Daily Republican., 1881-11-21
MONDAY, NOVEMBER II. 1881.
Plenty Of Work bus II ard Times.

Plenty of Work bus Hard Times.
notwithstanding tho great boom in
business that has sent an exhilarating
thrill all through Wilmington and
given her thousands of mechanics and
working men employment, hard times
are actually staring them in the face.
The full effects of the late drought have
not vet been fully felt. We have all
noticed the absence of fruits and vege-
tables from our markets. Already we
have been drawing on distant places
for many of them, because our own
supplies are short. Cabbage has been
sent from Germany, and strange to say
potatoes raised in Ireland have made
their appearance in our market. House
Keepers are beginning to realize how
dearly the dry spell that prevailed all
over the country is likely to cost them.
There has been a steady rise in the
prices Of all kinds of provisions, from
flour to garden vegetables. The baker
makes his loaves smaller, the milk man
has gone up with his milk, and the
farmer asks nearly twice as much for
butter as he did last year Potatoes
are up nearly hundred per cent. and
in fact, hardly an article of prime ne
cessity can be mentioned that has not
made very notable advance in price.
Generally, when there is a failure of
crops in one section, the supply else
where is abundant, and they can be
brought here without any serious ad-
vance in prices, but this rule does not
apply at the present time, for the same
short supply is as general as the drought
has been.
There is likelihood that this ad-
vance in prices will grow with the sea
son. Living is always higher in win
ter than in summer, and this fact, when
taken into full consideration with the
prevailing state of affairs, must lead to
an increase in tho cost of living. The
short hay and corn crops mnst tell on
the price of best and pork, although
these very necessary articles have not
answered to the upward impulse to the
same degree that other articles have
done. There can be no doubt that pro-
visions will be fully twenty.f per
cent. higher on an average than they
were one year ago This fact is one
that must be looked boldly in the face
by every householder in the land.
Even thoss persons Who have moder
ately liberal fixed income, which in
ordinary times sees them through com
fortably, will have to carefully econo.
mize their resources. Men who do
daily labor at so much per day, will
perhaps feel the evil results quicker
than any other class TO them a rise
oftwenty.fve per cent. in the necessa,
ries of lite is very serious affair. To
them it means rigid economy to make
ends meet, and even then perhaps a
short supply Of food. At any rate il
means that good many hings that are
deemed almost Indispensable in these
days of generous living will have to be
cut off.
The interesting question comes
SLOW can this impending want best
be avoided ?" Luckily, there is every
prospect at the present time that there
will be plenty of work for those who
can work and are willing to work.
Every mill and factory, of whatever
kind, is in full and profitable operation,
and is likely TO continue so during the
winter. The usual income therefore
may be counted on, The only question
that remains to be ans cred, is how the
regular income ean be made to go the
farthest. Every laboring man must
work this problem out for himself. He
must scrutinize every item of expeuse,
and every little leak must be carefully
stopped. II he visits the beer hou,e in
the evening he cannot better begin the
work of retrenchment than by saving
the five or ten cents that leaves his
pocket every evening at that place. He
will be none the worse for the self i'm
posed abstinence, but is likely to be
great deal better. There are other pa-
ces where little savings will suggest
themselves Every family has some
unnecessary outlays which could be
stopped without any sacrifice Of CON.
fort. Here is the place where the crisis
must be net. AS no immediate increase
in wages seems likely, nothing can b,
expected from that source. Every
family must make up its mind to fight
the evil as it best can, and Just as the
strength and resolution to do this is ap-
parent, so will the success be.
A WEEK OF drunkenness debauchery
and crime closed on Saturday night