Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-24
THE COST OF LIVING.
Present Prices Compared With Those
Of Eighty or Ninety Years Ago.

From the Phfladelpha Record
In view Of some curious efforts to increase
the emoluments Of government officers, on the
ground that it costs two or three times az much
to live now as 1t did when these ofices were
created, it may be well to recall sundry stats
tics given by Senator George. of Mississippi, in
recent speech. Having repeatedly found his
objections to the modern increase Of official
salaries met by the broad assertion that 1t costs
three times as much to live now as 1t did when
the government was founded, he determ ined to
be no longer nut down by this statement with
out finding out exactly how far it was true He
delved among the books Of the Congressional
library. and the conclusion he reached was
that lin all the substantialS of life all the nee
essaries and the comforts OF lite. the prices
were higher during Washingtons and the elder
Adams administration than they are now.
allude especially to provisions, things consumed
by men, or course, we all know as to clothing
that the improvement in labOr-saving machin-
cry, the invention of the sewing machine, have
greatly reduced the prices OF those necessary
articles. As to fuel. have looked into that.
and the price of coal is now less than it was
during the administration of Washington"
Rents. OF course, are enormously greater now
IN the large cities than they were in the begin
ming OF the century: but while this fact must be
kept in mind for those places, Mr. George in
sists that even rents lin the rural districts in
the non-Tnanufacturing and nOn-cOmmercial
states are as low now as they ever were before
In the SOUTH" Here are some of the statistical
comparisons ex-senator George:
''Beef per barrel was worth in 1875 S13 I796
1t was worth $14, in 1884 it was worth IS so,
and the average price of beef for the forty years
commencing in 1875 and ending in 1884 was
S1O.9o per barrel. In the last ten years the
price of beef has not been less than SlO.25 per
barrel.
Take the article of corn. very necessary
article. In 1875. 1896 and 1877 it was worth 81
per bushel and over That was the lowest price
The average price for the forty years from 1894
to 1884 was S619 cents per bushel. In the last
ten years it has never been as high as this aver
age. except in 1882, when there was drouth
and corn was exceptionally high.
Take the article OF coffee. In 1795, 1796 and
1877, 1t was worth, respectively, 81, 25 and 26
cents per pound. and the average price for the
forty years up to 1884 was % cents For the
last ten years it has not been up to that aver
age.
Take the article Of sugar. In 1795 it was
worth IA cents per pound. 1t went as high as
II cents in 1916. and never got as low as 10
cents till 1890 Now the price is from to 8
cents. :, SO there has been fall in the price OF
sugar"
Mr.. George at that point noted that it was
shown year ago in Congress that sugar was q
leading item of expense in boarding -house for
factory operatives. He then added these ng-
ures:
'.Take pork, sir In 1795 it was s1s per bar
rel; in 1901 it was $26. In 1903 it fell to S15.
and was never as low as $15 again until 1920
and then 1t was S14.50. The average price for
the forty years from 1795 to 1884 was 1859 per
barrel. 1t is less than that now
Take flour. very essential article of SUD-
port. The average price of barrel of -four from
1875 to 1884 was 1851. In 1795 it was S12 in
1876 it was S16 in 1901 it was 3d. in 1917 it was
S14.75, the average being, as 1 have stated,
SS.51. 1t is now. and has been for long time,
much lower than that.
Take wheat. Ny statistics Of wheat do not
60 beyond the year 1906. 1 cannot find them
beyond that time in that wear the average
price OF wheat was 81 IS; in 1907, 1908 and 1909
1t was S1.25 per bushei; in 1910 it was 81 so per
oushel; IN 1911 it was 81 IS per bushel, whereas
the price to-day in Chicago is about SO cents
Since that time wheat has fallen lower. but the
fluctuations through speculation do not affect
the general comparison.
Take rice. another article of consumption
In 1875 it was worth Z cents per pound: in 1875
1t was worth cents per pound. and the average
for the forty years from 1875 to 1884 was 81 81
per hundred. 461 cents per pound. and this was
caused by the low price from 1920 down. Before
that time it was higher. The average for the
last ten years would be but very little more.'
THESE figures may In some particulars be at
tacked, and there are other considerations that
should be taken into account. It is no doubt
true that the number OF things classed as neces-
saries and comforts, or, in other words. the
number of things deemed ordinary requisites
for given condition or calling in lfe has been
multiplied of late years. Doubtless food is not
relatively so great an item of the total xpeuse
in many families rs it was in former generations.
Never heless, Mr.. Georges investigations are
interesting. and perhaps may lead to some eau
ton hereafter in accepting assertions hitherto
so little challenged as to have almost become
axiOns.