Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-24
LIVING COST HERE AND IN BRIT
AIN.

AIN.
If asked upon what subject the gen.
eral opinion of Britons was farthest
astray regarding the United States,
one would not be far wrong in answer
! ing, AS to the comparative cost of
living in the old and the new. 1t will
probably prove work OF time and
of some difficulty TO remove an impress
sion so generally entertained as that
which finds expression il the words
recently spoken by high English au-
thority-viZ., that 1.-The United States
would be a perfect Ell Dorado for the
workingman, If it were not for the
cost of living" 1t is easy to show how
this impression has arisen. The Briton
arrives in New York and hires car
riage, which has been waiting for the
steamer several hours; he is charged
an eXorbitant price; he orders bot
tie of imported wine, and rinds 1t much
dearer than a. home; he learns that
the cost of clothing made to order
from imported material Is also much
dearer: and these things strike him
deeply, because they are the first i'm
pressions received. When asked upon
his return upon what data he has
reached the conclusion that the cost of
living is dearer in the United States
than at home, he invariably gives these
three items, and stops there. But
these do not constitute the chief
sources of expenditure even to travel
erS, much less to residents. The great
point is, as to the comparative cost of
living to the mass of people, the wage
earning class of the two countries.
1t has been common in Britain to
attribute the supposed higher cost of
| living in the United States to the eff
| feet of the tariff. Now a little consid
GRAFTON will show that this impression
is not Well founded. The principal
| highly taxed articles under the Nc
Kinley bill are five: First the extra
fine silks of France; second, the fine
woolens and linens Of Britain; third,
the extra fine linens of Germany and
France; fourth, the high-priced wines
Of France; and fifth, Havana tobacco
and cigars. The duties on all these
are very high. Woolens 60 per cent
of their value, silks even higher, cham
pagnes 81 shillings dozen, etc. This
is our "democratic' budget There is
not wOrkingman in America who
uses any of these articles. 1t Is con-
sidered good policy thus to tax heavily
the luXnries Of the rich, and admit
free the tea and coffee and raw sugar
used by the masses. 1t is not prob
able that this policy will be reversed,
or even greatly modified, however
much talk there may be of tariff re-
form. Indeed, the wholesale tendency
now seen in Britain to lay the burden
of taxation upon the wealthy few who
can best afford to bear it is not less
strongly marked in the republic. The
neceSSarieS of life used by the workers
will probably remain duty free in the
republic and soon become free in the
monarchy, and the luXuries of the rich
will continue to be taxed more and
more in both lands.
Having higher revenues, the Ameri-
can Is not content to live without
what would be considered luXuries in
any of the old countries of Europe. He
earns more and he spends more.
Therefore, in one sense it is true that
the cost of living as the American
workman lives is greater than that of
the BritOn as he lives. But it is none
the less true that this arises from the
fact that he lives in different man
ner. For those similar things which
are absolutely necessary the cost is
much less in the newer land. The
American workman and his family can
live very cheaply indeed if so inclined,
or they can spend inordinately just
as easily as in any other country. In
times Of unexampled industrial de-
preston, like the present, the ability
of the masses of the people of the
United States to live cheaply and yet
comfortably is OF the greatest moment.
for it has shielded them from such
acute suffering which would otherwise
have resulted from the lack of work
an experience new to this generation
of Americans, and likely soon to pass
away, unless the faith of capital in
the maintenance of the gold standard
be again shaken. An equivocal note
upon this subject, struck by the secre-
tary OF the treasury May last year,
paralyzed the business of the country
for the time-and recovery has been re-
tarded by impending new legislation
affecting duties upon imports. A
pound sterling In the new land, jul
diciously spent for the necessaries of
life by the workingman and his family
will today purchase more of these
in the new than in the old home of our
race-Andrew Carnegie in Contempor-
airy Review.