Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-16
THE COST OF LIVING,


point, is just now receiving good deal Of
attention in the daily press. A few papers.
presumably for political considerations,
labor hard to make believe that business is
steadily improving and that when the new
administration is settled down to business
the commercial and industrial business Of
the nation will be altogether satisfactory. A
large majority of the leading journals, how
evur, take a gloomy view of the situation
Putting the best face possible on the present
state of things, the fact that the times are
dropping as winter tightens its icy grasp
upon us sticks out too plain to be ignored.
Not day passes that the wires do not herald
the failure Of some prominent firm, or the
closing down of some large manufacturing
concern. Kansas, being neither a mining
nor manufacturing state, is not affected,
to any great extent, By the depression in
these industries.
1t is nonsense to affect, however, that ev-
erything is lovely here, or that no one has
reason to complain. 1t cannot be denied
that even in this city, which travelling men
and visitors say is he liveliest in the coun-
try, business is Tightening down. Our mer-
chants and business men generally appear
to be settling down to the conviction that
the winter now upon us will be one Of the
dullest in our history. In 1873 the crops OF
Europe were failure, therefore the agricul-
tural districts Of this country were relieved
by good prices for their products. This
year the yield Of almost every product of the
soil, both in this country and Europe, is
abundant, and prices are consequently below
any previous experience.
In this city, although the hard times will
affect us all more or less, the clerk, the me-
chanic and the laborer viii be the chief suf-
ferers; even now many poor families ind II
hard to keep the wolf from the door. The
price Of meat and breads,uff is too high and
altogether out of proportion to that of live
stock and wheat.
The cost Of living is, therefore, out
of proportion TO wages.
During the past week or two, perhaps fifty
men most of whom are not affected at sill BY
this state of things, have directed the attention
of the writer to this matter, and said it was
the duty of the press 10 direct attention
to it,
In conversation with number Of gentle
men yesterday, the same question was urged
upon the writer, and they figured the thing
for him as il stands below. Among them
was Il prominent hotel man, who said that he
had to pay 81 per one hundred pounds for
the best -four and that all his best meats av-
eraged him l2l cents per pound. He said
that it did not affect him in the least, because
his guests had to pay the bills.
According to our market report, wheat in
this market ranges from rs tc As cents; we
will call the average 40 cents. Flour ranges
from 81 to So per cwt., the average being
$3.50. or IS per barrel. 1t is GENERALLY es-
timated that five bushels of wheat viii make
a barrel of -four. Five bushels Of
wheat at 10 cents equals 500.
therefore the profit on barrel of flour ex-
elusive Of insurance, labor and interest on
capital invested, is So. The bran at so
cents and shorts at 90 will surely pay for
grinding From the foregoing statement
it is plain that the best -four in this market
at the present price of wheat, could be sold
at 81 per 100 and yield larger profit than
any other business we know OF. In Gin
cinn,t. where No. winter wheat sells for
- cents a bushel, winter family -four sells at
$3.50 per barrel.
At present, beef cattle in this market
brings cents per pound on foot.
Now it is estimated that good fat steer
will dress two-thirds of his live weight. Take
"A steer whose gross weight is 1900 pounds,
at the above rate he would dress 200
well, we will cut it down to 1000. The
price of bee! here will average 10 cents all
round. Now, a steer 800 pounds gross at
3 cents amounts to S45 and, according TO the
figuring the meat will bring 500 which any
one must admit is an enormous profit. In
the east butchers say if the meat pays for
the entire animal. thus leaving them the hide
and tallow clear, they are satisfied. The best
cuts of beef could be sold at 10 cents per
pound and a very profitable business be
done. In pork it is the same.
Rents, too. are unreasonaby high in this
city--little bits Of houses that could be
built for $500 bring SD per month rent,
and a clerk cannot hire a furnished room
for less than $40 per month.
Clerks wages average about 50 per week
and laborers' wages SIPS per day. Board
from 81 to Sc per week. Men working on
the railroad get Sl.10 per day and pay 81
per week for board. 1t cannot but be clear
that in the present state of things the poor
must suffer. In the east where wheat and
cattle are much higher than here, -four and
meat and board and rent are lncomparably
lower