The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Living. Its Cost and prawbacks.

Living, Its Cost and Drawbacks.
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis JonrnaI:
The following figures are particularly signif-
cant just now to be considered by the people,
and especially the workingman. while the dis
cussion as to his wrongs by his employer is 60
ing on: According to an estimate of tobacco
MIST 81 900 paid daily in this city for cigars
and tobacco. Calculating the population to be
100 900, and that the consumption here is an
average one then the entire population Of the
United States pay about $500, 900, 900 in one
year And, according to the government re-
ports, about 5000, 100000 worth of strong
drink is consumed, making 81, 400. 600, 600
paid for these two entirely unneces-
sary and hurtful stimulants and narcotics.
These estimates are substantially sustained by
a gentleman OF Philadelphia. "not temperance
fanatic" who says: 1T am more and more con-
WINGED each day that the correct name for hard
times is whisky and tobacco, and that the
800 600, 900 spent here each year for building is
not quite our whisky and tobacco pocket money
for SIX days. and, incredible as it seems, IL is
positively 30, all the house building in this city
In sixty years is drunk down and spit out lbah)
in the United States each year, and mostly
by the poor" and which means the
wage-workers Knights OF Labor. etc. Then,
estimating that one in twenty, or about
three millions of the people, consume
the strong drink and tobacco it would be $500
a year to each man. and about $170 to each for
tobacco The New York Tribune estimates
that the people of this country drink two gal
Ions of liquor for every bushel of wheat they
consume - twice as much for liquor as for
Bread and as much for tobacco as for bread.
Nor is this all that is to be considered by the
wage-worker, especially if he is Goor, which is
certainly almost always the case when he starts
in life, marries and settles down. In a large
proportion of cases he attempts to live on a
level with his employer or the well-to-do citizen,
thus entailing an additional expense Of at least
% per cent more for living than is
actually necessary for the mere comfort
of his family. Then, again, to have all things
convenient, he seeks and obtains credit for
week, and from week to week. for about all the
provisions he may need and then. as is almost
always the case. he buys more than Is actually
necessary, because he does not have to pay cash
down for it; besides, his creditor charges, as
matter of protection from loss by failures Of
some to pay, at least 10 per cent more for what
he does buy. Now, to sum up all the actually
unnecessary costs for mere comfortable living,
such as man who wishes to rise in the world.
and up to the condition of householder
and all other conveniences of man
of plenty it amounts to about so per cent more
than his expenses should be- Then, if he be
consumer of strong drink and tobacco, whatever
OUTLAY there is in that direction is to be added to
from dime or two day to five or ten times
that amount, while, in proportion as those ex
cesses INDUCED in his time is spent In idleness
and dissipation, and his family correspcndingly
kinds of mental work to save herself and chill
dren from want and suffering. These
descriptions Of the workingman are
verified in every neighborhood, and
in proportion as they indulge in those reckless
habits of living, are they poor, without any hope
of rio ahnva th mr. condition vat th0aa the
class OF wage-workers who proclaim loudest
against their employer and claiming the most
inadequate pay to their wants. On the other
hand, if the workingman start out in life with
@ determination to rise to position OF comfort
and Independence he economies in every con-
ceivable way, and soon sees himself on the up
ward plane to that condition, and reaches it. and
often becomes the employer instead of the EN-
ployed, as is witnessed in the heads of in
Vulnerable businesses all over the coun-
try to-day, and against whom the
other class of wage-wcEkers is now striking or
complaining of the oppression they are receiv-
ing at the hands of those self-made capitalists
Henry George characterizes the present strike
"The revolt against industrial slavery" But as
far as the extravagant and Gissipated habits de-
scrihed above apply to their habits, those of
any other working men, are not those strikers
and tue others striking against the condition
which the great Master Workman OF the uni
verse has designed for them and made it posi-
bio for them to attain to by observing the la WIS
which He has required them to live
up to2 Then, is there not another strike
in order, which, if they shall go into
with all their SOUL will it not evidently relieve
them much from whatever necessity they may
see for the other?-a strike all along the line
against strong drink, tobacco, and all the other
unwise, unnecessary and expensive indul-
gences.
While they may not think that the $40, more
or less, paid by them for strong drinks and to-
bacco is an important consideration for them
when complaining Of the oppression of their en-
ployers, yet it will, with what can De saved by
rigid and proper management of home expenses.
go far toward removing all such complaints, "a
well as proving an important factor in procuring
them a good home in fee simple Let them, for
their own and family's sakes. consider well these
matters WE'LL SEE