisons
OF the quantities Of real butter made and inn
ported, with all sold under the name OF butter
show this TO be the fact. II 10 estimated that
only genuine butter were sold hero, the price
could not be less than 81 per pound
Fruits. except apples and pears command
such prices as to make them mere luxurics.
Even those have excepted have not sold ut any
time for Il whole year past at less than 81 per
bushcl for sound. not extra, qualities. Choice
apples are never to be had at less than SO per
bushel. Grapes are worth not less than 10 cents
per pound in their season and choice qualities
would never be less than % or 30 cents. The
small fruits. such rs cherries. strawberries,
currants gooscbcrries and raspbcr rics may bo
quoted at the minimum price all round of 20
cents per quart. though flrst-ratc quality Of
strawberries and raspbcrrlcs is by no means to
be had as low as that-iO cents per quart would
be more nearly their usual price.
Tropical and sub-tropical products. such rs
coffee. tea. sugar, rice. oranges. and lemons.
are n trlhc cheaper generally than in our own
country. England's superior commercial facli-
ties readily account for this fact
Fuel commands higher price than would Ice
expected, considering Engand's wealth Of coal.
| The average price per ton Of 1000 pounds Tor
the past year has been little moro than Sc. II
il a btuminous coal Of good quality hut 10y no
means lasts as well MS the anthracite. For Il
number OF years past the cost Of fuel has been
very considerably higher than in New York. \
very general price for some years has been
about 81 A Columbus paper NJ Aug. 4 gives
the price OF Ohio bituminous coal in that city as
| So per ton. The contrast is a broad one.
Clothing is generally cheap. though most cot
ton goods are fully ~ low in the United States
| while some kinds are even cheaper. Wooen
fabrics however. are as much rs 40 per cent
lower than with us. in general, should say
just now u large number of thu best tailoring es.
tnbishmonts are making Kind Of specially o
substantial suits Of Scotch tweed. a SO 80 forth,
| entire suit made 10 order. Trousers of the sam,
! material ARE made 10 order for $500 | mention
| these simply I'D aggravated ca-r9 Of cheapno -
American tailOrs would ask that much for max
ing alone
TENTS arr not much different from ordinary
charges in the United States. II Is little de-
ceptivc 10 Judge from the nominal rates. for the
tenant usually pays the taxes IN addition to th'
rent. On a house that rents Tor $3.50 per year
the tenant would have taxes to pay to the amour
of at least $40 more. The rrgulnr rat ns for rail
way travel ARE simply eXorbitant. Tho third
class charges are nearly as high M our first
class. Gas il very cheap-uirn lower than :
per thousand cubic feet but candles and illu
mnatlng oils are expensive