Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-09-27
CosT OF living.

lished in these parts i'm a Newspaper con-
troversy, the Providence News, IN its edi-
tion OF Saturday, September II, has
undertaken TO "settlo authoritatiyely and
for all time the doubt which some have
expressed whether the cost OF living is as
low under the Mckinley tariff in 1892 as
under the revenue tariff % the period be-
fore the war" We propose to examine
this article Of the News and see whether
in this presentation OF what are called
facts the News really does settle that very
interesting question or whether there is
something left to be said upon the sub
ject.
AS our readers very well know, this dis
cussion. arose over rash statement made
by the News and which we objected to,
and we succeeded so far in convincing our
esteemed contemporary that it acknowl-
edged in its columns that "nccessaries OF
most sorts arc higher than before the war
remarkably high just at present" But
angered at the thought Of what 1t was
compelled 10 confess, II set one Of its staff
to work to lind enough information some
where to prove the stand il had taken, and
so, with remarkable diligence and zeal, It
labored among 1.-THE standard authorities
on statistics and interviewed the mor-
chants Of Proyiduygoud then printed the
result.
1t will be noticed lJ tlc outset that tho
only statistic and lists ofIrlccs published
arc those given in the first two columns,
and of these only one appeared TO be taken
from the figures compiled by the stats
tical writers it quotes as It's authorities on
the matter, the other being prices quoted
from books "rcsurrcctod from dusty old
garrett" ga salesbook for 1856" and the
last is list OF prices quoted by man vi no
is called the "cnoyclopodia Of practical In
formation" at a newly established in
formation bureau. II is also to be noticed
and remembered that all these prices are
quoted for 1867 and for 1892.
At no time during this discussion OF
prices have we ever confined ourselves TO
the prices OF 1867. We have always OBJ
jected to these figures because the prices
then were twice as high as the years pre-
ceeding and the years following, and it il
only by this sly and skipping method that
the willy News is able to prove anything
Even the figures for these years are often
tends to give the prices of for that period
are not TO be found in the statistical die.
tionaries at all, SO that whatever prices
the News has put 10 them it has Concoc-
ted to suit the occasion and, OF course
puts the prices much higher than for tn,
year 1892.
In the entire discussion We propose to
confine ourselves TO the works OF writer.
of acknowledged merit and confinc our
selves exclusively TO the prices given in
them, and we do not propose to rummagt
around among dusty old lcdgers or inter.
view walking Encyclopedias Of infor.
nation" or "salesbooks for 1856" Lalor''
encyclopedia, MulhGlps Dictionary o.
Statistics, the American Almanac and tn,
Tenth Census are sufficient for our pur
pose. These are the same authorities thai
the News says at the outset it proposes L
quote and then casts them aside fo
walking encyclopedias and salesbook
and ledgcrs. But with all its efforts .t'
bolster up a lost cause, let us see what th
News really proves.
The first division that the News make
is of groceries and provisions, and i
quotes from an interview with a maj
whose personal interest in the News
"cornei grocery" began in "ls57." Well
as the period before this gentleman
"personal interest" began is under con
sideration, as well as after, Let as see wha
the average cost Of living just at the pcrio'
really was. Even tho man with the "per
sonal interest" can only remember TIVE
things that arc cheaper today than ever IL
1867, viz: beans and butter. But here is
list OF prices for that period taken from
the authorities We have quoted, with "a,
prices given by the News for 1892: